Delhi records 8.10% voter turnout till 9am

With a large urban population, Delhi is known to usually record low voter turnout; it was 62.55% during the last assembly elections in 2020.

Delhi recorded 8.10% of polling in the first two hours till 9am as voters cast their ballots early on to avoid the late rush. Mustafabad assembly seat recorded the highest polling at 12.43%, while the lowest was 4.5% in Chandni Chowk.

People show their inked fingers after casting their votes at a polling booth in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

Nazmeen, 18, a resident of Kardampuri in northeast Delhi, is a first-time voter. She said she has voted for people who have brought change to the city. “Education is something that’s integral to us and we want the next government to work better towards the education sector. As a first-time voter, I was very excited to vote. I feel I have exercised my right for the first time in my life so far,” she said.

Anil Kumar is a 24-year-old with intellectual disability and goes to a special school in Madhuban Chowk. His parents helped him cast his vote, though he knew how to press the voting button.

“He recognises Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi after seeing their photos. He doesn’t know what elections and politics are, but he was excited to cast his vote since Tuesday, when a voting slip having his name and photo was delivered to our house in Rohini Sector 7,” his father said.

Several political leaders and personalities too cast their votes early in the morning.

Union minister Hardeep Puri, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Delhi BJP MPs Bansuri Swara and Harsh Malhotra and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva were some of the early voters. Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi also voted in Delhi.

Meanwhile, chief minister Atishi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia cast their votes early. Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party candidates Alka Lamba and Sandeep Dikshit too cast their ballots.

With a large urban population, Delhi is known to usually record low voter turnout; it was 62.55% during the last assembly elections in 2020. To ensure more and more people come forward and exercise their voting rights, apart from awareness drives, the Election Commission has also increased the number of polling centres, with new booths set up in high-rise societies.