A day ahead of the Assembly polls here, news emerged of an election observer being beaten up in West Delhi on Tuesday after he attempted to videograph a booze party, allegedly thrown by BJP candidate Manoj Shaukeen.
And word spread that a large quantity of alcohol was seized from the commercial premises of a candidate. AAP workers vigorously raised on social media the issue of free booze distribution and also complained to Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Dev about it. The party workers also used spy cameras to record and report such instances from across the city state.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that over one lakh quarter-litre bottles, 7,568 one-litre bottles and 2,651 half-litre bottles of alcohol and 1,642 litres of country liquor had been seized.
There were rumours about politicians giving people “chits” with special codes and directing them to certain addresses, where they could go and collect liquor.
Meanwhile, Vijay hoped the voter turnout would be unprecedented this time, thanks to the poll body’s huge awareness campaign which covered road shows, concerts, print ads, hoardings and radio jingles.
Vijay said over 32,801 police personnel, 11,800 home guards, and 107 companies of paramilitary forces would be deployed to ensure free and fair polls. A total of 42,972 polling party civil staffers would also be pressed into work.
According to him, 1,632 weapons and Rs. 1.31 crore in cash had been seized thus far in the raids carried out by the flying squads.