Metro services at 4 am, buses 3 am

The Delhi election office has pulled up its socks for the parliamentary elections in the city Thursday.

 To facilitate voters who will start making a beeline for polling booths early morning, Metro services will start at 4 am and the Delhi Transport Corporation services from 3 am.

Delhi’s chief electoral officer Vijay Dev visited polling booths to look after the final preparations on Wednesday. He again asked Delhiites to exercise their franchise and reach polling booths on Thursday.

“The total contesting candidates in these elections are 150 against 160 in the 2009 parliamentary elections. Thirteen women candidates are contesting in this election against 18 in the last Lok Sabha polls,” a senior Delhi electoral officer said.

With 29 candidates in the fray, the New Delhi parliamentary constituency has the maximum number of contenders. Twenty-five people are contesting from Chandni Chowk constituency and 23 each are contesting from North-East and East Delhi parliamentary constituency. 

Fourteen candidates are contesting from North-West, 17 are from West and 19 are from South Delhi parliamentary constituency.

“Twenty-nine candidates are from recognised national and state parties, 63 from registered political parties and the total number of independent candidates is 58,” he added.

To prevent any untoward incident, the poll panel has made elaborate security arrangements.

Some 35,000 policemen, 5,485 Home Guards, will be deployed across the city 4 am onwards. To counter any terror attack, 483 Quick Reaction Teams comprising Delhi Police Special Weapons and Tactics commandos have also been deployed. 

Fifteen per cent of the total 11,763 polling booths at 2,525 locations have been identified as sensitive and police will keep strict vigil on them.