NEW DELHI, Feb 7:
Counting of votes for the Delhi assembly polls will take place on Saturday to decide whether the AAP comes to power for a fourth term or the BJP forms a Government in the national capital after more than 26 years.
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The Congress is also looking for some gains after drawing a blank in the last two elections.
On the eve of the poll results, high political drama unfolded outside AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s residence as a team of Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) reached there, seeking details and evidence regarding his allegations that the BJP attempted to poach the Aam Aadmi Party candidates.
As Kejriwal did not meet ACB officials at his 5, Ferozeshah Road bungalow, they served him a legal notice seeking proof. The move comes soon after Lt Governor VK Saxena ordered an ACB probe into the matter.
The counting process for the high-stakes Delhi assembly polls will begin at 8 am in 19 counting stations, spreading across 11 districts of the city.
Several exit polls have given the BJP an edge over the AAP, which has been ruling in Delhi since 2015.
Shahdara, Central Delhi, East, South, and Southwest districts will each have one counting station. The North, West, Northeast, and Southeast districts will each have two counting stations, while the New Delhi and Northwest districts will have three counting stations each.
According to the Election Commission, 60.54 per cent votes were polled on Wednesday.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has claimed his party will win nearly 50 seats. The AAP has rejected the exit poll predictions, asserting it will form the Government again with its convener Kejriwal becoming chief minister for the fourth time.
Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Alice Vaz said 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.
A three-tier security arrangement with 10,000 police personnel, including two paramilitary companies at each centre, has been put in place for the 19 counting centres.
“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 Srivastava told a press conference on securing arrangements for the counting day.
In a snowballing controversy, 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. Delhi BJP general secretary Vishnu Mittal also wrote to the Lt Governor requesting for an ACB probe into AAP’s charges.
Earlier on Friday, Kejriwal held a meeting with all party candidates and asserted that the AAP will form its 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 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. (PTI)
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