Daily Newsletter | Tuesday, February 10, 2015 | | |  |
| All eyes on AAP as counting begins in Delhi | | NEW DELHI: Counting of votes for the high-profile Delhi assembly polls in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are locked in a direct fight began at 8am on Tuesday.Five out of seven exit polls have predicted that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP may return to power once again in the national capital, with the second place for the BJP. The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years, has been placed at a distant third.A voter turnout of 67.08 percent was recorded in the polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly. A total of 673 candidates are in the fray this time.The maximum candidates to participate in the democratic process were recorded from the Burari constituency with 18 contenders fighting it out. The Ambedkar Nagar constituency had the lowest number of candidates at four.Of the candidates, 296 belong to recognised national and state parties, with a further 183 contenders belonging to registered parties. The remaining 194 candidates are standing as independents.Less than 10 percent of the candidates - only 63 - are women. Barring one constituency, results for the rest of the 69 seats are likely to be declared by 1.30pm. This time, 673 candidates contested the polls and a record 89 lakh voters out of 1.33 crore have exercised their franchise. A record 11 lakh more people have cast their votes in this election compared to the December 2013 polls.Results for the Matiala constituency, which has about 300 polling stations, are likely to be announced by 4pm. This election registered a record turnout of 67.13% and the results will decide the fate of the main three political parties—BJP, AAP and Congress—though exit polls have given AAP a decisive edge.The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for the counting day. Counting will take place at 14 centres across districts and there will be half-hourly updates on the CEO, Delhi's website.The entire process of counting will be video graphed. The electronic voting machines are being heavily guarded at the counting centres.A three-tier security will be in place at all the 14 counting centres.For BJP, the results will determine the efficacy of the "Modi wave". The poll outcome will also judge whether the party's last-minute decision to field former IPS officer Kiran Bedi as the CM candidate was a game-changer or not.In the case of AAP, the verdict will prove whether the party was able to woo the middle-class and slum dwellers equally or not. For Congress, the results will decide whether it stands any chance of survival on the city's political landscape. |
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| | Excise inspector shot at in Ghaziabad | | An inspector with the Uttar Pradesh excise department was shot in the leg on Sunday night. The excise department and police came up with two different versions as to how and where inspector Varun Kumar was shot at. |
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| Forced to pay 'sand tax', man goes on fast | | Accusing the Akali workers of extracting money for transporting sand on his tractor a Muktsar resident started hunger strike at the deputy commissioner's office on Monday. |
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| | Xiaomi Mi 4 review | | Is the Xiaomi Mi 4 a well rounded, value-for-money smartphone? We try to find out. |
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| Microsoft: Satya Nadella's first year as CEO | | ith one year under his belt, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella has made strides in changing the focus of the technology giant that some feared was turning into a dinosaur. |
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| Samsung Galaxy S6: 10 things to know | | Samsung's next flagship phone Galaxy S6 and its curved variant are expected to be unveiled next month on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress, Barcelona. |
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| | | Fear of AAP win drags sensex down by 491 points | | A combination of domestic concerns and international developments pulled the markets down on Monday with the sensex closing nearly 500 points lower, its seventh consecutive session of loses. |
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| Ratan Tata turns adviser to VC fund | | After making personal investments in consumer tech startups, Ratan Tata is donning a new role that of an advisor to early-stage venture capital fund Kalaari Capital. |
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