Delhi recorded 62.59% voter turnout, says EC hours after Kejriwal questioned delay

After facing flak for not announcing the final voter turnout for the Delhi Assembly Polls, the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Sunday, 9 February, announced that the final voter turnout during Delhi Assembly Elections was recorded at 62.59 percent.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Singh further announced that the highest voter turnout was recorded in Ballimaran assembly constituency, with 71.6 percent people coming out to vote, while the lowest voter turnout was recorded in Delhi Cantonment, where only 45.4 percent cast their vote.

Singh also addressed the delay in the announcement, saying that it took so much time as the voter turnout data is submitted by returning officers, who were busy throughout the night.

“It has taken a little bit of time but, in data entry, it is very important to ensure accuracy,” he said.

Further, he said that there were some incidents where the EC felt that the Police administration should have been more vigilant, which is why EC took cognisance of the matter.

‘Absolutely Shocking’: AAP Leaders on Delay in Voting Figures

While the Election Commission took its own time to release the official figures, the agency was criticized for concealing the numbers for a long time, mostly by Aam Aadmi Party leaders.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also called out the EC on Sunday, 9 February, calling the delay in releasing the numbers ‘absolutely shocking.’

The Election Commission’s voter turnout app, after the polling on Saturday 8 February, showed a 61.85 percent voter turnout in the national capital. 

The voting percentage was 57.04 till 6 pm deadline, and rose to 61.46 percent as those in queues at polling stations were allowed to vote, poll officials told PTI on Saturday.

Officials said Mustafabad (66.29 percent), Matia Mahal (65.62 percent) and Seelampur (64.92 percent) – all three with large Muslim population – had recorded the highest voting percentage till 5 pm.

In the 11 districts in the national capital, northeast recorded 65.24 per cent, while northwest recorded 62.23 percent. South, meanwhile, recorded 59.65 per cent and central recorded 58.57 percent. Southwest and east recorded 61.57 per cent and 61.29 respectively. North recorded 57.19 per cent, New Delhi recorded 56.10 per cent, Shahadra recorded 62.96 per cent and southeast saw a turnout of 54.89 per cent , PTI said in its report on Saturday.