Kejriwal’s constituency records low voter turnout till 4 pm

New Delhi, Feb 8 : Voter turnout in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's constituency in the national capital did not cross the half-way mark till 4 p.m.

on Saturday.

"The voter turnout is low because people have used the election day holiday as an opportunity to go out of station and relax," a voter told IANS outside the polling station in New Delhi constituency.

The voter turnout in Kejriwal's constituency stood at 37.

45 per cent at 4 p.m. In 2015 Assembly elections, the total turnout in New Delhi constituency was 64.72 per cent.

Another resident of Lodhi estate area contended that there is a clear picture as to who is going to form the government and hence voter turnout would not impact the overall result.

Jawala Devi (90), who lives behind Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's residence in a make-shift structure, said that every citizen should exercise his/her franchise for the betterment of the country.

"I have been casting vote from the last 60 years.

Everyone should vote," said Devi.

Kejriwal, who is seeking another term from the New Delhi constituency, cast his vote along with his father, mother, wife and son at a polling booth in Rajpura Transport Authority in Civil Lines area amid tight security.

The polling will end at 6 p.m.

and the results will be announced on February 11.

In the elections, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is making another attempt to return to power, while the Bharatiya Janata Party is determined to stage a comeback after 22 years.

The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years between 1998 and 2013, is expecting a resurgence in its vote share.

In the last elections in 2015, Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had registered a landslide victory by winning 67 of the 70 seats.

The BJP had got three seats while the Congress drew a blank.

The AAP is contesting on all 70 seats this time, while the BJP has fielded its candidates from 67 seats and has left three seats for its allies -- two for Janata Dal (United) and one for Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

The Congress is contesting on 66 seats, leaving four seats to its ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

--IANS

aka/arm.



Source: IANS