Delhi Assembly elections see 57.89% voter turnout amid allegations of malpractices

5% LESS THAN THE LAST ASSEMBLY POLLS

- AIMAN FATIMA

The national capital witnessed a voter turnout of 57.89 per cent in the Assembly elections held on Wednesday, approximately five percentage points lower than the 2020 turnout of 62.59 per cent. The elections were marked by allegations of voter fraud, money distribution, and fake voting, with both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing each other of electoral misconduct.

Despite the controversy, polling stations across Delhi saw long queues from early morning, with voters still waiting in line past the scheduled closing time of 6 pm. The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi noted that the final voter turnout figures would be updated as data from all 13,766 polling stations was compiled.

"All 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi went to polls today in a peaceful and festive atmosphere. Voters were delighted with the seamless polling process and facilities at the polling stations," an official statement from the Election Commission of India (ECI) read. "All voters in the queue after formal closing hours of polling, i.e., 6 pm, were allowed to cast their vote," the statement added.

Exit poll results began rolling in shortly after voting ended, with several surveys predicting a strong showing for the BJP against the incumbent AAP. The Congress, which failed to win a single seat in 2020, was projected to perform poorly once again.