New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were among the early voters as polling began for 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi at 7 am on Wednesday.
The President exercised her franchise at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya, President’s Estate. Jaishankar, and his wife Kyoko Jaishankar, cast their vote at a polling booth in Delhi’s NDMC School of Science and Humanities, Tughlaq Crescent. “I have been an early voter…I think the public is in a mood for change,” he said.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, along with his wife Lakshmi Puri, cast their vote at Mount Carmel School in Anand Niketan. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora and Chief Electoral Officer R Alice Vaz also exercised their franchise.
Lt Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena and his wife cast their vote at the polling booth set up at St. Xavier’s School, Raj Niwas Marg, for the high-octane Delhi Assembly elections with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) eyeing for a third consecutive term, banking on its governance record and welfare schemes and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress looking to regain political ground in the capital.
“I am confident that the people of Delhi will vote in large numbers and choose their government. It is also important because it decides what you want in your city, state. There are many things in Delhi that are on people’s radar. Pollution is a big issue, garbage mountains are a big issue, cleaning of Yamuna is a big issue. There are many issues that I think the public will have to keep in mind. I am sure people are voting keeping all these issues in mind,” Saxena told reporters.
Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, also exercised his right to vote at a polling booth in Nirman Bhawan.
Several candidates, including AAP’ Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and Saurabh Bharadwaj, BJP’s Kapil Mishra and Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit and Alka Lamba, contesting the elections voted in the morning.
After casting his vote, Congress leader Ajay Maken told reporters that the last 10 years had seen no development in Delhi. “I have voted, and I appeal all voters to come out in large numbers and vote. Brisk voting is underway. People of Delhi are recalling Congress days. There has only been blame game in the last 10 years in Delhi, no development has taken place,” he said.
According to ECI data, Delhi had recorded an 8.10 per cent voter turnout as of 9 am.
The voter turnout is expected to play a decisive role in this single-phase polls. There are around 1.56 crore eligible voters, who will seal the fate of 699 candidates.
In the 2020 assembly polls, Delhi had recorded a voter turnout of 62.59% while only 56% of voters participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Polling at 13,766 polling stations set up at 2,696 polling locations is scheduled to continue until 6 pm. The results will be announced on February 8.
