04/12/2013
Delhi polls: Big test for Sheila Diksh*t, Harsh Vardhan and Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi: Millions are voting in the capital today to choose between three-time chief minister Sheila Diksh*t and her main challengers - BJP's Harsh Vardhan and anti-corruption campaigner Arvind Kejriwal, a political debutant seen to be a spoiler in the battle for Delhi.
Nearly 12 million or 1.2 crore residents of the capital are eligible to vote for their representatives to the 70-member Delhi Assembly.
Experts will use the results to extrapolate the possible outcome of the national elections, due by May.
Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is hoping to dent the fortunes of the two political behemoths with its promise of a corruption-free government. The former tax official and Aam Aadmi Party have threatened a staggering shake-up.
Mr Kejriwal has campaigned against endemic and systemic corruption, The AAP hopes to capitalize on the disillusionment with the two major political parties by offering what it claims will be an honest administration which takes the pressing problems of the city as its priority.
Some pollsters say the Aam Aadmi Party will land an impressive six to eight seats; others predict an extraordinary 30 or more. "He has attracted a range of different voters, many of whom are disillusioned with traditional politics," said Sanjay Kumar, an analyst at the Center for the Study of Developing Societies. "He has made tall claims of clean, corruption-free government which appeals to the ideals of young, educated people," he told news agency AFP.
Mr Kejriwal's nine-month old party constitutes and is flanked by an army of volunteers who in recent weeks have trudged through the alleys of the city's poorest neighborhoods to tap the deep vein of dissatisfaction that has gripped Delhi residents, particularly over corruption and the soaring cost of living.
While campaigning, Mr Kejriwal has dramatically brandished his party's election symbol, the broom while vowing to "sweep out the rubbish that has accumulated over the decades."
At 76, Sheila Diksh*t, the chief minister of Delhi, and her Congress party are seeking a fourth consecutive term in power. Mrs Diksh*t's main rival, the BJP's Harsh Vardhan, is a 58-year-old surgeon. He has also served in the past as the capital's Health Minister.
Mr Kejriwal hopes to take advantage of the rivalry between the main parties. But despite his fighting words, it remains to be seen whether his upstart party can make any real gains.On Monday, when the election campaign officially ended, both Congress and BJP warned voters against supporting the upstarts who could eat into their vote base. "Voting for the Aam Aadmi Party is a waste of your vote," warned BJP senior leader Sushma Swaraj. (Read: Sushma Swaraj on voting for AAP)
Mr Kejriwal, however, remained confident that the people of Delhi were ready to shun the mainstream parties."This is not Kejriwal's fight. This is a war being fought by the people of Delhi," he said. "And they will have the final word."
