Delhi turnout a ‘satisfactory’ 62.59%, announces EC

New Delhi: After a row over the delay in announcing total voter turnout for Delhi Assembly elections on Saturday, Chief Election Officer Ranbir Singh on Sunday evening blamed the delay on collation of data.

Singh informed media that the final voter turnout was 62.59 per cent, which he termed “satisfactory”.

He said that the Delhi Cantt seat witnessed the lowest turnout with only 45.4 per cent voters exercising their right to vote, while Ballimaran in old Delhi witnessed the highest, at 71.66 per cent of voters. Okhla Assembly constituency, which houses the anti-CAA hot spot of Shaheen Bagh, saw only 58.84 per cent turnout.

Allaying the apprehensions of the Aam Aadmi Party over alleged transportation of EVMs in DTC buses, Singh said the EVMs in question were “reserve” one and a meeting took place at 2p.m. on Sunday in the presence of all representatives of all political parties, following which all expressed satisfaction.

Explaining about the delay bring out data, an election officer said: “The data was being compiled at polling station level from scratch and it takes time.”

The comments come after Aam Aadmi Party questioned the delay in bringing out final voting percentage even hours after polling ended in Delhi.

“Moreover this huge exercise was in continuation of sealing of strong rooms which went on till 3 a.m. The conclusive data which is reports from all 13,000 polling station and as I said starts from scratch, takes time but in case, it was not ready,” the official added.

IANS