By 11 am on Wednesday, the voter turnout in the ongoing Delhi Assembly elections reached 19.95%, after a slow start in the initial hours of polling, according to the Election Commission of India.
The highest turnout was reported in the North East district, with 24.87%, followed by Shahdara district at 23.30%. In contrast, the Central district saw the lowest turnout at 16.46%. Other districts recorded varying turnouts, with South West at 21.90%, East at 20.03%, and New Delhi at 16.80%.
The turnout percentages in other districts were as follows: North at 18.63%, North West at 19.75%, South at 19.75%, South East at 19.66%, and West at 17.67%.
Meanwhile, the Milkipur assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh saw a higher turnout of 29.86% in the ongoing by-polls, while Tamil Nadu’s Erode (East) constituency recorded 26.03% turnout by 11 am.
Voting for the 70 Delhi Assembly seats and by-polls in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu began at 7 am, with voters casting their ballots amid tight security.
In the lead-up to the election, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP candidate for Kalkaji, Atishi, described the election as a “Dharm yuddha” (battle of righteousness), highlighting the contrast between the Aam Aadmi Party’s focus on work and the opposition’s alleged “hooliganism.”
AAP MP Raghav Chadha expressed confidence in his party’s success, citing improvements in education, health, and essential services during their tenure in power. On the other hand, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari launched a scathing critique of AAP, asserting that despite three terms in office, the party has failed to address persistent problems in Delhi.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasized that the people of Delhi are ready to “free themselves” from AAP’s rule, calling the election “historic.”
Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi expressed hope for a strong showing by his party, believing that the results would be surprising and favorable for Congress.
A total of 699 candidates are competing for the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly, with high-stakes contests in constituencies such as New Delhi, Kalkaji, Jangpura, and Okhla. The AAP seeks re-election to continue its governance, while the BJP is aiming to reclaim power after nearly 27 years.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Milkipur, the by-poll results will be determined by 370,829 voters in the Scheduled Castes-reserved constituency. The main contest is expected to be between Samajwadi Party’s Ajit Prasad and BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan.
The counting of votes will take place on February 8.
