Delhi Election: Kejriwal questions EC as it fails to release voter turnout post 17 hrs

Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday hit out at the Election Commission of India (ECI) as he questioned the commission for not releasing the total voter turnout even 17 hours after the polling ended in the national capital. The 70-seat Delhi Assembly which has just finished polling on Saturday - February 8, is projected to be won by AAP, according to the Republic Jan Ki Baat Exit Polls.

While the polls saw a meager 55% expected voter turnout, the Election Commission is yet to announce the official figures. However, Delhi witnessed an intense poll campaign by the three contending parties  - Congress, BJP and AAP with 672 candidates in the fray.  The term of the current 70-seat Assembly, where AAP holds an absolute majority, will expire on February 22. 

AAP Alleges ' unauthorized Movement' Of EVM

Shortly after the polling concluded, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed of having received information from "several places" that officials were trying to take away the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in an "unauthorized manner".

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told the media that AAP leaders including Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Prashant Kishor and himself held a meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and claimed of having received information of poll officials trying to take away the EVM at several places in an unauthorized manner. Sanjay Singh questioned how the EVM machines reached the officers when they should have been sealed and taken straight to strongrooms.

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Showing a video on his cell phone of poll officers getting down from a DTC bus carrying EVMs in their hands, Sanjay Singh said: "This is from Babarpur, Shanti Vidya Niketan. Here people have caught an official with EVM machines. Similar information has come from Vishwas Nagar in Shahdara (East Delhi)."

The AAP leader said it is a "big incident" which has come to light and they would inform the Election Commission about it. Singh also suggested that arrangements should be made to deploy party workers and MLAs outside strongroom to ensure that EVMs are not tampered with.

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Image Credits: PTI