50% voter turnout recorded till 5.30 pm; Delhiites seek better civic amenities

Around 50 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5:30 pm in the high-stakes election to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Sunday.

Voting was going on at many polling stations where voters reported just before the closing time at 5:30 pm, authorities said, adding that the polling percentage is likely to go up.

While the turnout at 12.30 pm was 18 per cent, it rose to 30 per cent by 2.30 PM. Over 45 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 4 pm.

The previous civic body polls in 2017 had recorded 53 per cent voting.

The counting of votes will take place on December 7.

“The polling till 2 pm is around 30 per cent for all 250 wards in Delhi. The process is going on smoothly in all the wards. No untoward incident has been reported so far,” a senior official of the State Election Commission (SEC) said.

People said they voted with a hope of getting better civic amenities, clean, congestion-free and safe roads among others.

Ashish, a resident of south Delhi, said: “We face traffic jams daily. Due to congestion in streets, our cars get stuck and we run late for work.”

A woman, who did not wish to be named, spoke on safety concerns.
“At times, it becomes difficult to go out because some streets have less or no street light. It is dangerous for kids too to play or go out in dark. Any mishap can happen,” she said.

There are 1,349 candidates in fray and over 1.45 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections.

(With news agencies’ inputs)

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