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Delhi recorded 60 percent voter turnout in the seven Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls on Sunday, 12 May, in the sixth phase of polling.
Fifty-three other constituencies, across seven other states, also went to polls today.
The overall turnout figure across the country till 9 pm on Sunday was 63.48 percent. However, these are interim figures and the voting percentage is expected to increase.
Catch all the LIVE updates from the other states going to polls in the 6th phase of elections 2019 here.
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Candidates also tried to out-maneuver each other before the poll body. AAP candidates Atishi and Raghav Chadha sought rejection of nomination papers of their BJP rivals Gautam Gambhir and Ramesh Bidhuri, respectively.
In a security breach, Chief Minister Kejriwal was slapped by a man during a road show in Moti Nagar. Allegations of horse trading flew thick and fast as two AAP MLAs – Anil Bajpai and Devinder Sehrawat – crossed over to the BJP.
The campaigning also saw South Delhi BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri using a Hindi slur against Kejriwal. On the penultimate day, the AAP and the BJP sparred over a derogatory pamphlet that targeted Delhi's ruling party candidate Atishi.
More than 60,000 security personnel, including the Home Guards and paramilitary forces, have been deployed across the city a day before the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi.
Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik told PTI that elaborate arrangements, according to the instructions of the Election Commission of India, are in place to ensure no anti-social element causes any menace.
“Security personnel have been deployed at polling booths and special reserve parties and policemen are patrolling vulnerable areas”, the police said.
The Police Control Room Unit will also stay alert to calls of any complaints being made, specially relating to the election process, they added.
Read the full story here.
The high-pitched poll campaign in the national capital that ended on Friday, 10 May, had all the elements of a political soap opera.
The campaign which got off to a slow start as alliance talks between the AAP and Congress lingered on till the last days of nomination, gained momentum over the last fortnight with senior leaders drawing huge crowds at mega rallies and road shows in the national capital.
The campaign reached a crescendo in its last lap with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a massive rally at the iconic Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressing two public meetings, while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking out two road shows in the city.
While the BJP's campaign revolved around the party's high-pitched nationalism narrative and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress kept him in the cross hairs and sought to hard sell its minimum income guarantee scheme – NYAY.
The AAP, on the other hand, focussed on the demand for full statehood for Delhi.
BJP leader and Chandni Chowk candidate Dr Harsh Vardhan arrives to vote at Krishna Nagar polling booth.
BJP leader and the party’s East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir casts vote.
Responding to whether his support base will be dented following the ‘pamphlet’ row, BJP’s East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir said that one “will get to know on 23 May.”
Sitting MP and BJP’s South Delhi candidate said that he voted for “nationalism and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.”
He added that the prime minister has “exceeded expectations” that people had for him in 2014.
Former Delhi CM and Congress' candidate from North-East Delhi Sheila Dikshit after casting her vote at a polling booth in Nizamuddin (East).
President Ramnath Kovind casts his vote at a polling booth in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
AAP’s East Delhi candidate Atishi arrived at a Jangpura polling booth to cast her ballot. She is up against BJP's Gautam Gambhir and Congress's Arvinder Singh Lovely.
Delhi BJP Chief and party's candidate from North-East Delhi Manoj Tiwari casts his vote at polling booth number 60 in Yamuna Vihar.
He is up against Congress's Sheila Dikshit and AAP's Dilip Pandey.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi arrives to cast his vote at a polling booth in NP Senior Secondary School in Aurangzeb Lane.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that “love will win” over BJP’s “hatred”, in the Lok Sabha elections.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal casts his vote at a polling booth in Civil Lines.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj after casting her vote at a polling booth in NP Senior Secondary School in Aurangzeb Lane.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrives to cast her vote at a polling booth in Nirman Bhavan.
Senior CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat after casting his vote at a polling booth in Sanchar Bhawan.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said it was "very clear" that the BJP will face defeat in Lok Sabha polls as people are "angry and distressed" and will convey their sentiments through voting.
“There is anger among people, and they are under distress. Modiji, instead of talking about real issues, has been talking about random things. And, now, they will express their anger against this government through voting,” the Congress general secretary said.
Australia’s Envoy to India, who visited a pooling booth in Delhi said that she was “impressed” with the EVMs as they did not have it in Australia.
BJP’s candidate from New Delhi constituency, Meenakshi Lekhi cast her vote at a polling booth on Sunday.
After casting her vote on Sunday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Sunday said it was "very clear" that the BJP will face defeat in Lok Sabha polls as people are "angry and distressed" and will convey their sentiments through voting.
Interacting with reporters after exercising her franchise, the senior party leader said, it was "very clear that the BJP government is going".
AAP has alleged the BJP of resorting to ‘bogus voting’ at Aruna Asaf Ali Govt Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Tughlaqabad Extension. AAP alleged that BJP voters are ‘casting two votes’ per person.
“BJP workers are moving around in a polling booth in Sangam Vihar in BJP scarves, a person voted four times. We identified 8-10 such people and caught one red handed,” said Raghav Chadha, AAP’s South Delhi candidate.
Former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee cast his vote at a polling booth in NP Primary School, K Kamraj Lane in Delhi.
Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa cast his vote with his family at a polling booth in Nirman Bhawan in Delhi.
Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh has said that 5.5 percent of the EVMs were replaced in the morning on Sunday, reported NDTV.
Earlier, AAP had raised complaints of EVM glitches at some polling stations in Delhi.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and his wife Usha cast their votes at a polling booth at Nirman Bhawan polling booth, reported news agency ANI.
Several voters in Delhi found their names missing from the electoral rolls, news agency PTI reported on Sunday.
Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said he and his office had been telling people to check their names in voter lists from the last six months.
"Several awareness campaigns were there. They should have checked names before going to vote. If their names were not there they should have filled form 6. We were accepting forms till April 13," Singh said.
Delhi recorded a voter turnout of 60 per cent on Sunday, down from 65 per cent in 2014, in its seven Lok Sabha seats, with instances of EVM glitches and missing voter names reported from various areas.
As Delhi voted on Sunday, more than 1200 VVPAT machines facing glitches were changed across the city delaying the polling process, officials from Delhi Election Commission said.
An Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) comprises of three parts - the Control Unit (CU), the Ballot Unit (BU) and the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine, PTI reported.
Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said eight per cent of the VVPATs were replaced during the day which translated to a total of 450 VVPATs, 61 CUs and 77 BUs.
Published: 11 May 2019,05:43 PM IST