New Delhi: the entry of Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP has changed the measurement of the fight in the poll and it wills interest to see whether the newbie will be a spoiler or win. All eyes will be on the fledgling Aam Aadmi Party as Delhiites vote on Wednesday in the assembly elections in which BJP is seeking to stop Congress from clinching a record fourth win.
The Aam Aadmi Party mainly resorted to door-to-door campaigning while its leader Arvind Kejriwal addressed scores of road shows. Congress and BJP both have dismissed AAP as a serious contender but various pre-poll surveys predicted significant support for the newly formed party. The BJP had deployed a battery of top leaders including L K Advani, Naredra Modi, Arun Jeiteley, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari who crises-crossed the entire city addressing scores of rallies asking people to “oust” the “corrupt” Congress dispensation.
Though Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed one rally and vice-president Rahul two election meetings, the entire campaign of the ruling party was led by 75-year-old chief minister who sought people’s support for a fourth consecutive term to continue her “agenda of inclusive development. In what is seen as her toughest electoral battle, Dikshit may face people’s wrath because of significant rise in prices of vegetables and fruits in the last two months besides the anti-incumbency factor which is visible in certain areas.
A total of 1.19 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise on Wednesday. There are over 4.05 lakh first-time voters. A total of 810 candidates are in the fray for the 70-member assembly. BJP has fielded candidates in 66 seats and Congress and AAP in all 70 constituencies. The BSP has fielded candidates in 69 seats, NCP in nine and SP has fielded candidates in 27 seats. A total of 224 independents are also in the fray. The elections in Delhi and four other states are being seen as the semi-final for theLok Sabha polls next year.
Bureau Report
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