Delhi polls LIVE updates: BJP alleges fake voting, AAP claims voter suppression; turnout at 46.55% by 3 PM

The DCP of South East Delhi, in a post on X, addressed allegations of voter bribery at Sarai Kale Khan, stating that a thorough investigation was conducted by the police and Exe. Magistrate/FST. No evidence was found to support the claims.

As of 3:00 PM, the approximate voter turnout in Delhi stands at 46.55%. Region-wise, North East recorded the highest turnout at 52.73%, followed by Shahdara with 49.58%. Other areas show varying levels of participation, with East at 47.09%, North-West at 46.81%, and North at 46.31%.

Central recorded 43.45%, New Delhi had 43.10%, South saw 44.89%, and the lowest turnout was in the New Delhi constituency. These figures reflect a diverse response across the city, with some regions showing higher enthusiasm than others.

AAP candidate from the Okhla assembly seat, Amanatullah Khan, accused authorities of deliberately slowing down the voting process in the area. Speaking to PTI, Khan claimed that barricades had been set up at various locations to hinder voter turnout, stating that fewer votes would ultimately benefit the BJP.

Months after their homes were razed in a demolition drive, the displaced residents of the Khyber Pass area in north Delhi's Civil Lines queued up at polling booths on Wednesday with the hope that the upcoming government would provide them with permanent housing.

The authorities conducted demolition drives in Khyber Pass on July 13 and August 4 last year.

More than 250 houses were demolished to clear 15 acres of land.

While residents claimed they were not given adequate notice, the authorities maintained that the constructions were illegal.

Rekha, 30, who was among those displaced after the demolition drive, said, "We once had our own home but now we live as tenants because the place where we had been staying for decades suddenly collapsed one day."

"Mine is a middle-class family and with everything becoming more expensive, we now have the additional burden of paying rent. Our only hope from the upcoming government is that it would help us get our home back," she said.

Puja, in her 50s, also came to vote hoping that the new government would help her get justice.

"I have been staying at a relative's house. I came here to vote so that the new government works for us and gives us shelter," she said.

Anil Kumar, 45, said he lost both his home and shop, his source of income, in the demolition drive.

"I have two children who were studying here but we had to move in the middle of the academic year. Due to this, they faced difficulties in the admission process and their studies suffered," he said.

"Now, I am struggling to find a job. We had been living here for more than 60 years, the government should at least provide us with some compensation," he said.

A brief commotion broke out at a polling booth in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur after a woman voter alleged that someone had cast a vote in her name, leading to a heated exchange between BJP agents and voters.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) orchestrated fraudulent voting by sending women in burqas to cast proxy votes. However, the Delhi Police dismissed these allegations, stating that their preliminary inquiry found no evidence of fake voting.

According to officials, a woman named Mohini (26), a resident of Usmanpur, reported that her vote had already been cast. The issue arose due to a mix-up with another woman, Munni Devi (60), who had the same address but was a previous tenant. After verification, polling officials allowed Munni Devi to cast a tender vote.

Elderly voters, accompanied by family or police personnel, stepped out to vote in the Delhi assembly polls on Wednesday.

Former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal escorted his wheelchair-bound parents to the polling station, saying they were eager to vote despite health issues.

In Shaheen Bagh, 83-year-old Asif and his wife Masra Asand arrived with their grandchild, stressing the need for better roads and sanitation.

Shaukat Ali, 91, from Zaffrabad, called for improved healthcare, saying long queues and favouritism made treatment difficult.

In Kalkaji, 85-year-old Ram Pyari voted with her daughter, who highlighted poor roads and garbage issues.

Police assisted elderly voters at several booths, including a 92-year-old woman in Sarojini Nagar.

Allegations of fake voting emerged in some parts of the national capital, including Seelampur and Kasturba Nagar.

High drama unfolded in Seelampur when a BJP leader accused some people wearing burqas of attempting to vote fraudulently. However, police denied any fake voting in the area.

In Kasturba Nagar, police sources said two men allegedly attempted to vote fraudulently. The two men were caught and are being interrogated, they said.

Meanwhile, AAP candidate from Greater Kailash, Saurabh Bharadwaj, claimed people were being stopped from voting in Chirag Dilli. He shared a video on X showing a woman sitting alone in an autorickshaw near a barricade, alleging that it was deliberately placed to obstruct access to the polling station.

In another video, AAP's candidate in Jungpura Manish Sisodia alleged money was being distributed from a house in the area. He asked police officers on duty to conduct a raid at the house.

In Seelampur, following allegations of fake voting by the BJP, more leaders of the party began sloganeering outside a polling booth. Delhi Police, however, dismissed the charges pointing to security deployed in the area.

Till 1 pm, voter turnout stood at 33.31 per cent across 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi. Northeast Delhi recorded the highest voter turnout at 39.51 per cent and Central Delhi recorded the lowest at 29.74 per cent.

Central – 29.74%

East – 33.66%

New Delhi – 29.89 %

North – 32.44%

North East – 39.51%

North-west – 33.17%

Shahdara – 35.81%

South – 32.67%

South East – 32.27%

South West – 35.44%

West – 30.87%

Mustafabad records highest turnout till 1 pm, Mustafabad records 43%, Seelampur is at 40.25%, Gokalpur at 39.52%, Karawal Nagar at 39.18%, Najafgarh at 38%, Babarpur at 37.83%, Chhatarpur at 37.71%, Seemapuri at 37.63%, Sangam Vihar at 37.32%, and Narela at 37.60%.

Heavy police deployment was seen outside a polling booth in Seelampur after the BJP alleged fake votes being cast on behalf of AAP.

Delhi BJP president Virendraa Sachdeva accused AAP of facilitating fake voting in the assembly polls.

“There is a wave of change in Delhi. People are voting against the corrupt govt. Now, this 'AAP-da' - the 'farzi' govt has come to the extent where it is facilitating fake voting. The information that we have is that people were caught casting fake votes in the Kasturba Nagar constituency, ” he alleged.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh accused BJP supporters of distributing money at booth number 27 in N Block near the Rashtrapati Bhavan, a highly sensitive area.

He claimed that when he arrived at the scene, they fled. Singh called it a mockery of the election process in Delhi.

South Delhi DCP, Ankit Chauhan responded to claims of the police attempting to manipulate elections by AAP candidate Saurabh Bharadwaj and said that the police would investigate.

AAP candidate from Greater Kailash Assembly seat, Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Delhi Police is trying to stop people from casting their votes at a polling station in Chirag Delhi.

"You have been standing here since morning to influence elections. Why are the barricades put here? Which Senior Officer of the Delhi Police has asked them to put up barricades? This is all being done to disturb the poor villagers.Did Virendraa Sachdeva or Presdient Murmu get off the car 200 metres away from the polling station?," Saurabh Bharadwaj asked.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari accused AAP of looting Delhi and urged people to come out and vote.

He said, "They (AAP) made Delhi sick. They looted Delhi. Now we will do work. Now Delhi is going to give us the opportunity. We are not distributing money. We are not distributing liquor. People of Delhi should come out of their homes and vote as much as possible."

After casting his vote, CPI-M leader Prakash Karat said that he had voted against the Centre and the LG's interference.

He said, "There was only issue that the elected government in Delhi was not allowed to function. We have voted against the centre's and the LG's interference. The elected government should have the right to function."

After casting his vote, former Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud spoke to reporters and emphasised the importance of voting as a democratic process.

He urged young voters to step out and cast their vote, saying "There's lots of time left for voting to conclude and they must come out and cast their vote."

Arvind Kejriwal along with his wife Sunita Kejriwal and parents Gobind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi, cast their votes in a polling station at Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School.

After casting her vote, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal said "People of Delhi are very intelligent. We trust them. They don't tolerate 'gundagardi' (hooliganism). So, we firmly believe that the people of Delhi will make the right choice."

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cast her vote and urged the people of Delhi to vote so that solutions could be found for their issues.

“I appeal to everyone to come out of their homes and vote. This is the biggest right given by the Constitution. I know that people of Delhi have had enough, they are telling about issues of water, pollution, roads. If you have to find a solution, then vote,” she said.

Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi cast her vote at Nirman Bhawan.

She was accompanied by MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the party's candidate from the New Delhi constituency Sandeep Dikshit.

Till 11 am, voter turnout stood at 19.95%% across 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi. Northeast Delhi recorded the highest voter turnout at 24.87% and Central Delhi recorded the lowest at 16.46%.

Central Delhi-16.46 %

East Delhi-20.03 %

New Delhi 16.80 %

North Delhi-18.63 %

North East Delhi- 24.87%

Northwest Delhi – 19.75 %

Shahdara -23.30 %

South Delhi -19.75 %

South East Delhi – 19.66 %

South West Delhi – 21.90 %

West Delhi-17.67 %

In a swipe at the AAP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged people of Delhi to remember while voting who committed the biggest scam in Delhi by talking about practising clean politics.

The former Congress president said people's vote for his party will protect their rights, strengthen the Constitution and put Delhi back on the path of progress.

AAP's Somnath Bharti, the incumbent MLA from Malviya Nagar seeking a fourth term, expressed confidence in retaining his seat.

Delhi chief minister Atishi accused the Delhi police of supporting the BJP.

"Delhi Police can do anything. Delhi Police is openly making the BJP fight elections. On one side, there is hooliganism of the BJP, and on the other side, Delhi Police is extending full support to BJP," she said.

Anurag Singh, a resident of Greater Kailash, said that the persistent Delhi pollution was a key factor in his decision to vote.

He expressed disappointment with the ruling party’s failure to address the crisis and hoped that a change in government would lead to effective relief measures.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha appealed to citizens to come out and vote, while also expressing his confidence in the party winning for a third time.

He said, “Aam Aadmi Party has fought the elections with a lot of hard work, with truth and honesty. I am confident that this time too we will be successful in getting the love and blessings of the people and will once again be engaged in the service of Delhi."