Millions of voters have begun to exercise their rights to elect a new government in Delhi after weeks of high-octane campaigning came to an end. The contest has largely been AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Home Minister Amit Shah. Even though Kejriwal and his party had started their campaign claiming good work during their tenure in the last five years, Kejriwal and his leaders were later seen playing on the BJP’s pitch by following soft Hindutva.
Kejriwal was seen reciting Hanuman Chalisa at a public event primarily to woo BJP’s pro-Hindutva vote-bank. His other party colleagues such as MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj was seen chanting Jai Shri Ram at a programme organised by Zee News TV channel.
The BJP led its campaign largely along the communal lines by calling Kejriwal a sympathiser of Shaheen Bagh’s anti-CAA protesters. Shah asked the voters to press the EVM buttons so hard that its effect must be felt by people in Shaheen Bagh. Another BJP leader Parvesh Verma urged voters to support his party in the elections else his political rivals will enter people’s houses to rape their daughters.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur led the chanting of Desh Ke Gaddaron Ko, Goli Maro Saalon Ko, which loosely translates as ‘shoot down the traitors’ in reference to the critics of the Centre’s Narendra Modi government. This was followed by three incidents of firing in Jami area and Shaheen Bagh by the supporters of the BJP.
In 2015, the AAP had won 67 out of 70 seats with the BJP winning the remaining three seats.
The counting for today’s elections will be held on 11 February.
Live updates will appear below:
- #DelhiElections2020: Voting underway at a polling booth in Shaheen Public School in Shaheen Bagh. AAP’s Amanatullah is the sitting MLA and 2020 candidate of the party, he is up against Congress’s Parvez Hashmi and BJP’s Brahm Singh Bidhuri. (ANI)
- #DelhiElections2020: 44.52% voter turn out reported from Delhi by 5 PM.
- #DelhiElections2020: 42.70% voter turnout in Delhi assembly polls till 4 pm. (ANI)
- Senior CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat after casting his vote at Sanchar Bhawan. (ANI)
- 30.18 % voter turnout in Delhi assembly polls till 3 pm. (ANI)
- Delhi Congress in-charge #PCChacko said here on Saturday 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. (IANS)
- Former President Pranab Mukherjee cast his vote at a polling station at Kamraj lane in New Delhi Constituency. (ANI)
- Little over 19% voting reported at 1 PM
- t the age of 111 years, #Bangladesh-born woman #KalitaraMandal, the oldest voter of #Delhi, exercised her franchise on Saturday along with her family in the elections to the 70 Delhi Assembly seats. (IANS)
- Giving a message to voters in the national capital to come out and vote in the #Assemblypolls, a bridegroom from east #Delhi on Saturday exercised his franchise on the day of his wedding and urged others to fulfil their responsibility towards the nation. (IANS)
- 6.96% voter turnout in Delhi assembly polls till 11:00 am. (ANI)
- Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi cast their vote for #DelhiElections2020
- Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leaves after casting his vote at a polling booth on Aurangzeb lane.(ANI)
- Delhi: Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi has cast her vote at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi assembly constituency. She was accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who will cast her vote at booth no.114 & 116 at Lodhi Estate. (ANI)
- Delhi: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Singh cast their vote at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi assembly constituency. (ANI)
- The #BJP’s Delhi unit President Manoj Tiwari on Saturday exuded confidence over the party’s victory in the #DelhiAssemblyelections. Tiwari cast his vote at a polling station set up in the Government Girls Senior Secondary School at Yamuna Vihar. (IANS)
110-yrs-old Kalitara Mandal, the oldest voter of Delhi, casts her vote for #DelhiElections2020, at SDMC Primary School, Chittaranjan Park in Greater Kailash assembly constituency https://t.co/AVBeQmkrpc pic.twitter.com/sqGFT1kyHy
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2020
- Election officer Udham Singh who was deployed at a polling booth in Babarpur Primary School in Northeast Delhi died after suffering a heart attack. (ANI)
- Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind cast their votes at Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya, President’s Estate. (ANI)
- Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal: Voted along with my family, including my first-time voter son. Urge all young voters to come out to vote. Your participation strengthens democracy.
- An estimated 1.14 per cent of the 1.47 crore eligible voters have exercised their franchise till 9 a.m. on Saturday in the elections to the 70 #Delhi Assembly seats. (IANS)
- Voting has not yet begun at C10 block booth in Yamuna Vihar due to a technical issue in the EVM. Election Commission’s technical team at the spot. (ANI)
- Delhi: Congress candidate from the Chandni Chowk assembly constituency, Alka Lamba casts her vote at polling booth number 161 at Tagore Garden Extension; She is up against Prahlad Singh Sahni of Aam Aadmi Party and BJP’s Suman Gupta. (ANI)
- Delhi: Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari and senior RSS leader Ram Lal at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi assembly constituency. Delhi CM&sitting MLA from the constituency, Arvind Kejriwal is contesting from here. BJP’s Sunil Yadav& Congress’s Romesh Sabharwal fielded against the CM. (ANI)
Delhi: Lt Governor Anil Baijal and his wife Mala Baijal cast their vote at a polling station at Greater Kailash; AAP's sitting MLA and candidate Saurabh Bhardwaj is contesting against BJP's Shikha Rai and Congress's Sukhbir Pawar from here pic.twitter.com/mmKItjEOdl
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2020
A queue of voters at a polling booth in Shaheen Public School in Shaheen Bagh, Okhla. AAP's Amanatullah is the sitting MLA and 2020 candidate of the party, he is up against Congress's Parvez Hashmi and BJP's Brahm Singh Bidhuri. #DelhiElections2020 pic.twitter.com/4hB60BtqGd
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2020
- Voting begins for Delhi Assembly election; will end at 6 PM
- Delhi: Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Patparganj Assembly constituency at Mayur Vihar Phase II. He says, “Today, people of Delhi will vote for better education and future for their children”; The BJP has fielded Ravi Negi from the constituency. (ANI)