External affairs minister S Jaishankar, former chief minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar and Delhi cabinet minister Atishi are among the prominent leaders who cast their votes in the sixth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Saturday, May 25. S Jaishankar and his family were the first to cast their votes at a polling booth in Delhi.
The EAM expressed his confidence that the voters of Delhi would once again support the Narendra Modi government.
"We want people to come out and cast their votes as this is a decisive moment for the country. I'm confident that the BJP will come back to power in the polls," S Jaishankar said after casting his vote.
As the sixth and penultimate phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections got underway at 7am, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise. Follow Live Updates on Lok Sabha Election 2024
{{/usCountry}}As the sixth and penultimate phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections got underway at 7am, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise. Follow Live Updates on Lok Sabha Election 2024
{{/usCountry}}In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said "I urge all those who are voting in the 6th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to vote in large numbers. Every vote counts, make yours count too! Democracy thrives when its people are engaged and active in the electoral process. I especially urge women voters and youth voters to vote in large numbers."
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Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 6: Prominent early voters
- S Jaishankar (Union minister)
- Bansuri Swaraj (BJP)
- Manohar Lal Khattar (BJP)
- Atishi (Delhi minister)
- Gautam Gambhir (BJP)
- Ravinder Raina (BJP)
- Hardeep Singh Puri (Union minister)
- VK Pandian (BJD)
- Dushyant Chautala (JJP)
- Sanjay Arora (Delhi Police commissioner)
Bansuri Swaraj urged the voters to participate in the democratic process.
"It is the mega festival of democracy today. I want to appeal to the people to come out and cast their votes," Bansuri Swaraj said. Earlier she offered prayers at Jhandewalan temple before casting her vote.
"I have come here to take blessings from Jhandewali Mata and then I will also cast my vote," she said.
Bansuri Swaraj, the daughter of the late Union minister Sushma Swaraj, is running against AAP's MLA Somnath Bharti from New Delhi.
Delhi is undergoing voting in a single phase on all seven Lok Sabha seats with a fierce contest between the BJP and the INDIA bloc, comprising the AAP and Congress.
The seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi are Chandni Chowk, East Delhi, New Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, South Delhi, and West Delhi.
Manohar Lal Khattar, who is in the electoral fray from Haryana's Karnal seat against Congress candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja, said, "I have cast my vote. I appeal to the people to participate in this festival of democracy and also appeal to vote for the BJP party. The Congress candidate is not a challenge for me..."
"I will visit all the 9 assembly segments at the end of the day," he added.
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda also appealed to people to exercise their right to vote and vote in large numbers.
BJP East Delhi MP and former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir said, "All I want to say is that everyone should come out and vote in large numbers. This is our power, this is our democracy. The government has worked for development in the last 10 years..."
After casting her vote, Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi said, “I have just come after casting my vote. I appeal to all the people of Delhi to come and cast their votes...”