Delhi polls on Feb 8, results on Feb 11; Vote AAP only if good work done by us: Kejriwal tells voters

Assembly elections in Delhi will be held on February 8 in what promises to be a high stake triangular contest with the AAP hoping to retain power on the plank of development and the BJP and the Congress determined to put up a spirited challenge.

Announcing the 1-day poll for the 70-member Assembly, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora told a news conference on Monday that counting of votes will be taken up on February 11.

Shortly after the poll schedule was announced, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the people of Delhi to "vote for us (AAP) only if you think we have done good work in the last five years".

The poll announcement comes days after parts of the city witnessed incidents of violence and protests against the amended citizenship law and moves to have a countrywide National Register of Citizens(NRC) and also against the backdrop of the violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU).

The notification for the polls will be issued on January 14 while the last date of withdrawal of candidates will be January 24,Arora said. With the issuance of the notification, the nomination process will commence.

In the 2015 polls, Kejriwal led the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to an unprecedented victory with his fledgling party bagging 67 seats, leaving just three seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress drew a blank.

Kejriwal said the AAP would seek votes on the work done by its government in the last five years.

"If I have done work, then vote for me. If I have not done work, then don't vote for me," the AAP chief told reporters.

He urged supporters of the BJP and the Congress to vote for Delhi and not for "your political party".

"We will ask for votes from BJP supporters and Congress supporters too. We will go door-to-door and urge supporters from Congress and BJP to vote for us also," he said.

Kejriwal said the AAP will run a "positive campaign" and not abuse anyone.

"All Amit Shah ji (Home Minister) did in his speech recently was abuse me. I will not indulge in anything like that. We will not abuse anyone."
Responding to a question on the law and order situation in the national capital, the Chief Election Commissioner said, "I won't say we (the Commission) are very sanguine, but we are hopeful that they (police) will be able to control the situation (and make it) conducive for polls."