A polling officials carrying EVMs and other election materials.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Counting of votes for the Delhi assembly polls will take place on Saturday, with votes cast by around 94.6 lakh people will determine whether the AAP gets a fourth term or BJP manages to trounce the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.
The run up to the D-day saw high drama as Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Friday served a legal notice to Kejriwal seeking evidence regarding his allegation that the BJP attempted to bribe 16 party candidates and AAP held a meeting of its 70 nominees.
All three sides -- AAP, BJP and Congress -- are heading to the counting table with the anticipation of a favourable political situation. For the Congress, which could not open its account since 2015, the expectation is a "good fight" in half-a-dozen seats of which they could win a couple.
Of the 19 exit polls analysed by DH, 11 gave BJP a definite edge while four gave it to AAP. Four of them predicted a close fight with AAP and BJP having the edge in two surveys each.
The counting will start at 8 am amid high security. The Election Commission said 60.54 per ccent votes were polled on Wednesday, down from 62.59 per cent in 2020 when AAP won 62 seats and the rest eight were bagged by the BJP.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has claimed his party will win nearly 50 seats while AAP rejected predictions and said it will form the government again with Kejriwal as chief minister for the fourth time.
Serving a legal notice over his allegations, the Delhi ACB warned Kejriwal of potential legal action, asking to explain why those spreading allegations should not be prosecuted for creating "panic and unrest" among the people of Delhi.
It asked him the names of the candidates who received phone calls, the phone numbers of those who contacted them and any supporting evidence to substantiate it.
AAP Legal Cell chief Sanjeev Nasiar alleged the ACB action was an attempt to intimidate the party ahead of the results. "They did not have any legal notice at first. After one-and-a-half hours, they served us with a notice. This drama is orchestrated by the LG office in collusion with the BJP. The officers were under pressure," he said.
AAP Rajya Sabha floor leader Sanjay Singh filed a complaint with the ACB, claiming that more than 16 AAP candidates had been approached by unidentified individuals with offers to join BJP. The BJP denied the allegations.
Earlier, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena directed the ACB to conduct a probe after Delhi BJP General Secretary Vishnu Mittal submitted a petition demanding action against AAP on charges of spreading misinformation.
In a meeting with party candidates, Kejriwal reassured the candidates that AAP is on track to form the government in Delhi. He urged them to maintain the same determination they showed during the election and to be fully prepared for the vote counting process.
Delhi Assembly Election 2025 | The first of two state assembly polls this year sees a three-way contest between AAP, Congress, and BJP in the nation's capital. AAP decided to contest the polls alone, causing rumours of a rift in I.N.D.I.A. BJP, meanwhile, is hoping the liquor excise policy scam and pollution in Delhi will give the saffron party an edge over AAP. Kejriwal, on the other hand, has different plans with his demand for reservations for Delhi Jats. Congress will also be looking to make its presence felt and has not held back from attacking its own alliance partner. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.