The stage is set for the electoral verdict in the capital with counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled to begin at 8 AM on Saturday, February 8, across 19 counting centres amid a three-tier security arrangement.
The verdict on Saturday will decide whether the Aam Aadmi Party led by its national convener Arvind Kejriwal manages to secure a fourth term in power or if the Bharatiya Janata Party ends its 27-year power drought and forms a government in the national capital. For the Congress, which has had no representation in the Assembly for the past two terms, will be hoping to make some gains this time around.
Counting to begin at 8 AM
The counting of votes will begin at 8 am with early trends likely to start coming in from initial hours. According to the Election Commission, 60.54 per cent votes were polled on Wednesday, February 5.
While Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has claimed his party will win nearly 50 seats, the AAP has rejected the exit poll predictions and claimed that it will win 55 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly and Kejriwal will become chief minister for the fourth time.
Tight security arrangements
The counting process will be carried out amid tight security arrangements, officials said, adding that two companies of paramilitary forces and Delhi Police personnel have been made for the 19 counting centres on the day of counting for Delhi Assembly elections on Saturday.
"We have made robust security arrangements (for counting day). Only authorised personnel will be allowed inside the counting centres, where the use of mobile phones will be strictly prohibited," Special Commissioner of Police, Devesh Chandra Srivastva, said.
Delhi Police has already conducted anti-sabotage checks at all the counting centres and devised a traffic management plan to ensure smooth vehicular movement, he added.
Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Alice Vaz said that a total of 5,000 personnel, including counting supervisors, counting assistants, micro-observers, and supporting staff trained for the process, will be deployed on Saturday for the counting of votes.
In view of the fairness of the counting process, a random selection of five VVPATs (voter verifiable paper audit trails) will be done in each assembly constituency.
Controversy ahead of poll results
Meanwhile, Lt Governor VK Saxena on Friday ordered an anti corruption branch (ACB) probe into allegations by AAP leaders that the BJP had attempted to poach its candidates by offering them Rs 15 crore and ministerial berth.
The AAP leaders have accused the BJP of trying to create an illusion in their favour based on exit poll predictions, but trying to poach AAP's candidates with chances of victory. The BJP has demanded that AAP retract its charges and tender an apology or face legal action.
Earlier on Friday, Kejriwal went into a huddle with all his party candidates and asserted that the AAP will form government, while alleging that the opposition is using exit polls to create "psychological pressure" and attempting to execute "Operation Lotus".
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said that under Kejriwal’s guidance, all candidates presented their ground reports, which indicated that AAP is set to win over 50 seats decisively, with a close contest on 7-8 seats.
Big test for AAP
The AAP, which established its dominance in Delhi's political landscape by routing both the BJP and Congress in 2015 Assembly polls, winning 67 of the 70 Assembly seats, is eying a third full term in power. The party formed its government again in 2020, winning 62 seats and decimating the opposition BJP and Congress. It had its first brush with power when it contested the Delhi elections in 2013 but fell short of a majority. The party then came to power with support from the Congress but the government fell after a few months.
A victory for the AAP will thus strengthen Kejriwal's dominance in Delhi and enhance his political stature nationally -- both as a stable alternative to the BJP as well as the Congress.
(With Agencies)
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