The fight for New Delhi constituency has emerged between Congress’ Ajay Maken, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Meenakshi Lekhi and the Aam Aadmi Party’s Ashish Khetan.
Former union minister and general secretary of the Congress party, Ajay Maken, two-time Member of Parliament from this constituency, seemed confident of a hat-trick. He had defeated BJP’s Vijay Goel in 2009, by a thumping majority of over 1.8 lakh votes. Travelling across various segments of this constituency, feelers were clearly sent out by voters from different sections. Urban voters, especially senior citizens and youth were rooting for the BJP, while the rural vote-bank may have been split between Congress and AAP.
With an electorate of 14,89,263, New Delhi voters poured in to cast their vote from 7 am. Voter count in the constituency grew gradually and began at 24% by 11 am. By 1 pm it had risen to 40.05%, by 3 pm it was 52% rising to 59.2 % by 5 pm. After polling closed at 6pm, voter turnout rose to 65.9%.
After casting her vote around 9:30 am, in a government school in South Extension, Part 2, BJP’s candidate and party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said, ‘We will win all 7 seats in Delhi, Modi will be our PM.’
Talking to Millennium Post, Lekhi said, ‘There are various factors which will lead us to victory. The top leadership has constantly focused on governance, and factors such as the choice of candidate. Modi wave is a reality. The BJP has the support of both the rural and urban voters. Whatever Maken has said and the image that he has created is totally incorrect. People on the round know the reality.’
Maken cast his vote around 8 am in Rajouri Garden and insisted that Congress would will all 7 seats in the capital as well. ‘I am very confident of the Congress party’s victory. There is no wave against the Congress,’ he asserted. After this Maken was seen accompanying Congress president Sonia Gandhi as she cast her vote at Nirman Bhavan polling booth.
Journalist-turned-politician Ashish Khetan was the earliest to cast his vote (7:30 am) at Mayur Vihar Phase 1. ‘Earlier people did not have an alternative in Delhi. This time they have an honest alternative to the BJP and the Congress,’ said Khetan. All three leaders set out to meet voters and party workers in their constituency after casting their votes respectively.
SL Sharma, 95-year-old, former UN diplomat cast his vote at the polling booth in Modern School, Barakhamba road. ‘I have voted for Narendra Modi. He will definitely bring about a change as India has become so corrupt under this (UPA) government. AAP is a start-up. They are too new to do anything concrete. I had a comfortable experience while voting. The arrangement was very good, for which I congratulate the election commission, he said, while coming out on a wheel-cheer from the booth.
85-year-old Lily Thomas had come in to vote at the booth where Arvind Kejriwal had cast his vote. She said that she had a smooth time while voting. Escorted by her family Thomas was taken in at the time Kejriwal showed up to vote around 10:30 am. ‘I have voted for AAP as I believe they will be able to bring about a change,’ she said.
The Valmiki community has loyally remained with AAP. 70 year old Phoolwati, who had come with her daughter Sunita to vote at St Thomas School, Mandir Marg, near the Valmiki Basti said, ‘Humne iss baar bhi apna vote Jhaadu ko diya hai. Hume vishwas hai ki who humare liye kaam zaroor karenge (We have voted for AAP this time as well. We believe that they will definitely work for us)’.
Maken’s popularity in areas like Greater Kailash and Lajpat Nagar meanwhile remained untouched. You had Punjabis standing in groups asserting that they had voted for Maken and would bring him back to power yet again.