Reporters / WEB DESK
Polling is going on for Delhi Assembly elections. President Ram Nath Kovind, former Vice President Hamid Ansari, Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union Ministers Dr Harsh Vardhan and Dr S. Jaishankar and Congress Leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were among those who exercised their franchise this morning. President Ram Nath Kovind voted at a Polling Station in Rashtrapati Bhawan while the Delhi Lt. Governor cast his vote at Greater Kailash area and Mr Kejriwal in Civil Lines area in the national capital. Dr. Harsh Vardhan voted in Krishnanagar in East Delhi and Dr. S. Jaishankar at the Tughlaq Crescent area.
Mr Hamid Ansari, Ms Sonia Gandhi and Ms Priyanka Gandhi cast their votes at Nirman Bhawan, while Mr Rahul Gandhi voted at Aurangzeb Road polling booth. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also exercised his franchise at Nirman Bhavan. Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav and Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken also cast their votes among others in the early hours.
Over 13 thousand polling booths have been set up in the national capital for over one crore forty lakhs voters. The voting, which began at 8 A.M., will continue till 6 P.M. A total of 672 candidates are in the fray for 70 Assembly seats. A maximum of 28 candidates are contesting from New Delhi constituency, while a minimum of four persons are from Patel Nagar seat. Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling. Delhi Police has deployed 42 thousand personnel, 190 companies of Paramilitary forces and 19 thousand home guards for security during the election process. Counting of votes will be taken up on Tuesday.
The voting percentage recorded so far in Delhi elections is just over 40%, with polling picking up pace towards the evening. The Delhi election exit poll result will start coming in after 6:30pm, the official time when voting ends today.
Congress’s Chandni Chowk candidate Alka Lamba got into an altercation with an AAP worker outside a polling booth, a video of which has gone viral. The video shows Lamba arguing with the AAP worker. She can be then seen trying to slap the man, but misses. Lamba alleged that the man used “very foul” and objectional language against her. The Chandni Chowk MLA was outside one of the polling booths in her constituency. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he is hopeful that the Aam Aadmi Party would form a government for the third time in Delhi. The people of Delhi will vote based on the works done by the AAP government, Kejriwal said after voting along with his wife Sunita and son Pulkit at a polling booth in Civil Lines area.
Congress will spring a surprise?
Delhi Congress in-charge P.C Chacko today said that the party will spring a surprise on February 11, the day on which counting of votes will take place for the 70-member Delhi Assembly. Chacko denied that the party has thrown in the towel and is not even in the race. “We are fighting an ideological war. Delhi has seen slow pace of progress in the last five-six years. People are looking at the Congress with hope as Aam Aadmi Party makes false promises and the BJP spreads communalism,” Chacko said.