Headlines
High-decibel campaigning for Delhi polls ends
New Delhi, Feb 5
The high-decibel campaigning
for the Feb 7 Delhi assembly polls came to an end Thursday with the
three main contenders - the BJP, the Congress and the AAP - holding
roadshows, rallies and public meetings in a final attempt to woo voters.
According to the Election Commission guidelines, the deadline for campaigning in the national capital was 6 p.m.
For
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the campaigning was led by party
president Amit Shah, who held a rally in Madanpur Khadar area of south
Delhi, and chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, who took out a
roadshow covering Mangolpuri, Sultanpuri, Kirari, Nangloi and Mundka
areas in north and west Delhi.
Bedi ended her campaigning in her
constituency of Krishna Nagar in east Delhi and was joined by union
minister and local heavyweight Harsh Vardhan and East Delhi Lok Sabha
member Maheish Girri.
Bedi interacted with the residents and assured them strong governance under her watch.
Aam
Aadmi Party's (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal took out a foot march in his
constituency of New Delhi and visited a number of households in an
attempt to understand the problems of the residents and assured them of
speedy solutions if his party was voted to power.
Though the
election in Delhi is being seen as a straight fight between the AAP and
the BJP, the Congress too registered its presence with party vice
president Rahul Gandhi, who joined the campaigning in its final phase,
taking out a road show in north Delhi's Sultanpur Majra.
Congress campaign chief Ajay Maken has so far been the leader, but in its last phase, Rahul Gandhi too addressed many rallies.
Addressing
a rally, Amit Shah said the Delhi election was a fight between two
ideologies - one that makes and keeps its promises, referring to the
BJP, and the other of lying and making false promises, hinting towards
the AAP.
"The Delhi polls are a fight between two ideologies -
those who do what they say and the others who make promises but never
fulfill them," Shah said adding that the AAP had a habit of lying and
deceiving people.
Bedi said she was "confident" that her party will win the polls.
Joined by hundreds of supporters, Kejriwal too interacted with voters of his constituency and said he was confident of winning.
"The BJP has all the administrative apparatus but we have truth and god on our side," Kejriwal said.
He
said people had seen his party's work in the 49 days when he was chief
minister and, therefore, the voters want the same honest government for
five years now.
Pre-poll surveys have also suggested a close contest between the BJP and the AAP -- with the latter having an edge.