Delhi Assembly Election Marred by Bogus Voting Incident: Turnout Hits 46.55%
The Delhi Assembly election recorded a voter turnout of 46.55% till 3 p.m. on Wednesday, as voting across the 70 seats remained largely peaceful. Despite this, a brief commotion occurred at a polling booth in Seelampur when a bogus voter was caught attempting to vote using someone else’s identity.
The Delhi Assembly election recorded a voter turnout of 46.55% till 3 p.m. on Wednesday, as voting across the 70 seats remained largely peaceful. Despite this, a brief commotion occurred at a polling booth in Seelampur when a bogus voter was caught attempting to vote using someone else’s identity.
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Bogus Voting Incident in Seelampur
The incident took place at Aryan Public School, Seelampur, where a fake voter was apprehended. Gayatri, a Booth Level Officer, confirmed the occurrence. BJP candidate Anil Gaur, who is contesting the Seelampur seat, accused Congress and AAP of bringing in 300-400 fake voters from neighboring Uttar Pradesh.
Special Commissioner of Police D.C. Srivastava acknowledged receiving complaints about attempted bogus voting. Two individuals were detained, and authorities are currently verifying the facts surrounding the incident.
Highest Turnouts Recorded in Mustafabad and Seelampur
By 3 p.m., the Mustafabad constituency saw the highest voter turnout at 56.12%, followed by Seelampur with 54.29%. In contrast, New Delhi, where AAP convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is contesting, recorded a turnout of 44.83%, while Delhi Cantonment saw 45.90% voter participation.
Turnout in Other Key Constituencies
In Chief Minister Atishi’s Kalkaji constituency, the turnout stood at 41.17% by 3 p.m., while Manish Sisodia’s Jungpura seat recorded 44.07%. Other notable turnout figures include:
- Sangam Vihar: 48.95%
- Badarpur: 44.79%
- Tughlakabad: 44.20%
- Okhla: 42.70%
- Kasturba Nagar: 41%
- Malviya Nagar: 41.77%
- Chhatarpur: 50.08%
- Ambedkar Nagar: 45.50%
- Deoli: 44.98%
- Mehrauli: 40.34%
Allegations of Voter Bribing and Issues with Polling Agents
AAP’s Manish Sisodia accused rival parties of attempting to bribe voters, a claim which police dismissed as unsubstantiated. Meanwhile, AAP MP Raghav Chadha raised concerns over polling agents and their relievers facing difficulties in accessing polling booths in New Delhi.
Prominent Leaders Cast Their Votes
Former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his wife walked to their polling booth, escorting their parents, both in wheelchairs, to vote. BJP’s New Delhi candidate Parvesh Verma performed religious rituals by the Yamuna River before casting his vote with his wife and daughter at the Nirman Bhawan booth. Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit voted at a booth on Rahim Khan Road and later accompanied other voters, including members of the Gandhi family, to their respective booths.
Turnout Comparison with Previous Delhi Elections
The 2020 Delhi Assembly election saw a turnout of 62.82%, which was 4.65% lower than the 67.47% recorded in 2015. In 2013, voter participation stood at 66.02%, significantly higher than 2008’s turnout of 57.6%.
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In the 2020 elections, AAP secured 62 out of 70 seats with a 53.57% vote share. The BJP won 8 seats with a 38.51% vote share, while Congress received just 4.26% of the votes.
