As of 1 PM on Wednesday, a voter turnout of 33.31% was recorded in the ongoing single-phase Delhi Assembly elections, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The North-East district of Delhi continues to lead with the highest turnout of 39.51%, while the Central district has recorded the lowest turnout at 29.74%. Other districts saw the following voter participation: South West (35.44%), New Delhi (29.89%), East (33.66%), North (32.44%), North West (33.17%), Shahdara (35.81%), South (32.67%), South East (32.27%), and West (30.87%).
In parallel, the Milkipur assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh saw a 44.59% voter turnout in its by-election, while Tamil Nadu’s Erode (East) constituency reported a 42.41% turnout by 11 AM.
Voting for the 70 Delhi Assembly seats and bypolls for two other seats—one in Uttar Pradesh and one in Tamil Nadu—began at 7 AM. Security was heightened across all polling stations to ensure a smooth voting process.
During the elections, AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj accused Delhi Police of obstructing voters at a polling station in Chirag Delhi. He claimed barricades were being set up to hinder voters and that there were attempts to influence the election across 17-18 booths in the area. In response, South Delhi DCP Ankit Chauhan assured that the police would investigate these claims.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh also alleged that his party worker, Uday Gill, was detained by the police at Mandir Marg police station without any justification. He further claimed that Gill had been detained for allegedly forcing people to approach a particular political party’s table. The DCP New Delhi clarified on X, stating that Gill was detained because he was reportedly pressuring people to visit a specific political party table.
In the midst of voting, BJP National President JP Nadda, Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva, and Union Minister Harsh Malhotra visited the Delhi BJP office. BJP leaders, including MP Manoj Tiwari, cast their votes, expressing confidence that the BJP would emerge victorious and form a double-engine government in Delhi.
This election is seen as a crucial one for the AAP, which currently holds over 60 seats in the 70-seat Delhi Assembly, as it aims to retain power for a third consecutive term. The BJP, on the other hand, is seeking to regain control of the capital after nearly 27 years. Congress, once the dominant party in Delhi, hopes to make a comeback after years of struggle in the 2015 and 2020 elections.
In the Milkipur assembly by-election in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party candidate Ajit Prasad alleged that certain elements were interfering with the voting process. He claimed that voters were being pressured not to support the Samajwadi Party and that his election agents were being restricted from entering polling booths.
The main contest in Milkipur is expected to be between Samajwadi Party’s Ajit Prasad and BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan in the SC-reserved constituency, which has 3,70,829 voters.
The counting of votes for both the Delhi Assembly elections and bypolls will take place on February 8.