Diplomat Desk
New Delhi :DD, Delhi has begun its 8th Assembly elections, an important exercise in democracy, in the presence of full security measures and cutting-edge technological deployment. The poll will take place between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM on Wednesday. The poll is for over 1.56 crore voters enrolled across 70 assembly constituencies.
The electoral landscape presents a diverse demographic, comprising approximately 83.76 lakh male voters, 72.36 lakh female voters, and 1,267 third-gender voters. Nearly 2.4 lakh first-time voters aged 18-19 are expected to participate in the election, along with considerable representation from elderly citizens and persons with disabilities.
Security measures have been strengthened with the deployment of nearly 98,000 personnel and 8,715 volunteers. The comprehensive security framework includes 220 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, 19,000 Home Guards, and over 35,000 Delhi Police personnel to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.
The Election Commission has opened more special polling stations: 70 of which are conducted solely by women staff, 70 of which have persons with disability staff, and 70 encouraging youth to vote. The electronic inauguration of an AI-based Queue Management System mobile application allows voters to check the number of people present at their polling station in real time.
The political arena witnesses an intense three-way contest between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seeking a third term, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempting to regain power, and the Congress party striving to establish relevance. The campaign period has been marked by heated debates over issues ranging from water management to corruption allegations.
Controversy has followed the election into its silent period, with the BJP filing complaints about alleged AAP worker misconduct and an FIR being registered against Arvind Kejriwal in Haryana regarding statements about Yamuna water management.
Key constituencies like New Delhi, Jangpura, and Kalkaji have emerged as battlegrounds, featuring prominent candidates including incumbent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former ministers, and veteran politicians. The results of this election are expected to significantly impact both local governance and national political dynamics.
Chief Electoral Officer R Alice Vaz appealed to the public for maximum voter participation in the elections, and arrangements have been made for several support facilities like medical teams and creche services so that voters vote comfortably.DD
