Delhi's Day of Destiny

New Delhi: As a new dawn quivers over the national Capital, results for perhaps the country's most acrimonious election will be declared on Tuesday. With all eyes set on 27 counting centres in the city, if the prediction of the Exit polls comes true, a change in the culture of Delhi may be witnessed.

Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said the counting will start at 8 in the morning. The national Capital saw a voter turnout of 62.59 per cent this time as compared to the 67.12 per cent polling recorded in 2015, with the highest voting being recorded in Ballimaran (71.58 per cent) and lowest in Delhi Cantonment (45.36 per cent). Personnel of paramilitary forces along with Delhi Police officers have been providing multi-layered cover to the EVMs at the counting centres.

Several Exit polls have predicted Arvind Kejriwal's return for a third term with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) likely to secure over two-thirds majority. The Delhi Chief Minister, meanwhile, has asked AAP volunteers not to burst crackers during victory celebrations to prevent pollution.

With hours left for the final result to be declared, politicians are continuously engaging in personal attacks with BJP leaders claiming that the Exit polls will be proven wrong on Tuesday. AAP had secured a win in 67 seats in 2015, while the BJP had won in only three. In 2019, the saffron party picked up all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi with 56 per cent of the vote share. The Congress won no seats in the 2015 polls, facing a shocking defeat after having held Delhi for 15 years before that.

The Assembly polls have seen several controversies beginning with Union minister Anurag Thakur egging the crowd to say "shoot the traitors" in a rally and the party's West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma making several controversial statements on Shaheen Bagh.

Another controversy erupted on Saturday as the Election Commission was yet to declare the final voter turnout for Delhi after votes were cast. A day after the Delhi election, the Election Commission on Sunday evening announced the voter turnout. Kejriwal, while reacting on the delay, tweeted: "Absolutely shocking. What is EC doing? Why are they not releasing poll turnout figures, several hours after polling?"

Later in the day after polling, Delhi's ruling party AAP alleged efforts were being made to tamper with the voting machines but the Election Commission strongly negated the charges. The AAP had cited videos to back its claim that efforts were being made to tamper with the EVMs.

Just a day ahead of counting of votes, BJP's Kapil Mishra, an AAP rebel, on Monday hit out at his former boss Kejriwal by saying that it shouldn't be surprising if he loses his constituency.

BJP candidate Sunil Yadav is contesting against Kejriwal from New Delhi assembly segment. Earlier in the day, Yadav declared that he would not contest another election if he lost.