Breaking all previous records, Delhi registered more than 65 per cent polling on Wednesday with voters queuing up outside booths in large numbers since early morning.
According to the Election Commission, a huge turnout by young voters swung the polling percentage to a new high.
The figures for the previous Assembly elections are 57.8% in 2008, 54.42% in 2003, 49% in 1998 and 61.8% in 1993.
A total of 810 candidates are battling it out for the 70-member Assembly in a three-cornered contest between the incumbent Congress, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the debutant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Polling continued till 9.30 p.m. at several polling stations across the Capital. A total of 1.72 lakh votes were cast after 5 p.m., the official closing time for voting.
Among the prominent early voters were Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. They cast their votes at the Nirman Bhavan polling station in the New Delhi constituency.
BJP chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan cast his vote in his Krishna Nagar constituency in East Delhi while AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal voted in the New Delhi seat. The city also saw the homeless casting their vote for the first time.
Polling was not glitch-free, however. There were several complaints of names of voters missing from the electoral rolls despite possessing valid voter identity cards.
Some voters also complained that policemen manning polling booths did not allow mobile phones inside polling booths.
Also, 112 Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) had to be replaced across the city due to mechanical problems. Former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was among those who faced problems because of the EVM malfunctioning.
Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Dev admitted complaints of malfunctioning EVMs and missing names .
Published - December 04, 2013 12:05 pm IST
