Hat-trick for Congress or comeback for BJP? Delhi voters to decide today

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New Delhi: Delhiites will decide todaywhether Congress will have a historic hat-rick to rule the national capital or BJP will ride back to power fulfilling its ten year thirst.

Elections will be held in 69 out of the total 70 constituencies while the polling for Rajendra Nagar seat, where BJP candidate Puran Chand Yogi allegedly committed suicide during campaigning, will take place on December 13.

Over 1.07 crore voters, including 4.28 lakh youth, will be eligible to chose their lawmakers from 863 candidates in the polls for which elaborate security has been put in place.

The stakes in this elections are high for Sheila Dikshit, chief minister for the past ten years, who faces voters on development agenda while BJP led by its chief ministerial candidate V K Malhotra is hoping to cash in on anti-incumbency and BSP’s ‘spoiler effect’ on the Congress.

Though Congress has not declared its chief ministerialcandidate, the party has given clear indication that if voted to power, Dikshit will have a “third innings”. She had a major say in ticket distribution which saw Delhi stalwarts like Union minister Ajay Maken and Sajjan Kumar MP being sidelined.

Engaged in a keen electoral tussle, both Congress and BJP are eagerly waiting to see how much ice Mayawati-led BSP can cut even as political pundits feel that the “Elephant’s March” could harm the ruling party’s fortunes in many seats.

The last week of campaigning saw parties fielding top leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, L K Advani, Narendra Modi and Mayawati to go on an offensive on each other.

While Congress harped on development it brought to the city, BJP picked holes in the ruling party’s claims asking voters to give “some rest” to the grand old party while raising the decibel levels on terrorism. BJP’s new development mascot Modi did a whirlwind tour in the city addressing about ten election meetings raising Congress’ alleged “failure” in tackling terrorism and price rise besides questioning the rationale for going for “killer” projects like Bus Rapid Transit Corridor.

Congress tried to counter the BJP offensive with RahulGandhi, who made his debut in election campaigning in Delhi, claiming that the saffron party was raising the bogey of terrorism as they have “no dreams to offer” on development.

On the other hand, BSP focused its campaign on winning over minorities and Dalits in the capital besides assuring upper caste voters that it was not against them by offering quota for poor among them.