The Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency recorded a 43.75 per cent voter turnout till 6 P.M. in the bypolls on Thursday. This is significantly less than the figures recorded in the 2020 polls, when the voter turnout in Rajinder Nagar was 58.27 per cent. The bypoll to the Rajinder Nagar seat is largely being seen as a battle between a confident AAP and a spirited BJP.
According to the Election Commission (EC), the final voter turnout at the close of polling on Thursday stood at 43.75 per cent. Also, 24 Covid-positive voters turned up to cast their votes. “From 7 A.M. to 6 P.M., a total 100 senior citizens including 658 women voters were provided pick and drop facilities to cast their votes.
Delhi Chief Election Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh said efforts have been made to encourage more voters to come to the polling booths. Availability of water and the poor condition of roads were issues reigning on the minds of voters who turned up to vote.
The bypoll were necessitated after former AAP MLA from the area, Raghav Chadha, was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab. While AAP fielded its MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak from the constituency, he is up against former BJP councillor Rajesh Bhatia. The Congress has also put forth former councillor Prem Lata.
There are over 1.64 lakh voters in the constituency. Of these, 92,221 are male, 72,473 are female and 4 are categorised as ‘third gender’. There are 1,899 voters between the ages of 18-19 who are eligible to vote for the first time in the constituency.
The candidates since morning were seen at the polling booths. Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also came to vote at around 11 A.M. at Vidya Bhawan GSSS, New Rajinder Nagar polling booth.
The BJP candidate, Rajesh Bhatia along with his wife and parents also voted around 8 A.M. at Salwan Girls School voting centre. BJP MP Gautam Gambhir and his wife also cast their vote.
Prem Lata, the Congress candidate from the seat cast her vote at 1 P.M. along with her whole family at number 173 voting centre.
The poll body has registered 13 cases against the AAP, nine against the BJP and one against the Congress for violation of the MCC. According to officers, 47,180 defacements have been removed by the MCD. “We have also penalised vehicles that were displaying posters and banners in an unauthorised manner.”
A total of 188 people have been fined – 123 against AAP, 49 against BJP and 16 against others. As a preventive action, 119 people were arrested. Action was taken against 8,708 people under Delhi Police Act, while 36 people were arrested and 1,850 litres of liquor worth Rs 5.65 lakh was seized under the Excise Act.
A total 36 FIRs lodged and 36 arrests made so far, the CEO said. The enforcement agencies have seized 280 licenced arms under the Arms Act and lodged five FIRs. It has also seized five illegal arms and arrested five people.
Under the narcotics department, drugs worth over Rs 10 crore has been seized by authorities, he said, adding that Income Tax Department has seized cash worth Rs 1 crore in Delhi, but outside the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency.
Under the GST Department, various items worth Rs 43 lakh have been seized, and 40 Non-Bailable Warrants were received and executed, he added.
