Assembly elections 2013: Delhi breaks record with 67% turnout

NEW DELHI: Shedding its dubious reputation of being apathetic to elections, the Capital broke the 61.75% turnout record it set in its very first assembly elections of 1993 on Wednesday, fuelling speculation that this, in the backdrop of rising prices and corruption charges, could mean bad news for the ruling Congress. Voter enthusiasm also led the Election Commission to delay the closure of some booths by three and a half hours in an unprecedented step.

According to Delhi election officials, a record 66.5% of 1.19 crore voters had exercised their franchise to decide the fate of the Capital’s first three-cornered contest among the Congress, BJP and AAP.

With long queues at some voting stations even beyond the 5 pm closing time, the Election Commission said they would remain open until 8:30 pm. “Delhi has belied all expectations and I would like to credit our youth with this achievement,” said Delhi chief electoral officer Vijay Dev.

This Delhi election is seen as the toughest electoral battle of chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s career as she is not only fighting to ensure her party returns to power for a fourth time but is also facing stiff competition in her own constituency with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and BJP’s former state president Vijender Gupta as her opponents.

On Wednesday, her seat, the New Delhi constituency, clocked an impressive turnout of 67% against 56% in the last elections. Even as the BJP and AAP interpreted the turnout as a vote in their favour, Dikshit refused to reveal her assessment of the trend. “I am not an astrologer and I can’t predict election results,” she told reporters immediately after the 5 pm deadline ended.

Resentment against the Congressled UPA government at the Centre could hurt Dikshit’s prospects in Delhi, said Sanjay Kumar, fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS).

“There is no anti-incumbency wave against Sheila’s government, but this is definitely a tough battle for her as she is facing the anger and strong dissatisfaction of the public against the UPA government at the Centre,” he said.

Kumar, however, added that an increased turnout does not indicate which party would benefit. “If you look at the assembly elections in the last two decades there is absolutely no correlation between the anti-incumbency sentiment and increased voter participation. If that were true then Gujarat, Bihar and Punjab (which registered an increase in voting percentage) would not have re-elected the state governments there,” Kumar said.

But psephologist and AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said, “The moment we go beyond the record turnout mark then there is a possibility that that (increased voter participation) could benefit the Aam Aadmi Party.”