NEW DELHI: The bypoll in Rajendra Nagar assembly constituency recorded a poor turnout with just 43.7% of 1,64,698 voters stepping out to vote on Thursday.
While there was a better crowd in villages and JJ colonies, middle and upper-middle class colonies, such as Rajendra Nagar and parts of Naraina, witnessed a lower turnout. Officials said 24 Covid-19 patients cast their votes, some coming on their own and some being brought in ambulances. The election commission had kept the last one hour of voting (5pm to 6pm) for such patients.
New Delhi district magistrate Monika Priyadarshini said the election remained peaceful and there were no complaints of malfunctioning of EVMs or VVPATs.
While AAP had fielded Durgesh Pathak, former municipal councillors Rajesh Bhatia and Prem Lata contested on BJP and Congress tickets, respectively. In all, 14 candidates, including three women, were in the fray. The result will be declared on June 26.
To facilitate senior citizens, physically disabled and pregnant and lactating women, 55 e-well-decorated rickshaws were deployed for pick-up and drop-off, which was availed of by 1,100 (442 men and 658 women) voters.
Water scarcity, broken roads and faulty sewer systems were a few major issues on the minds of the voters. However, overall development and some well-recognised work in education and health sectors also played heavily while people exercised their franchise.
“There are several problems in the area, such as water supply, parking and encroachment, which need to be fixed immediately. I hope the new MLA works hard to solve them,” said Sudhir Batra, a voter in Old Rajendra Nagar.
Vanita Sachdeva, who runs a boutique, echoed the sentiments. “Delhi has seen a lot of development, but Rajendra Nagar has remained neglected. Imagine, this upscale colony is facing a severe water crisis. I have given my vote on this single issue,” she said.
Voters in urban villages of Dasghara, Todapur and Naraina and JJ clusters of Budh Nagar, Loha Mandi, Bihari Colony and Pandav Nagar also talked about water supply, sewer lines and poor roads. “I have small children and ailing in-laws. Since there is no water supply, I have to get cans filled from water tankers,” said Sita, a resident of Bihari Colony.
However, some voters were impressed with the work done in the health and education sectors and said they were happy to send their children to government schools. “I feel proud telling my relatives in Uttarakhand that my children go to a big school. My vote is for the development Delhi has seen,” said Dilip Negi, a resident of Budh Nagar JJ camp.
The election office has kept the EVMs and VVPATs under a three-tier security at IARI, where counting will take place on Sunday. “We hope to have the results by lunch,” said an official.