The Hindu : New Delhi News : All set for Delhi ballot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 10, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

All set for Delhi ballot

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 9. Over 60,000 security personnel including mounted police and para-military forces would be deployed in the Capital on Monday to ensure free and peaceful polling to the seven Lok Sabha constituencies and one Assembly seat.

Among the prominent candidates whose fate would be decided tomorrow include the Union Ministers, Jagmohan from New Delhi, Sahib Singh Verma from Outer Delhi and Vijay Goel from Delhi Sadar, the Delhi Assembly Speaker, Ajay Maken, from New Delhi, his deputy Krishna Tirath, from Karol Bagh, eminent Supreme court advocates, Kapil Sibal from Chandni Chowk and R.K. Anand from South Delhi, popular television star, Smriti Iraani from Chandni Chowk, disabled rights activist, Javed Abidi from New Delhi and internationally acclaimed management guru, Shiv Raj Khera from South Delhi. Sandeep Dikshit, who is the son of the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, is the Congress candidate from East Delhi.

In all 129 candidates, including 15 women, are in the race for the seven Lok Sabha seats and 13 candidates for the bye-election to the Moti Nagar Assembly segment. More than 87.6 lakh electors including 49.5 lakh males and 38.1 females can exercise their franchise. The polling would begin at 7 in the morning and conclude at 5 in the evening. The counting of votes would be taken up on May 13.

The Election Commission has put in place as many as 9,042 polling booths across Delhi where people can cast their vote. These booths, about 100 of which are in tents, were formally were handed over to the respective Presiding Officers by the civic agencies today.

Based on the threat perception and police report, more than one tenth of polling booths have been declared sensitive (1,958) and hypersensitive (278), the maximum numbers of which are in Outer Delhi and East Delhi constituencies.

The list was being reviewed, till late in the night in view of the increasing tension among rival candidates in the Capital. More than 55,000 polling person are being deployed for smooth conduct of polls.

For the first time ramps have been constructed at all polling booths to make the premises accessible to the physically challenged electors. Separate queue would also be there for disabled and senior citizens. Further, the Delhi Transport Corporation would be plying special buses from various parts of the Capital to Yamuna Pushta to ensure that the slum dwellers who were recently evicted from Yamuna Pushta are able to cast his vote. All the 36 polling booths at Yamuna Pushta have been declared hypersensitive. Besides, police personnel and security agencies, as many as 21 Election Observers too would be keeping a tab on the developments and roaming around the city.

Meanwhile, the workers of major candidates and political parties distributed voter's slip to the people of their constituencies. They held a number of close door meetings to plan their strategy for the D-day. The polling agents of the candidates left for their respective polling booths along with their kits and the control room started functioning.

The Chief Electoral Officer, Arun Goyal, said after a review meeting that preparations were complete. Polling parties would reach their respective booths at least two hours before the start of polling and would give their compliance report to the control room. Urging the candidates, polling parties and the voters to help the Commission in smooth conduct of polls, he warned that no violation of any law would be tolerated and stern action would be taken against those found coming in the way of free and fair poll.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi