Delhi Assembly polls tomorrow amid tight security

New Delhi: Heavy security will be in place at 12083 polling stations that will be manned by 65791 polling personnel for Saturday's single-phase day-long casting of votes by over 13 million eligible voters to elect the next Delhi Assembly.

A total of 12083 electronic voting machines (EVMS) will be in use to allow 1, 33, 14, 215 persons (Male = 73, 89,089; Female = 59, 19, 127; Others' = 862; Service Personnel = 5110 and NRI voters = 27) to vote throughout Saturday.

Of the 70 assembly constituencies that are being contested, 58 are in the general category and 12 are in the Scheduled Caste category. There are no Scheduled Tribe constituencies in the national capital.

Of the 1, 33, 14, 215 persons eligible to vote, 2,27,316 are in the 18 to 19 years age group.

The Burari Assembly constituency has the maximum number of candidates (18) who will be contesting in Saturday's elections. The Ambedkar Nagar Assembly constituency has the lowest number of candidates (4).

Electorate-wise, Vikas Puri has the highest number of eligible voters (3,25,246) and Chandni Chowk has the lowest (1,13,777).

Party-wise, the BSP, Congress and the AAP are fielding 70 candidates each, while the BJPis fielding 69 candidates. The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is fielding nine candidates in the polls, while the CPI and the CPM are fielding five and three candidates respectively.

Saturday's polls will have 70 general observers, 18 expenditure observers, three police observers and 1311 micro observers.

Sixty-three female candidates will be contesting in Saturday's polls.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Hari Shankar Brahma said all arrangements are in place for free and fair polling in Delhi tomorrow.

Brahma said he was confident that voters would be allowed to exercise their franchise safely and in well secured electronic voting booths.

Campaigning for the Assembly elections ended yesterday evening.

A total of 673 candidates are in the race to get elected to the 70-member Delhi Assembly.

On Thursday evening, leaders of various political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress made last-ditch efforts to woo the electorate in the national capital.

The BJP ended its campaign with a flourish, holding road shows in all assembly constituencies of the national capital in its endeavour to make a comeback in Delhi after 16 years. BJP chief Amit Shah fired salvos at his party's rivals, in particular AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal during his rally at Madanpur Khadar.

The BJP's chief ministerial candidate, Kiran Bedi, outlined the party's policies for women's safety and the city's development.

The AAP leaders on their part held a press conference, speeches and various road shows to convince the voters that they would give a stable government this time.

"My dear Delhiites, Vote for the broom to make Delhi the city of your dreams," tweeted Kejriwal.

Congress' chief ministerial candidate Ajay Maken also appeared optimistic and said his party would return to power in Delhi. Maken said the opinion polls, which have predicted a dismal show for the Congress, would be proven wrong.

The polls, which are believed to be a direct fight between the BJP and AAP, have also witnessed a fractiously divided support base for the two parties.

While the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, headed by controversial spiritual leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, pledged its support to the BJP, the All India Imam Association (AIIA) decided to back the AAP this time.

The AAP, which has come up with several promises this time for the betterment of Delhi, also got the support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat.

The results will be declared on February 10.