Low voter turnout in south, south-east Delhi, crowds throng polling booths in Okhla, Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar

It was a day of low voter turnout in most areas of south and south-east Delhi. The voting percentage is yet to touch 55% in the national Capital which went to polls on Saturday, February 8. In most areas of Jungpura, Ashram, East of Kailash, Kailash Colony, Greater Kailash, CR Park, Kalkaji and Govindpuri there were thin crowds in front of polling booths. However, in Okhla, Jamia Nagar, Shaheen Bagh areas, a sizeable crowd could always be seen in front of the polling station.

Polling has generally been peaceful in these areas even though the Capital had witnessed a communally charged campaign amid anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests

In Jungpura, where AAP candidate Praveen Kumar was up against Tarvinder Singh Marwah of the Congress and Impreet Bakshi of BJP, the voter turnout in most locations was quite low.

“Several people have gone out of the station and several BJP supporters are not turning up to vote in middle-class and lower-middle-class localities. There is a sense of despondency even amongst them. Most of us have voted for the party which has worked for us; the party which had promised to ease our daily life,” underscored Shweta, who was heading out from a voting booth near Sunlight Colony.

In East of Kailash and Kailash Colony there were even fewer people at the polling stations. Voting wouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. AAP's sitting MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj is against BJP's Shikha Rai and Congress's Sukhbir Pawar here.

“I have voted in every election. We must do our duty otherwise the we will not have responsible people in power. I cannot tell you who I will vote for, but I will not vote for the BJP. They are extremely divisive and continuously invoke Hindu-Muslim enmity. Is that how they are hoping to run the Capital,” questions Santosh Chawla, a former principal at Lady Hardinge Medical College.

“I live near Bhogal. No politician does anything for us. Whenever elections are around the corner, they will all come to us, otherwise we are forgotten. If politicians care about our livelihood, do you think they would have enacted demonetisation. We will vote for the party which will perform and not the one which lies always,” said Leela, a domestic worker.

In Shaheen Bagh, Okhla and Jamia Nagar, the streets wore a festive look. There were long crowds and a queue in front of most polling stations in the area. Most people were seen on the roads en route to the polling booths. “We decided that we will all go to vote this year. These elections in Delhi have come at a critical juncture and those in power need to be told that their power can be checked,” said Mohd. Aamir, a student of Hamdard University.

Even at Shaheen Bagh, the women were taking turns to go and vote. AAP's Amanatullah is the sitting MLA and candidate of AAP. He is up against Parvez Hashmi of the Congress and BJP's Brahm Singh Bidhuri.

“A silent protest was underway at Shaheen Bagh. Today, we are only going to sit-in. There won’t be any speeches. To ensure the protest continues without disruption, several of us are going in batches. We are continuously announcing that everyone must go vote. It is our fundamental right,” explained Fathima Sheikh, one of the women at the Shaheen Bagh sit-in protest.

“Today most of us have not gone to work. We decided that we will ensure our friends and neighbours will also step out to vote. It is imperative that we do so. Our mothers and sisters are sitting in the cold in Shaheen Bagh. We will do this for them and to ensure a fascist government will not come to power in Delhi. We want a government which will not invoke Hindu-Muslim enmity. All of us want to live in peace and not in a constant state of anger,” asserted 40-year-old Zohra Khan, who lives near Abul Fazal Enclave.

The Delhi Assembly Election will decide the fate of 672 candidates in 70 assembly constituencies in a triangular contest between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Opposition Congress and the BJP.