Rajouri Garden bypoll: 47 per cent votes cast amid machine glitches

Not many people could be seen outside polling booths in the area, where voting was underway. Those who did turn up said local civic issues as well as broader issues like development and price rise were factors that determined their choice of candidate.

Huge hoardings of the BJP-SAD candidate Manjinder Singh Sirsa and AAP candidate Harjeet Singh could be seen in many places across the constituency. Stickers and posters of these candidates, along with those of Congress candidate Meenakshi Chandela, were also found stuck on walls. In several areas, party workers managing their respective booths — especially those of the BJP — far outnumbered the number of people coming to vote.

Many booths, including number 153 (Sheila’s Kids Zone), where Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken cast his vote, remained more or less empty till lunchtime, with only a small group of voters trickling in every now and then. Even at the Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Rajouri Garden’s block I — a model polling station decorated with garlands and Tricolour balloons — not many people could be seen coming to vote.

In some polling booths, where voter turnout seemed to be comparatively better, technical glitches in the EVM machines as well voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines disrupted voting for some time. At the Government Senior Secondary School in Khyala, for example, voting had to be stopped for sometime in polling station number 40, around 3 pm after the VVPAT machine stopped working. Half a dozen policemen deputed at the spot sprung into action asking all those who lived close by to return after an hour.

Surjit Kaur, an 80-year-old voter, took an e-rickshaw from her home to the polling booth. Even as she struggled to walk, even with a cane, and had to be wheeled out later, she said she came to vote because “it was important to her”. “I want someone who addresses our issues; someone who enables me to get my pension, cleans the garbage strewn around everywhere and brings in development. We had a lot of hope from our MLA but he hasn’t done anything,” she said.

Like her, Kulwant Kaur (78), who stays alone in Raghubir Nagar, also ventured out to vote with a cane for support. “I don’t have many years left, but at least I can do for good others by voting for someone reliable,” she said.

Hira Devi, a widow from Khyala, simply pointed to a massive garbage dump behind Kendriya Vidyalaya at Tagore Garden, when asked what should be the first priority of the MLA. Disbursement of widow pension and curbing price rise, were the other factors based on which she voted. For Harminder Singh, an auto driver from Raghubir Nagar, it was the house tax waiver, which seemed to be the deciding factor.

However, several also declared there apathy towards the candidates in the fray. “I have only voted out of compulsion, because my father insisted. I didn’t want to vote for any party this time. Earlier, I’ve voted for BJP but I was not in support of the way their demonetisation move; it was not planned properly,” said Sonia Suri, a resident of Rajouri Garden.