A specially-abled voter, Nabia Kasim, shows her ID card as she arrives to cast her vote for first time for the MCD elections, at a polling booth in old Delhi, Sunday, Dec 04, 2022.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Chaos prevailed across the city during the voting for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections with many electors being unable to find their names on the voter list, while the turnout stood at close to 50% (at 5.30 p.m.).
This was the Capital’s first civic poll since the three erstwhile municipal corporations were merged to constitute the unified MCD in May, and after the delimitation exercise, which saw a reduction of the total number of wards to 250 — from the previous number of 272 wards.
Prominent political faces, including Delhi Congress chief Ch. Anil Kumar, were among those who were unable to cast their vote, adding that their names were missing from the list.
Voting began at a snail’s pace in the early hours across various polling stations, with only 18% of the 1.45 crore voters showing up to cast their ballot till 12 p.m. The approximate turnout of 50% (till 5.30 p.m.), according to the State Election Commission, Delhi, is lesser than the 2017 civic polls final turnout of 53%.
AAP’s charge
In the run-up to the 2022 polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) embarked on a hectic campaign that was centred around the city’s three landfills, waste management and other civic issues, which, it alleged, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had ignored during its 15-year term at the civic body.
The saffron party responded with a high voltage campaign that included the fielding of its prominent faces — including BJP president J.P. Nadda — who alleged chinks in the AAP’s armour, starting with its “tall claims” of being against corruption.
The BJP turned the focus on the AAP’s jailed Minister Satyendar Jain, adding that his leaked videos showed him receiving special treatment in the jail cell.
Responding to the chaos over the missing names in the voter list, an SEC Delhi official said the polling body “merely” adopted the electoral roll prepared by the Election Commission of India, adding that the additions and deletions are executed by the Delhi CEO.
Voters queuing up at the polling stations said they hope of gaining better amenities, while some said they desired to see a change in the future of the MCD’s functioning.
“I vote religiously but the awareness among people in connection with the change in wards and in voter list was fairly low. I took the initiative to stay updated but this situation could have been avoided, because many people were enthusiastic about voting for this MCD poll,” said Praveen Kumar, a voter in the Civil Lines ward.
