Flashpoints on voting day in some key areas

While the majority of polling stations across Delhi operated smoothly through most of Wednesday, sporadic incidents of alleged irregularities, voter intimidation, fake voters, and mismanagement emerged, stirring the palpable political tension in the city.

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In what has been a high-octane run-up to the elections, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pitched in a high-stakes battle, accusations flew thick and fast in some areas on Wednesday, adding another layer of drama to an already heated electoral contest.

Chirag Delhi: Barricades and accusations

Around midday in Chirag Delhi, a part of the Greater Kailash constituency, AAP leader and minister Saurabh Bharadwaj confronted the police over what he called an orchestrated attempt to block AAP supporters from reaching polling stations by "manufacturing" traffic jams.

He got into a heated argument with senior police officers in Chirag Delhi over the matter.

Bharadwaj took to social media, posting a video of police officers stopping an elderly woman from proceeding in an auto-rickshaw.

"Delhi Police has barricaded the whole area of Chirag Delhi and is not letting citizens vote.

Have informed the returning officer (RO) also. They have intentionally put barricades around polling stations and are manufacturing traffic jams to demotivate voters in AAP strongholds," he wrote on X.

Police officials pushed back against the claim. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Ankit Chauhan clarified that barricades were in place across the city and that exceptions were being made for elderly and differently-abled voters. "For them, bringing vehicles inside polling stations is allowed. This rule is being implemented everywhere, as per ECI guidelines. We will investigate any concerns raised," Chauhan said.

The standoff continued for some time, but police removed a layer of barricades from one side of the road.