The polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly started on Saturday morning at 8 am. The national capital is witnessing a triangular contest among the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, which won a landslide majority in the 2015 Assembly elections, the Bhartiya Janata Party and the Congress. In the last poll, the AAP had won 67 seats, the BJP 3, while the Congress couldn't even manage open its account.
An estimated 54.24 per cent of the 1.47 crore eligible voters cast their votes in the first eight hours till 5:45 p.m.
A placard reading 'Delhi Please go and Vote' is pictured along a road which was temporarily closed following protests against India's new citizenship law, during the Legislative Assembly elections, outside Jamia Millia Islamia University, in New Delhi on February 8, 2020 | AFP Photo
People queue at a polling station to cast their votes during the Legislative Assembly elections in New Delhi on February 8, 2020. | AFP Photo
A woman casts her vote at a polling station during the Legislative Assembly elections in New Delhi on February 8, 2020. | AFP Photo
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with family show ink-marked finger after casting vote in the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections in New Delhi on Saturday. | ANI Photo
Congress Party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi along with women elderly woman show finger marked with indelible ink after casting their vote during the Delhi assembly elections, in New Delhi on Saturday. | ANI Photo
President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind showing the mark of indelible ink after casting their votes, at a polling booth, at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya, Rashtrapati Bhavan complex, in New Delhi on Saturday | ANI Photo
Senior citizens show their finger marked with indelible ink after casting their vote at a polling station during the Delhi Assembly election, in New Delhi on Saturday. | ANI Photo
Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Patparganj Assembly constituency, Manish Sisodia and his wife Seema Sisodia after casting their vote during the Delhi Assembly election, in New Delhi on Saturday | ANI Photo
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vadhan arrives with his family members to cast vote during the Delhi Assembly election, in New Delhi on Saturday. | ANI Photo
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi flashes a victory sign as he leaves after casting his vote during the Delhi Assembly election, at NP Senior Secondary School in New Delhi on Saturday. | ANI Photo
People wait in queues to cast their votes at Shaheen Public School polling station in the Shaheen Bagh area, which has been witnessing a peaceful protest against the Citizenship Act for several weeks, during the Delhi Assembly elections, in New Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 | PTI Photo
A protestor, holding a tricolour, shows her ink-marked finger after casting vote for the Delhi Assembly elections, at the site of their peaceful agitation against the Citizenship Act, in Shaheen Bagh, New Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 | PTI Photo
A voter shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote during the Delhi Assembly elections at a polling station, in Old Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. | PTI Photo
100 years old Zubedia Khatoon, shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote during the Delhi Assembly elections, at a polling station in Old Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 | PTI Photo
A groom and his family members after casting their votes for Delhi Assembly elections, at a polling station in east Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 | PTI Photo
BJP MP Gautam Gambhir along with his wife Natasha Jain and family members show their finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote during the Delhi Assembly elections at Old Rajinder Nagar polling station, in New Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 | PTI Photo
110-year-old Kalitara Mandal, shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote during the Delhi Assembly elections at Chittaranjan Park polling station, in New Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. | PTI Photo
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote during the Delhi Assembly elections at Nirman Bhawan polling station, in New Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. | PTI Photo
Over 1.47 crore people are eligible to exercise their franchise in the polls that will decide the fate of 672 candidates. There are over 81 lakh male voters, 66.80 lakh female voters, and 869 third-gender voters, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh has said.
Around 2.33 lakh voters are in the age group of 18-19, 2.04 lakh voters are senior citizens aged 80, while there are 11,608 service voters, according to officials.
Security forces have kept a tight watch across the 70 constituencies, with police and paramilitary personnel keeping an "extra vigil" in sensitive areas like Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar and Seelampuri.
Prominent candidates in the fray include Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, Atishi and Raghav Chadha of the AAP; four former mayors -- Azad Singh, Yogender Chandolia, Ravinder Gupta and Khushi Ram -- of the BJP; and Shivani Chopra, daughter of Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra.
(With input from Agencies)
