Delhi MCD Elections 2022: 50.47 per cent voter turnout recorded till 5:30 pm | HIGHLIGHTS

While the turnout at 12.30 pm was 18 per cent, it rose to 30 per cent by 2.30 PM. Voting will conclude at 5.30 pm. The previous civic body polls in 2017 had recorded 53 per cent voting. The counting of votes will take place on December 7.

"The polling till 2 pm is around 30 per cent for all 250 wards in Delhi. The process is going on smoothly in all the wards. No untoward incident has been reported so far," a senior official of the State Election Commission (SEC) said.

There are 1,349 candidates in fray and over 1.45 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections.

According to data shared by SEC officials, Delhi has 1,45,05,358 voters, of which 78,93,418 are men, 66,10,879 women and 1,061 are transgender people.

Delhi State Election Commission writes to Delhi Congress President Anil Chaudhary regarding the deletion of his name from the electoral roll.

"State Election Commission, Delhi has merely adopted Electoral Roll prepared by ECI for the conduct of elections to MCD and as such the State Election Commission Delhi has no jurisdiction to make any additions or deletions. You may like to take up the matter with CEO, Delhi," the State Election Commission said.
 

Polling in all 250 MCD wards in Delhi concludes. The voting started at 8 am today. Till 4 pm, Delhi recorded 45 per cent voter turnout.

Accompanied by her daughter, 106-year-old Shanti Bala Vaidya reached a polling station in Bara Hindu Rao area in north Delhi to cast her vote in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) poll on Sunday morning. "She has not missed a single election since she started voting," her 40-year-old daughter Kamla said.

Vaidya only understands Bengali but cannot talk.

"The only word she utters is 'Maa'. She calls me Maa," Kamla, who is a dry fruit vendor, said.

Police personnel deployed at Deputy Ganj polling station also helped Vaidya in casting her vote.

People of Katewara village in North West district say they have boycotted MCD elections due to a lack of basic amenities like proper roads, drains in the village. Till the time the authorities don't hear our grievances, we won't vote, they say.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Gautam Gambhir said that the party has "genuinely worked" for the people of Delhi in the last 15 years. He also lambasted chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for  "taking credit" for the work done by the MCD.

The model polling booth ward 160 has been equipped with facilities like a waiting area. "People are suffering from issues such as cleanliness. MCD hasn't done anything for us since a long time, so I've decided to contest independently," said a candidate Kumkum.

18% voter turnout has been recorded till 12 pm as polling is underway for 250 wards. 

BJP leader Manoj Tiwari accused the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government of deleting at least the names of 450 voters from the voter list Subash Mohalla. He claimed that those names have been deleted because they were supporters of the BJP. "This is a big conspiracy by the Delhi govt, will complain against this and appeal for cancellation of this polls and re-election," Tiwari claimed

Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi casts her vote at a polling booth in South Extension Part 2. She said those who call themselves honest will get a befitting reply from people. "What AAP ministers are doing inside the jail has come in front of the world," she added. 

According to the State Election Commission, around 9% of voter turnout recorded till 10:30 am.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri cast his vote and said that these polls are a wake-up call for Delhi. "We've to make India a developed country by 2047...Recently a report has predicted that we'll become no. 3 (economy) in the next 4-5 years. So people have to choose which brand of politics they want to follow," he added. 

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his family cast their votes at a polling booth in Civil Lines. He also urged voters to vote for the party which does development work and is honest. "I appeal to people to vote in large numbers. We can see there is garbage everywhere. It's an opportunity to clean Delhi. Don't vote for those who are corrupt. We've to clean Delhi in the next 5 years," he added.

Congress leader Alka Lamba cast her vote at a polling booth in Raghbir Nagar and also appealed to people to vote in large numbers for "change." 

Former Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan cast his vote at a polling booth in Krishna Nagar. He also claimed that BJP has taken the country to new heights under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

"I have full confidence that a large number of people from Delhi will cast their votes. Under the leadership of PM Modi, BJP has taken the country to new heights, I hope people vote accordingly. Delhi has seen the work of BJP in last 15 years," Harsh Vardhan added. 

BJP MP Parvesh Verma and his wife cast their votes at a polling booth in Matiala Village in West Delhi. Verma also took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party.

"AAP was claiming to form govt in Goa, Uttarakhand & UP but people know they have a habit of lying. During COVID, no one from AAP was seen working for the people. Only MCD workers were standing with people. We're getting around 210 seats out of 250 in the MCD polls," he claimed.

The young voters in the national capital are also seen exercising their voting rights enthusiastically today. 

"Roads, women's safety, and water are the issues I considered for voting. People should come out and vote & understand their responsibility," said first-time voter Sonam after casting her vote. 

The Delhi police was seen welcoming the elderly voters with roses in the North Delhi polling stations. 

The polling booths in Batla House are being monitored by drone cameras. The range of these cameras is said to be up to 500 metres. According to reports, each booth is being monitored with drone cameras in the national capital to avoid any untoward incident. 

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has attacked the BJP once again saying it did not do anything in the last 15 years. 

"1.5 crore people are going to vote in Municipal Corporation polls. I appeal to people to keep in my mind that MCD's priority is to keep the city clean. BJP has not done anything for Delhi since 15 years, it has failed miserably to work for the people," he added. 

Congress leader Ajay Maken cast his vote and urged the people to see the candidates and vote accordingly. "Congress candidates are good and people should vote for the candidate which will be available for them after polls," he stated. 

The mock polling was carried out at the polling booth at Matiala village in West Delhi, before actual voting starts at 8 am. 

Aam Aadmi Party's national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal stoked optimism about his party's victory in the MCD polls. "This is the enthusiasm of bringing a new government in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Together with AAP, there is a resolve to make a clean and beautiful Delhi," he had tweeted. 

In an attempt to woo voters, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made 12 "big promises" for the MCD Polls. "Vote for a better Delhi," wrote Amit Malviya, the party's national convener of the IT cell. 

This will be the first civic election after the fresh delimitation exercise. Authorities have set up around 13,638 polling stations across Delhi for the exercise. There were 272 wards in Delhi and three corporations- NDMC, SDMC and EDMC- in Delhi from 2012-2022, before being reunified into an MCD that had formally come into existence on May 22. The erstwhile MCD, established in 1958, was trifurcated in 2012 during Sheila Dikshit's tenure as the chief minister. 

More than 1.45 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections to the 250 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, in which around 1,349 candidates are in the fray. Polling will be held from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm today and the counting of votes will take place on December 7.