VVIP Delhi: When the stars voted

President Droupadi Murmu voted from the polling station in Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex.

Several prominent political leaders and bureaucrats in Delhi came out in the early morning hours to vote and motivate others to vote in the assembly elections.

President Droupadi Murmu shows her ink-marked finger after voting in the Delhi assembly elections on Wednesday. (ANI)

First citizen of the country, President Droupadi Murmu, cast her vote at the polling station in Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex. Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar was among the first few voters, and he said that the voting process was the “oxygen of democracy” and that India’s use of technology in the polling process is “appreciated throughout the world”. Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi also voted in the city.

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena and his wife Sunita cast their vote at the Raj Niwas Lane polling centre. “I am confident that the people will vote in large numbers and choose their government. It is also important because it decides what you want in your city. There are many things in Delhi that are on the people’s radar. Pollution is a big issue, garbage mountains are a big issue, cleaning of the Yamuna is a big issue. I am sure people are voting with all these issues in mind,” he added.

Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and his wife Kalpana Das voted at a polling booth in Lions Vidya Mandir Secondary School in Teen Murti.

“Elections are crucial in a democracy. Whether it’s Delhi, national or state elections, every single election is crucial. By exercising our franchise, we demonstrate to the world and our own society that we are responsible participants in democracy,” Chandrachud said.

Chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar cast his vote in New Moti Bagh and also praised the efforts of election officials and security forces in conducting the elections.

“I would like to thank all polling officials, security forces, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Council. Everyone had been working hard and with dedication for the last two months. All returning officers and police officers are working hard. As a result, more than 12,000-13,000 rallies were done peacefully in Delhi in the past month,” he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Hardeep Puri, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Delhi MPs Bansuri Swara, Manoj Tiwari and Harsh Malhotra and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva were some of the early voters.

“Voting is our duty and chance to restore Delhi, which has been devastated by ‘AAPda’ in the past many years,” said Puri, who cast his vote along with his wife Lakshmi Puri at Mount Carmel School in Anand Niketan.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, his wife Sunita and his parents Gobind Ram and Gita Devi cast their votes at Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School.

“My parents were very excited to vote, and they have put in all their efforts to do that. The one who will work for Delhi will get the votes of the public,” Kejriwal said. Sunita Kejriwal said that the people of Delhi will not support “hooliganism”.

Chief minister Atishi and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia were also among the early voters. “This election is a religious war (dharmayuddha). This is a battle between good and evil. The people of Delhi vote for work and not hooliganism,” said Atishi.

Rahul Gandhi cast his ballot in the morning in the New Delhi constituency at the Nirman Bhawan polling centre.

“Every vote for Congress will protect your rights, strengthen the Constitution and put Delhi back on the path of progress. Remember who is responsible for polluted air, dirty water, and broken roads. Who committed the biggest scam in Delhi by talking about practising clean politics?” he said in a social media post.

Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also voted at the same polling centre.

“Today is the day to use the power given to you by the Constitution and decide your future for the next five years. Your one vote will make you and your Delhi stronger,” Priyanka said in an X post.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi cast his vote in Delhi for the first time — till now he voted in Jodhpur. “It felt good as all the procedures went smoothly and the management was good at polling booths. People are aware and they know whom to vote for development,” he said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat were also among the first few voters. “We need to keep Delhi safe from the double-engine disaster and we have voted keeping that in mind,” she said.

Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal voted in the polling booth at Modern School Barakhamba Road and said, “Every citizen should come and vote... If you live in a community, you must participate to ensure the party or the person being elected serves the community...You can’t later blame the government.”

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat on Wednesday cast their votes in the Delhi Assembly polls. “We need to keep Delhi safe from the double-engine disaster and we have voted keeping that in mind,” she said.