External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, accompanied by his wife Kyoko Jaishankar, exercised his franchise at the NDMC School of Science and Humanities polling booth in Tughlaq Crescent during the ongoing Delhi Assembly elections.
Following his vote, Jaishankar remarked, “I have been an early voter… I think the public is in a mood for change.” His observation has added a significant layer of political speculation in a tightly contested election.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, alongside his wife Lakshmi Puri, cast his vote at Mount Carmel School in Anand Niketan. After casting his ballot, Puri urged Delhi residents to ‘restore’ the city, which he claimed had been ‘devastated by AAP-da (AAP) over the last so many years.’
Also read: Delhi Police file FIR against AAP leader Amanatullah Khan
Polling commenced at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m. under stringent security arrangements. Hotly contested constituencies include New Delhi, Jangpura, Kalkaji, Okhla, Mustafabad, Bijwasan, Kasturba Nagar, Greater Kailash, and Patparganj.
The high-stakes battle sees the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seeking a third consecutive term based on its developmental agenda, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are both striving to reclaim political ground.
The New Delhi constituency features a fierce three-way contest between former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), BJP’s Parvesh Verma, and Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit. In Jangpura, key contenders include AAP’s Manish Sisodia, Congress’s Farhad Suri, and BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah.
A total of 699 candidates are in the fray for the 70 assembly seats across the national capital. According to the Election Commission, Delhi has 1,561,400 registered voters, including 837,617 men, 723,656 women, and 1,267 third-gender voters.
The electorate also features 239,905 first-time voters aged 18 to 19, 109,368 elderly voters aged 85 and above, and 79,885 persons with disabilities.
The Delhi Assembly elections, which have seen high-decibel campaigning from all major political parties, are being viewed as a litmus test for the ruling AAP as well as for the BJP, which seeks to make inroads in the capital.
Counting of votes is scheduled for 8 February, and political analysts expect a closely watched result that could redefine political dynamics in the city.
Also read: Delhi Police file FIR against AAP leader Amanatullah Khan
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