LIVE! AAP winning Delhi polls by 'huge margin': Dy CM

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Sat, 08 February 2020

AAP winning Delhi polls by 'huge margin': Dy CM

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21:50 AAP winning Delhi polls by 'huge margin': Dy CM

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said the party is winning the Delhi assembly elections by a huge margin after exit polls forecast a comfortable victory for the ruling party.

Taking to Twitter after the voting ended, Sisodia congratulated all the AAP workers for their hard work, saying the election is a "proof" of "our strong and selfless relationship".

"Voting ended! Hearty congratulations to all the activists. All worked from early morning to late night and some worked for 24 hours in the last days.

"This election is a proof of how selfless and strong our relationship is. We are winning by a huge margin," Sisodia tweeted in Hindi, saluting the hard work of all his colleagues.

Exit polls for the Delhi assembly election on Saturday forecast a comfortable victory for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. -- PTI

Two people were killed and 11 injured in a firecracker explosion during a religious procession in Punjab's Tarn Taran district on Saturday, police said.

During the 'nagar kirtan' (religious procession) near Pahu village in Tarn Taran, crackers were being burst by people.

The explosion took place when sparks from the crackers landed on a tractor-trolley where the fireworks were stacked, they said.

"Two people were killed and 11 injured in the explosion," Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police Dhruv Dahiya said. -- PTI

Image: Police personnel investigate at the site of an explosion which occurred during a 'Nagar Kirtan' religious procession near Pahu village in Tarn Taran district. Photograph: PTI Photo

Even as all the exit polls predict Aam Aadmi Party's victory in the Delhi assembly polls, Bharatiya Janata Party's state unit chief Manoj Tiwari said that his party will win the elections with over 48 seats.

"Certain exit polls are showing that the BJP will win 26 seats, but let me tell you that all these exit polls will fail on 11 Feb. BJP will be forming govt in Delhi with over 48 seats," Tiwari said.

20:17 Moderate earthquake jolts Assam, north Bengal

A magnitude-5 earthquake struck Assam and its neighbouring areas on Saturday evening, but there was no immediate report of any casualty or damage to property, police said.

The epicentre of the quake was 16 km east of Abhayapuri in Bongaigaon district, the United States Geological Survey said.

The quake also jolted a few districts of north Bengal, including Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar and Alipurduar, sources said. The tremors were felt around 6 pm. -- PTI

20:12 Amit Shah calls meeting of Delhi MPs

Union home minister Amit Shah has called a meeting of all the member of Parliaments of Delhi tonight at 8:30 pm as exit polls predicted a victory for Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi assembly election.

The meeting will also be attended by BJP's Delhi poll in-charge Prakash Javdekar and co-in charge Hardeep Puri and Nityanand Rai.

All exit polls predicted that AAP will win Delhi with around 52 seats.

The BJP, which got three seats in 2015, is likely to get around 15.

19:48 17 killed in mass shooting in Thailand

17 people killed in the mass shooting in the northeastern city of Korat, Thailand according to health authorities, news agency ANI reported.

19:02

One more exit poll predicts AAP's return in Delhi.

ABP-CVoter

AAP: 49-63 | BJP: 5-19 | Congress: 0-4

18:47 AAP set to retain Delhi, predict exit polls

Most exit polls on Saturday forecast third term for Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, with some of them projecting that the Aam Aadmi Party will get more than 40 seats

Here are the numbers.

NewsX-Polstrat

AAP: 53-57 | BJP+: 11-17 | Congress+: 0-2

Times Now-Ipsos

AAP: 44 | BJP+: 26 | Congress+: 0

Sudarshan News

AAP: 40-45 | BJP+: 24-28 | Congress+: 2-3

India TV

AAP: 44 | BJP+: 26 | Congress+: 0

Republic TV

AAP: 48-61 | BJP+: 9-21 | Congress+: 0-1

*Disclaimer: Exit polls often get it wrong

Also read: Will opinion polls get Delhi right this time round?

18:11 Voting ends in Delhi for 70 seats

Voting has concluded in Delhi for 70 assembly seats.

The final voter turnout will be released soon by the Election Commission of India.

The result will be announced on February 11.

Image: Voters stand in queues to cast their vote during the Delhi assembly elections at a polling station in Nawada area of New Delhi. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

17:58 Delhi polls: 54% voter turnout till 5 pm

Delhi recorded a voter turnout of 54 per cent by 5 pm on Saturday, poll officials said.

There was a rise in the voting percentage after initial sluggishness, especially in morning hours.

"The polling percentage recorded till 5 pm is 54.14 per cent," a Delhi CEO official said.

Of the 11 districts, northeast Delhi recorded a turnout of 63.4 per cent, the highest, while New Delhi saw 44.29 per cent, the lowest. -- PTI

Image: Voters stand in a queue to cast their vote during the Delhi assembly elections at a polling station. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

After an organisation of warkaris (pilgrims) criticised Sharad Pawar for "promoting atheism" and urged the community members to stop inviting him to religious events, the Nationalist Congress Party chief on Saturday hit back saying that there was no need for anybody's permission to visit temples.

Rashtriya Warkari Parishad had recently issued a statement in which it had urged the community members to stop inviting today's "atheist rulers" for religious functions or for events like inaugurations or lectures.

"Honourable Sharad Pawar saheb says there is no need of 'Ramayana'. He supports those who indulge in insult of gods, saints, Hindu religion...Therefore, warkaris should remain cautious in future and always remember that they are Hindu first," the Parishad had said.

It also urged the warkari community to stop inviting those politicians to religious functions, inaugurations or to give lectures, who promote atheist thought.

Addressing a gathering in Alandi, a popular pilgrim town in Pune district, Pawar said there was no need to seek anyone's permission to visit Lord Vitthal's temple in Pandharpur and pray there.

"If you want to worship Lord Vitthal, you visit Pandharpur. If you want to worship Saint Dnyaneshwar and Saint Tukaram, then you visit Alandi and Dehu respectively. There is no need to take permission from anyone to visit these places," he said.

"Therefore, if anyone says that you don't have permission to visit these places, then I think they don't understand the thought of the warkari sampraday (sect)," he said.

"A true warkari will never take such a stand. I think we should ignore such things and follow our own choices," the former Union minister added. -- PTI

London-born Islamic State recruit Shamima Begum has lost an appeal against the United Kingdom government's revocation of her British citizenship on security grounds.

Begum, who was 15 years old when she secretly fled her home in east London in 2015 to join the terrorist group in Syria, is living in a camp run by Kurdish forces in northern Syria.

A special British immigration tribunal ruled on Friday that she was a Bangladeshi citizen by descent which meant that she had not been rendered homeless by former UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid's decision to revoke her British citizenship.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), a specialist tribunal that hears challenges to decisions to remove British citizenship on national security grounds, said Begum was in the situation she is challenging "as a result of her own choices, and of the actions of others, but not because of anything the Secretary of State [Javid] had done".

Begum's solicitor, Daniel Furner of Birnberg Peirce, said the now 20-year-old will take her case to the Court of Appeal "as a matter of exceptional urgency".

"The logic of the decision will appear baffling, accepting as it does the key underlying factual assessments of extreme danger and extreme unfairness and yet declining to provide any legal remedy," said Furner.

"As matters stand, Ms Begum's right to pursue an appeal against the Home Secretary's deprivation of her citizenship has been in effect rendered meaningless," he said.

She had been tracked down in northern Syria in February last year by 'The Times' newspaper, when she was nine months pregnant with her third child.

Javid stripped her of citizenship soon after on the grounds that she could claim Bangladeshi nationality through her parents.

His successor as the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, also backed that decision and ruled out the prospect of her return to the UK.

"We cannot have people who would do us harm allowed to enter our country and that includes this woman," said Patel, in reference to Begum, who had pleaded with the authorities to allow her to return to her family in the UK.

Under UK law, a person can legally have their citizenship revoked but they cannot be made stateless.

The UK government maintains that Begum has access to Bangladeshi dual citizenship through her parents, even though the Bangladesh government has since denied any such rights.

Begum left the UK in February 2015 and lived under ISIS rule for more than three years.

She became known as a so-called ISIS bride because she was married to Yago Riedijk, a Dutch ISIS fighter, soon after arriving in Syria.

Anyone appealing to SIAC, usually remains anonymous, but Begum waived her right to anonymity. -- PTI

Taking a swipe at those protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act-National Register of Citizens, senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary Ram Lal on Saturday said those shouting "kagaz nahin dikhayenge" would be defeated in the Delhi assembly election as he appealed to people to show documents while voting.

Talking to reporters after casting his vote at a polling booth in Nirman Bhawan, Lal asked voters to keep in mind who can make Delhi the best capital city in the world.

Hundreds of people, protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens in many areas across the country, often raise the slogan of "kagaz nahi dikhayenge" (we will not show show documents.

"My message to the voters is 'aaj apna kagaz jaroor lekar jayen. Kagaz jaroor dikhayen' (Today, take your document along with you and show your document)," Lal said.

In Delhi, there will be a government which can coordinate with the Centre, Lal, who was in the BJP till last year, said.

"Today, mentality of not showing documents will be defeated and (those ready to) show documents will win," he said.

Senior BJP leader Shyam Jaju said that voters will teach a lesson to those who allegedly funded the anti-CAA protest in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and those who supported it.

"Aam Aadmi Party's Amanatullah Khan funded Shaheen Bagh and Delhi's Deputy CM supported it...They have done nothing to lift the blockade (at Shaheen Bagh)," Jaju told reporters.

Responding to AAP supremo and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's allegation that no one in the BJP was worthy of becoming the CM, Jaju said, "We have no dearth of chief ministerial candidates. We will declare our CM face at the right time."

AAP candidate from Chandni Chowk Prahalad Sahni said that vote is being cast on the development plank, asserting that the Shaheen Bagh issue has no impact in the Delhi assembly elections.

Counting of votes will take place on February 11. -- PTI

Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel conducted flag marches in sensitive areas in northeast and east Delhi during polling on Saturday, officials said.

Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure smooth conduct of the Delhi assembly elections, they said.

"The personnel, including senior officers, conducted flag marches in sensitive areas. They also conducted patrolling on motorcycles. PCR and quick response teams have also been deployed at sensitive areas" Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern Range) Alok Kumar said.

Flag marches were conducted in Brij Puri, Kalyanpuri, Trilokpuri, Seemapuri, Khajuri Khass, Jaffrabad, Mustafabad, Krishna Nagar and Mayur Vihar in northeast Delhi, Shahdara and other east Delhi areas. -- PTI

India on Saturday hoped that the Sri Lankan government will realise the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation as the issue figured prominently in wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In their talks, the two prime ministers deliberated on the entire expanse of bilateral ties and resolved to further deepen anti-terror cooperation and boost trade and investment ties.

Rajapaksa's visit assumed significance as his tenure as Sri Lanka's president from 2005 to 2016 saw expansion of China's footprints in the Indian Ocean island nation, triggering concerns in India.

"Stability, security and prosperity in Sri Lanka is in India's interest, but also in the interest of the entire Indian Ocean Region," Modi said in his media statement.

He said India has been a "trusted partner" in Sri Lanka's development and will continue to assist the country in its journey for peace and development.

On the long-pending Tamil issue, Modi said he was confident that the Sri Lankan government will realise expectations of equality, justice, peace and respect of the Tamil people within a united Sri Lanka,

Referring to the fishermen issue, Modi said both sides have decided to adopt a humanitarian approach in dealing with it.

"We have decided to deepen cooperation to combat terrorism," Modi said.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, elder brother of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, arrived in India on Friday on a five-day visit, his first overseas tour after being appointed as prime minister of the island nation in November last year. -- PTI

Several people are feared trapped in a three-storey building that collapsed in Punjab's Mohali district on Saturday, police said.

The building, located on the Kharar-Landran road, came down when a JCB machine was digging nearby, they said.

Two persons were rescued and four-five are still feared trapped under the debris, police said.

"The commercial building collapsed after a JCB machine was digging an adjoining plot for construction of a basement," Kharar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Himanshu Jain said.

Two persons, including the JCB machine operator, trapped under the debris are in touch with the rescue workers through mobile phones, he said.

A team of the National Disaster Response Force has reached the site, Jain said, adding a rescue operation is underway.

Senior officials of the district administration and police have also reached the spot.

An ambulance has been called for providing immediate medical treatment to those trapped, he said. -- PTI

16:37 Delhi polls: 42.70% voter turnout till 4pm

Delhi recorded 42.70 per cent voter turnout till 4 pm on Saturday.

Delhi had recorded a voter turnout of 67.12 per cent in the last assembly elections held in 2015.

The polling will end at 6 pm.

Image: Voters stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station in Uttam Nagar, New Delhi. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

Pakistan is considering a proposal for allowing Indian pilgrims to enter the Kartarpur corridor without passport in order to attract more visitors to the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah informed the country's Parliament.

In November last year, Pakistan and India separately inaugurated the historic corridor on their sides of the border. The corridor provides the shortest route to Indian Sikh pilgrims to the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur area of Pakistan's Narowal district, where Guru Nanak spent last 18 years of his life.

Interior Minister Shah told the National Assembly during the Question Hour on Friday that at present, passport-free entry of Indian pilgrims to the Kartarpur corridor was not allowed in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed between Pakistan and India, the Express Tribune reported.

However, he added, a proposal for giving the entry without passport, in order to attract more visitors, was under consideration, for which detailed input might be sought from the foreign affairs ministry.

"As per the procedure, pilgrims could visit the corridor from dawn till dusk after producing Indian passport or overseas citizen of Indian-origin card along with the passport of resident country," he said.

He added that the movement of Indian visitors was regulated through a combination of physical and electronic security systems by the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) along with other law-enforcement agencies.

"Visitors are strictly kept inside the Gurdwara complex by using turnstile gates to avoid their exit toward the Pakistani side. All the activities in and around the corridor are monitored through surveillance cameras," he was quoted as saying.

Details of issuance of the national identity cards to foreigners was also presented in the House. The interior ministry said that 1,637 foreigners were issued the national identity cards during 2009-2012, while 474 were issued the cards from 2013 to 2018. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government has proved to be incompetent and helpless in managing the economy, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram alleged on Saturday.

Hitting out at the Centre, Chidambaram, who spoke on the Union Budget at a programme organised by the party here, alleged the Modi government was like a helpless doctor who failed to diagnose the illness of a patient and treat him effectively.

"Altogether, the bottomline is we have a patient who is extremely ill. Doctor has proved himself incompetent. Diagnosis of the doctor is hopelessly wrong," the former union finance minister said.

People who diagnosed the illness correctly like Dr Arvind Subramanian, former Chief Economic Adviser, were allowed to go from the government, he said.

"Not having diagnosed the illness of the patient, the doctor is helpless. The least the doctor can do is to say...I am sorry. We made mistake, will Dr Manmohan Singh come and advise us," he said. -- PTI

Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu on Saturday blasted a social media user who targeted her for casting vote in Delhi assembly elections even after shifting to Mumbai for work.

Taapsee, who is looking forward to the release of her film "Thappad", posted a picture with her family on Twitter after casting the vote and urging her fans to do the same.

One of the social media users criticised the actor for not getting her name transferred to the voting list in Mumbai, where she works as an actor.

"Why are people who live in Mumbai deciding for us, it's been quite a long time since @taapsee shifted to Mumbai. She should get her vote shifted too," the comment read.

In a lengthy reply, Taapsee said no one has the right to question her citizenship as she is "more of a Delhite than a lot of others who might just be living here but probably don't contribute".

"I am living in Delhi as much if not more than Mumbai. My income is taxed through Delhi... Kindly don't question my citizenship, worry about yours n your contribution to it.

"And also to add, you can take a girl out of Delhi but you can not take Delhi out of this girl. And you are no one to tell me what I should do and what I should not. I guess this response will be enough to tell u how much of a Delhiite I am," she tweeted.

Voting is underway for the Delhi assembly elections. -- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union minister Smriti Irani traded barbs on Twitter on Saturday after the Aam Aadmi Party leader issued a "special appeal" to woman voters and asked them to discuss with men as to who could be the right choice for votes.

Irani, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Lok Sabha MP, took a swipe at Kejriwal, asking if he does not consider women capable enough to decide for themselves who to vote for.

"Must go to vote. A special appeal to all women. As you take care of your family, there is another responsibility on your shoulder which is of the country as well as Delhi. All women must vote and also take men of their family for it. You also must discuss with men who will be the right choice (for votes)," Kejriwal tweeted minutes before the polling for electing the Delhi assembly began.

Irani retorted, "Don't you consider women so capable that they could decide themselves who to vote for?" She also used a hashtag, projecting him as anti-women.

Kejriwal soon hit back at her, saying the women of Delhi have decided who to vote for.

"And this time in Delhi, women have decided their family's choice for votes. After all they have to run their household," he added. -- PTI

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's son Raihan Rajiv Vadra, a first-time voter, on Saturday advocated for access to public transport, saying that it should be subsidised for the students, adding that he wants to see Delhi at par with top global cities of the world.

Raihan, along with his mother Priyanka and father Robert Vadra turned up at a polling booth in Lodhi Estate amid tight security.

The junior Vadra revealed that he missed the opportunity to exercise his democratic right due to his examinations.

"I missed (voting in) the last elections due to my exams. I would like to see my city developed and up there with all the best cities in the world. I think everyone should have access to public transport and it should be subsidised for students," he told reporters with his parents by his side.

Earlier, Raihan described his first-time experience to cast his vote and batted for strong participation in the democratic process.

"It was a nice feeling to take part in the democratic process for the first time. Everyone should exercise their right to vote," he told ANI.

Similarly, Priyanka Gandhi reiterated that people should vote for development.

"People should come out and vote for development. I have been saying this earlier and I reiterate the same today as well," she told reporters outside the polling booth.

Asked to make a comment after exercising his democratic right, Robert Vadra told ANI, "My best wishes to all citizens of Delhi."

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Saturday deferred its verdict against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed in two terror financing cases on his "request" and adjourned the hearing till Tuesday.

Anti-Terrorism Court Lahore judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta had last week reserved the verdict against the Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief in the two terror financing cases for Saturday.

"The ATC judge on Saturday took up the application of Hafiz Saeed requesting the court to club all terror financing cases against him and announce the verdict after the trial is completed," a court official told PTI after the hearing on Saturday.

The official said the deputy prosecutor opposed to Saeed's plea, arguing that the trial in the two cases against him has already been completed and the court may announce the verdict under the law.

The ATC, however, adjourned the hearing till February 11, issuing notices to both prosecution and defence lawyers for arguments on Saeed's plea.

Saeed was produced before the ATC in high security.

The prosecution had produced some 20 witnesses in the ATC to testify against Saeed and his close aides for their alleged involvement in terror financing.

The ATC indicted Saeed and others on December 11 in terror financing cases in day to day hearing. He has already recorded his statement before the court in two terror financing cases against him in which he pleaded "not guilty".

The cases of terror financing have been registered against him in Lahore and Gujranwala cities on the application of Counter Terrorism Department of Punjab police.

Cross examination of prosecution witnesses against Saeed and his three close aides by the defence counsel has already been concluded.

The CTD had registered 23 FIRs against Saeed and his accomplices on the charges of terror financing in different cities of Punjab province and arrested him on July 17. He is held at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.

Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

Bharatanatyam dancer Aranyani Bhargav patiently waited in a queue for her turn to vote, occasionally cradling her nine-month-old child in a baby carrier strapped to her body.

Three generations of the Bhargav family were at the polling booth at Nirman Bhavan in central Delhi on Saturday.

The Kohl-eyed, 34-year-old artistic director, accompanied by her parents Rajeev Bhargav and Tani Bhargav, said she has chosen development over the issue of nationalism.

"I voted for the development of Delhi, harmony and peace... I am against people pitching one community against another," she said.

"I believe in a peaceful, secular and inclusive India. If we stick only to our own community, it would be very difficult for someone like who is from north India to practise Bharatnatyam which is a south Indian dance form," she said.

Asked why she carried her baby along, she said, "I wanted to initiate my baby early ... into being politically aware, responsible citizen."

Bhargav had performed in the sixth month of her pregnancy.

Her mother, Tani Bhargav, said she voted "for the rights of the people of Shaheen Bagh". -- PTI

Image: Bharatanatyam dancer Aranyani Bhargav, carrying her nine-month-old child, shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote during the Delhi assembly elections at Nirman Bhawan polling station in New Delhi. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Manoj Tiwari on Saturday stoked a controversy amid polling for the Delhi assembly elections by suggesting that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal "defiled" the Hanuman temple where he visited on Friday.

Tiwari said, "Woh (Arvind Kejriwal) pooja karne gaye the ya Hanuman Ji ko ashudh karne gaye the? Ek haath se joota utaarke, ussi haath se mala lekar...kya kar diya? Jab nakli bhakt aate hain na toh yahi hota hai. Maine pandit ji ko bataya, bahut baar Hanuman Ji ko dhoye hain." (Did Arvind Kejriwal go there to offer prayers or impure the Lord Hanuman? He removed his shoes and held a garland for the deity in the same hand. This happens only when a fake devotee offers prayers. I asked the priest. He told me Lord Hanuman was repeatedly bathed).

On Friday, Kejriwal along with his wife offered prayers at the famous Hanuman Temple near Connaught Place.

Reacting to Tiwari's remark, Kejriwal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party has been mocking him ever since he recited the 'Hanuman Chalisa' on a TV channel.

Taking to Twitter after casting his vote for the Delhi assembly elections, Kejriwal sought to know what kind of politics the BJP is doing.

"Ever since I have recited the 'Hanuman Chalisa' on a TV channel, the BJP is constantly mocking me. Yesterday, I went to a Hanuman Temple.

"Today, BJP leaders are saying that the temple has turned impure by his visit. What kind of politics is this? God belongs to all. God blesses everyone, including those in the BJP," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

13:01 Cong's Alka Lamba tries to slap AAP worker

Congress's Chandni Chowk candidate Alka Lamba on Saturday got into an altercation with an AAP worker outside a polling booth, a purported video of which has gone viral.

The video shows Lamba arguing with the AAP worker. She can be then seen trying to slap the man, but misses.

Lamba alleged that the man used "very foul" and objectional language against her.

The Chandni Chowk MLA was outside one of the polling booths in her constituency.

Voting is underway for the Delhi Assembly elections. -- PTI

Delhi recorded 15.68 per cent voter turnout till 12 pm on Saturday with long queues of voters being seen outside many booths as the day progressed.

Over 1.47 crore people are eligible to exercise their franchise in the polls that will decide the fate of 672 candidates in 70 assembly constituencies which are seeing a triangular contest among the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

Poll officials said 15.68 per cent votes were cast till 12 pm.

Polling will end at 6 pm, an official said.

Image: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani and his daughter Pratibha Advani cast their vote at a polling booth on Aurangzeb lane. Photograph: ANI

12:29 Modi meets Rajapaksa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa as he arrived in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan for a ceremonial welcome.

11:48 Don't be lazy: Priyanka to Delhi voters

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has urged voters to come out and vote.

"Everyone should come out and vote. It is extremely important. Don't be lazy," Gandhi said after casting her vote.

Voting for the 70-member Delhi assembly is underway with people queuing up outside polling booths since early Saturday morning undeterred by the chilly weather.

Over 1.47 crore people are eligible to exercise their franchise in the polls that will decide the fate of 672 candidates.

Poll officials said 6.96 per cent votes were cast till 11:00 am.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said he is hopeful that the Aam Aadmi Party would form government for the third time in Delhi.

The people of Delhi will vote based on the works done by the Aam Aadmi Party government, Kejriwal said after voting along with his wife Sunita and son Pulkit at a polling booth in Civil Lines area. -- PTI

11:28 US citizen dies of coronavirus in Wuhan

An American citizen has died from the new coronavirus at the epicentre of the epidemic in China, the US embassy said Saturday, in what appears to be the first confirmed foreign death from the outbreak.

'We can confirm that a 60-year-old US citizen diagnosed with coronavirus died at a hospital in Wuhan, China, on February 6,' an embassy spokesman was quoted as saying by agencies. -- Agencies

09:56 Create 'new record': Modi to Delhi voters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged Delhi voters to turn out in large numbers to exercise their franchise and create a 'new voting record'.

Voting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly is underway.

The counting will be done on Tuesday.

'Today is the voting day for the Delhi Assembly elections. My appeal to all voters is that they participate in this festival of democracy in maximum number and create a new voting record,' he tweeted in Hindi and English.

On voting days, PM Modi often uses social media to urge people to vote in large numbers. -- PTI

09:49 'Voting for India', says Shaheen Bagh woman

"I am voting for India and its Constitution. We are citizens of India," said a woman on Saturday while waiting for her turn to vote outside a polling booth, set-up at the Shaheen Public School in the Shaheen Bagh area of South Delhi.

A large queue of voters thronged the polling booth here to exercise their franchise for the Delhi Assembly polls.

Shaheen Bagh area of Delhi had lately gained nationwide attention due to a continued sit-in by people, especially Muslim women against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens.

All five polling stations in Shaheen Bagh have been declared 'critical' by Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

Aam Aadmi Party's Amanatullah is the sitting MLA and 2020 candidate of the party, he is up against Congress's Parvez Hashmi and Bharatiya Janata Party's Brahm Singh Bidhuri. -- ANI

Fifteen students from the state who were stranded in Hubei province of China following the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus have landed at the Cochin International Airport Limited and underwent a thermal screening for the infection, airport officials said on Saturday.

The students travelled to Bangkok from Kunming Airport and then took an Air Asia flight to reach Kochi, they said.

When the flight reached Kochi at 11 pm on Friday, they were directly taken to the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital in five sterilised ambulances.

The students have been admitted to an isolation ward of the hospital, the officials said.

Relatives of the students had reached the airport but they were not allowed to meet them. -- PTI

08:57

JUST IN: Fire breaks out at high-rise apartment building at Sector 44 Nerul Seawoods in Navi Mumbai; Fire tenders present at the spot. -- ANI

08:56 Delhi L-G casts his vote

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and his wife Mala Baijal cast their vote at a polling station at Greater Kailash.

Aam Aadmi Party's sitting MLA and candidate Saurabh Bhardwaj is contesting against Bharatiya Janata Party's Shikha Rai and Congress's Sukhbir Pawar from here. -- ANI

08:43 Trump ousts 2 key impeachment witnesses

United States President Donald Trump has fired two officials who had testified before the Congressional committee during the impeachment process by the House of Representatives, three days after he was acquitted by the Senate of all charges.

The two officers are the Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a Ukraine expert on the National Security Council of the White House.

Both Vindman and Sondland were key witnesses during the impeachment hearings by the Democrats-controlled House of Representatives.

"I was advised today that the president intends to recall me effective immediately as (the) United States Ambassador to the European Union," Sondland said in a statement on Friday.

Hours before Vindman was escorted out of the White House security officials, his attorney said: "LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth."

"There is no question in the mind of any American why this man's job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House," Vindman's attorney, David Pressman, said in a statement.

"His honour, his commitment to right, frightened the powerful," Pressman added.

The White House did not comment on the dismissal of two impeachment-related officials.

The White House also fired Lt Col Yevgeny Vindman, twin brother of Vindman.

The two worked at on the National Security Council of the White House. -- PTI

08:15 Voting begins in Delhi assembly elections

Polling for 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi begins.

Over 1.4 crore voters will vote to elect 70 MLAs today.

Out of the total number of eligible voters -- 1,47,86,382, there are 81,05,236 male voters and 66,80,277 female voters.

Besides this, there are 869 third gender voters.

As many as 13,571 polling stations have been created at 2,688 locations across the city.

Out of these, 3,141 are critical polling stations and 144 are vulnerable polling stations.

This time, 2,04,830 voters are above the age of 80, while 147 voters are above the age of 100.

The oldest voter is 110-year-old Kalitara Mandal, a resident of Greater Kailash.

As many as 190 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed for the smooth conduct of the Delhi Assembly election today.

Besides this, 19,000 Home Guards and 42,000 Delhi Police personnel are deployed at polling booths across the national capital.

"We have 190 companies of CAPF, who are regularly patrolling to ensure peace and tranquillity in the city," Praveer Ranjan, Special Commissioner, Intelligence, Delhi Police, told ANI earlier.

The seven main divisions of CAPF are Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Security Guards (NSG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Also, there would be additional staff from the PCR, Traffic, and Communication in addition to the staff deployed to man the polling booths.

All five polling stations in Shaheen Bagh have been declared 'critical' by Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

It is to be noted that during the 2019 General Elections, 47 companies of CAPF were deployed.

The Delhi Assembly election has seen an escalation in CAPF deployment almost four times making it 190 companies.

A total number of 3,141 critical polling stations have been identified along with 144 vulnerable polling stations and 102 expenditure sensitive pockets.

The voting will continue till 6 pm. -- ANI

00:21 Trump slams Pelosi for tearing up his speech

United States President Donald Trump on Friday slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for tearing up a copy of his speech at the end of the State of the Union address this week, saying she broke the law as the document was official.

President Trump was on Wednesday acquitted by the ruling Republican Party-controlled Senate on the two impeachment charges - abuse of power and obstruction to Congress.

On Tuesday, Pelosi publicly tore up her copy of Trump's annual State of the Union address, signalling the worsening relationship between the House Speaker and the US President.

"Well, I thought it was a terrible thing when she ripped up the speech. First of all, it's an official document. You're not allowed, it's illegal what she did. She broke the law," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"But I haven't been asked the question other than a lot of people that viewed it, they couldn't believe that she did it. I thought it was terrible. I thought it was very disrespectful to the chamber, to the country," he said.

Pelosi has been one of Trump's fiercest critics and the top Democrat was the one who first launched formal impeachment process in the House of Representatives against the president last year. President Trump has frequently taunted the 79-year-old lawmaker as "Crazy Nancy".

"I got very high marks for the speech and I didn't know she did it until I was walking out and some of the Congressmen and women were saying, 'Can you believe what she did? But I didn't know she did," he said.

Trump also slammed the Democrats, saying they were not constructive people.

"Well, I think there's a lot of evil on that side. They've gone crazy, they've gone totally crazy. It's too bad. I've got tremendous amounts of stuff, more than anybody's gotten done in three years by far. But they're not constructive people," he said.

"I do work with Democrats, I work with everybody but that group is, you know, they say 'Trump derangement syndrome'. They've got it. They've got a bad case of it. You saw that, that was on display the other night when she ripped up the speech. That was terrible, so disrespectful to our country and actually very illegal, what she did," he said in response to a question," Trump said. -- PTI

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