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Countdown begins: MCD election results today
Bandsmen booked in advance
E Delhi records highest voting turnout
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Tight security
Battered teenaged maid admitted to hospital
40-yr-old woman commits suicide
Newly married woman hangs self
Killed in bike mishap
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Countdown begins: MCD election results today
New Delhi, April 16 The counting of votes will be done at 33 centres. The Delhi police has made tight security arrangements for the crucial day and the process is expected to be completed by 3 pm, according to officials of the election commission. The polling for the three corporations in east, south and north saw a significantly higher number of voters exercising their right in comparison to the 2007 elections. According to officials of the election commission, yesterday, 55 to 58 per cent polling was recorded. In 2007, only 42 per cent electorate had voted. There are 104 wards each in south and north corporations and 64 in the east. Out of the total seats, 138 are reserved for women. The south corporation has the highest number of 904 candidates followed by north (885) and east (634). In the 2007 polls for the undivided Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the BJP had bagged 36.17 per cent of the around 42.35 lakh polled while the Congress had got 29.17 per cent. The vote share of the BSP was 9.87 per cent. The parties are eagerly waiting for the results and the leaders have kept their fingers crossed. Both Congress and BJP have claimed a clean sweep. While Delhi Congress chief JP Agarwal has claimed that he is 100 per cent confident about his party's victory, his BJP counterpart Vijender Gupta has expressed confidence that his camp will come back to power in all the three corporations. At present, the BJP has 164 councillors in the undivided MCD against 67 from the Congress and 17 from the BSP. While the BJP made charges of corruption against the Dikshit government as its main agenda in the elections, the Congress targeted the saffron party on its alleged inefficient and corrupt administration of the MCD. Both the major national parties put up their best show as the elections are being seen as a rehearsal for the Assembly elections due for next year. |
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Bandsmen booked in advance
New Delhi, April 16 Supporters of senior politicians of MCD like Rajni Abbi, Subhash Arya, Jai Kishan Sharma, Shobha Vijender and others are very enthusiastic and said that they would celebrate the victory of their leader just after the announcement of the result. They were sure that their leaders would win the elections. Akram, who resides at Shakoor Ki Dandi near Zakir Hussain College and is a drum beater, said that he was offered around Rs 3,000 by a few candidates for a few hours. They asked him to beat drums in the locality and near the office. But he refused and accepted the offer of a single politician. However, he did not disclose the name of that politician. He said that it happens every time after the election result is announced. Those who lose keep inside their houses or work places. Without disclosing the identity of the candidate, Rakesh, a band owner, said that he was asked to play near the counting centre after the announcement of the election results. Besides drum beaters and band walas, supporters of senior politicians have also ordered sweets to distribute among people.
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E Delhi records highest voting turnout
New Delhi, April 16 The polling percentage has been declared the highest in civic polls in the last 15 years. Though, the State Election Commission said that the turnout was 'impressive', it failed to cross the expected mark of 60 per cent, a target set by the commission. In East Delhi, Welcome Colony, ward number 248, has recorded the highest voting percentage of 89 per cent. Whereas, Sadh Nagar, ward number 146, saw the least percentage of voting of only 31 per cent. The counting of votes will take place tomorrow at 33 centres spread across the city, which will decide the electoral fate of 2,423 candidates. According to the EC, 55 per cent of the 1.15 crore-strong electorate voted in the polls held yesterday for the 272 wards of the three civic bodies East, South and North. The State Election Commissioner Rakesh Mehta said that 55-58 per cent voters exercised their franchise and it could go beyond 60 per cent. In 1997, the polling percentage was 41 per cent, 51 per cent in 2002 and 42.78 per cent in 2007. Around 63.25 lakh voters had exercised their franchise this time as compared to 42.35 lakh out of a total of around 99 lakh in 2007. About 20.9 lakh more voters have exercised their franchise this time as compared to that in 2007. The increase in total number of voters this time as compared to 2007 was 16 lakh. The rise in polling percentage could be attributed to the relentless campaign undertaken by the EC. The Delhi State Election Commission has made efforts, including a 'Be Dabangg, be a voter' campaign as part of its campaign to exhort voters to turn out in large numbers. The campaign has taken its cue from blockbuster Bollywood movie Dabangg (a bold character), in which Salman Khan essayed the role of police inspector Chulbul Pandey
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Tight security
New Delhi, April 16 According to sources, 52,000 personnel from the Delhi police and central paramilitary forces have been deployed at the 33 counting centres across the national capital. According to the police, a contingent of 50,000 Delhi police officials and 2,000 personnel from the central paramilitary forces has been deployed to prevent any instances of violence. Half of the total force will be present on the premises of the counting centres, while the rest will be patrolling the streets. Only the polling agents of the candidates and those persons issued passes by the election commission will be allowed to enter the counting centers. The police will also stop people from wandering in the area. Preventive action will be taken against anyone indulging in unlawful activities, according to the police. An officer of the rank of deputy commissioner of police will be deployed at each counting centre. They will be assisted by junior officers of the ranks of assistant commissioner of police and additional deputy commissioner of police. Besides officers from the local districts, senior-level police officials will be present at the centers. Three hundred videographers will capture the centres. Thirty of them will be deployed in each of the 11 police districts. Videorecording will not be allowed inside the counting halls. |
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Battered teenaged maid admitted to hospital
New Delhi, April 16 Divya Minseh (19) was admitted to the hospital's emergency ward. Her cervical bone was broken and she faced difficulty in breathing. She also had a problem in her limbs. Minseh arrived in Delhi from Jharkhand about five years ago. She worked at several households. In her latest job, she was placed as a full-time domestic maid at a house in Rajouri Garden, a year and six months ago. She was employed at the residence of Saroj Khurana and Amit Khurana. Minseh alleged that she was often beaten by her employers. On Friday, she complained to her employers that she was feeling weak and was unable to work. She refused to wash the clothes. Minseh's brother-in-law, Prem Chand said, "The woman snatched the wooden bat from Minseh's hand and started beating her with it till she became unconscious." Chand runs the placement agency from where Minseh was employed. After regaining consciousness, she was taken to a private doctor. She told the doctor that she had fallen in the bathroom. Sources claimed that she had been suffering neck pain for the past one and a half months. "They threatened to withhold my salary if I reported the abuse. They also said that I would face dire consequences," said Minseh at the neuro-surgery ward of the hospital. Her family members were called to take care of her on Saturday. Minseh told them about her physical abuse yesterday. The police is yet to register a case in the matter.
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40-yr-old woman commits suicide
New Delhi, April 16 The police believes that the woman, Shahzadi (40), had been having strained relations with her second husband, Shedul (42). "When she was conscious, she disclosed to us that Shedul is a daily wage earner who is living of her. He tried to coerce her into prostitution. She also had the responsibility of her children," said a police officer. About 10-12 years ago, Shahzadi left her first husband, Rahish and married Shedul. With Shedul she had three sons. They were staying at rented accommodation at Gali number 16 of Khajoori Khas, situated in northeast Delhi. Shahzadi and Shedul, both belong to West Bengal. "She had complained of strained relations with her husband. They often quarrelled. Last night at 10.30, after having an argument with Shedul, she doused herself with kerosene and set herself on fire at her house," added the officer. The police was informed about the incident at 11.50 pm. A Police Control Room (PCR) vehicle rushed Shahzadi to the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital. She had suffered 90-100 per cent burn injuries. She died during her treatment at 4 am today, according to the officer. The police had called the sub-divisional magistrate to record her "dying declaration" under section 32 in Evidence Act. A case of abetment of suicide (IPC section 306) has been registered against Shedul at the Khajoori Khas police station. However, he is absconding and the police has launched a hunt for him. The police is ruling out the involvement of Shahzadi's first husband, Rahish, in her death. She was married to Rahish about 10-12 years ago. They had two daughters, including one who is married. The younger daughter sometimes stayed with her mother in her house in Khajoori Khas or with her grandmother in Kolkatta.
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Newly married woman hangs self
New Delhi, April 16 The woman has been identified as Savita. On Sunday night, Savita's husband Jitender informed the police that he found her hanging at their residence. She was rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared her 'brought dead'. According to the police, Savita had married Jitender a few months ago. Jitender told the police that Savita was depressed. She had been bedridden owing to some illness. The police believes that her depression possibly led her to commit suicide. No note has been recovered. The postmortem of Savita's body has been conducted and the police is waiting for the report. A sub-divisional magistrate enquiry will be conducted in the case. |
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Killed in bike mishap
New Delhi, April 16 Sources claimed that the man, Ashraf and his niece, Rukhsar (17) were on their way to meet a doctor at Bihari Colony when the accident occurred. Ashraf was driving a motorcycle on Saturday and his niece was the pillion rider. When they reached Road number-57 at Krishna Nagar, a speeding bus rammed into their motorcycle. Ashraf fell off the bike and was crushed under the rear wheel of the bus. Rukhsar was critically injured.
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The suspense over the fate of the three municipal corporations of Delhi will come to an end tomorrow when the counting of votes for the 272 wards will take place.
