Bypoll: Rajinder Nagar records 43.75 pc voter turnout, lower than 2020
43.75% turnout in Rajinder Nagar bypolls, lower than 2020 figures
New Delhi, Jun 23: The electoral fate of 14 candidates are now sealed in voting machines as the bypoll to the crucial Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency passed off peacefully on Thursday with a low turnout of 43.75 per cent. This is significantly lesser than the figures recorded in the 2020 polls, when the voter turnout in Rajinder Nagar was 58.27 per cent -- 58.09 per cent male voters and 58.5 per cent female voters.
This was also the first electoral exercise in Delhi after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. And, 24 Covid-positive voters turned out to exercise their franchise, officials said. A total of 190 polling stations, including 13 auxiliary ones, were set up at 21 locations, and some "very minor snags" in EVMs were reported at few booths, and replacements were made accordingly, a senior official said. An electronic voting machine consists of a Control Unit (CU) and a Balloting Unit (BU), while Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is an independent system attached with the EVMs that allows voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended.
"During mock poll held early morning, one CU and three VVPATs were replaced. While during the poll, two CU and two BU and eight VVPATs were replaced, meaning there were very minor snags and these were promptly addressed," the senior official told PTI. The voter turnout at the close of polling on Thursday evening stood at 43.75 per cent, poll officials said. A total of 1,64,698 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the bye-election in which 14 candidates are trying their luck, although it was largely being seen as a battle between a confident AAP and a spirited BJP for the crucial assembly constituency.
Polling began at 7 AM amid tight security arrangements and was scheduled to be held till 6 PM. However, those who had queued up in time, were allowed to vote past 6 PM Covid-positive voters were allowed to vote in the last one hour after the regular voters had exercised their franchise, following all safety protocols, like masks and gloves. Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh had earlier in the day told reporters that such voters and staff would also wear PPE kit, but later clarified that only masks and gloves were part of the safety protocol. Voting had begun at a sluggish pace in the morning, with 14.85 per cent turnout recorded till 11 AM, 26.24 per cent till 1 PM, 33.4 per cent till 3 PM, 40.65 per cent till 5 PM and the final turnout was 43.75 per cent, as per data shared by officials throughout the day.
The
Rajinder
Nagar
bypoll
turnout
was
even
lower
than
the
figures
recorded
in
the
Rajouri
Garden
bypoll
(46.5
per
cent)
and
Bawana
bypoll
44.8
per
cent),
both
held
in
2017.
In
2015
polls,
the
two
Delhi
assembly
seats
had
registered
a
turnout
of
72
per
cent
and
61.83
per
cent
respectively.
To
raise
awareness,
Bollywood
actor
Sonam
Kapoor
was
chosen
as
an
icon.
Shortly
before
the
exercise
began,
Kapoor
in
a
recorded
video
message,
appealed
to
voters
of
the
Rajinder
Nagar
constituency
to
turn
out
in
large
numbers.
Six
companies
of
CAPF
(Central
Armed
Police
Forces)
personnel
were
deployed
for
security
arrangements
during
the
bypoll,
necessitated
by
AAP
leader
Raghav
Chadha
leaving
the
seat
after
being
elected
to
the
Rajya
Sabha
recently.
Chadha
was
the
MLA
from
the
Rajinder
Nagar
Assembly
seat.
The
counting
of
votes
will
take
place
on
June
26.
Potable
water
supply,
sewer
lines,
broken
roads
and
the
new
liquor
policy
were
among
the
key
election
issues
for
many
Rajinder
Nagar
residents
as
they
stepped
out
to
vote
on
Thursday,
amid
a
hot
weather.
The
AAP's
Durgesh
Pathak
is
likely
to
have
a
close
contest
with
BJP's
Rajesh
Bhatia,
who
had
also
been
a
councillor
from
the
area.
The
Congress' nominee
is
councillor
Prem
Lata.
The
two
major
contenders
--
the
AAP
and
the
BJP
--
have
exuded
confidence
that
their
candidates
will
emerge
victorious.
Of
the
total
number
of
eligible
voters
for
the
bypoll,
92,221
are
male,
72,473
female
and
four
belong
to
the
third
gender.
Also,
1,899
voters
in
this
assembly
seat
are
in
the
18-19
age
group.
PTI