Bawana bypoll peaceful, but turnout mere 45 per cent

New Delhi: The Bawana Assembly constituency, which went to bypoll on Wednesday, recorded 45 per cent voting till 6 pm. The poll percentage fell significantly on the seat, which had recorded 61.83 voting percentage in 2015. The seat had fell vacant after Ved Prakash of the AAP switched parties and joined the BJP in March this year. 

The polling ended at 6 pm officially, but those who had already queued up at the polling stations by then were allowed to exercise their franchise. “The entire polling process went on peacefully and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the constituency in north-west Delhi,” Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi said. Eight candidates were in the fray for the election in which the AAP, the BJP, and the Congress are locked in a triangular contest for the reserved seat. The counting will take place on August 28.

The polling officials said one EVM and 17 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) equipment malfunctioned and were replaced without any hindrance to voting. “One EVM malfunctioned during the polling. 17 VVPATs also showed errors. All malfunctioning machines were replaced,” they said. The VVPAT carries the paper trail left by a voter after he or she has exercised their franchise.

The officials conjectured that multiple elections taking place in the city in quick succession could be a factor for the low turnout in Bawana, adding that voter turnout was “generally low” in bypolls. The BJP has fielded Ved Prakash, who had won from the constituency in the 2015 elections as an AAP candidate. He had resigned from assembly membership and joined the BJP in March this year. The AAP has fielded Ram Chandra, while Congress has put its bet on former three-time MLA from Bawana, Surendra Kumar.

All three major parties are eyeing a victory in the bypoll which is being seen as the barometer of their political influence.