New Delhi [India], February 5 : Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and his wife Sunita Dwivedi were among the early voters in the Delhi Assembly poll which commenced at 7.00 am Wednesday and will continue till 6.00 pm in the day. They cast their vote at a polling booth at K. Kamraj Lane in the New Delhi Assembly constituency.
They were also gifted saplings for being amongst the early voters. Dwivedi appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise.
"First of all, I want to congratulate that it is a matter of great pride for the whole country that what we are seeing today is that in a democracy everyone can exercise their right to vote. It is not just the right to vote but it is also the responsibility of every common citizen to take part in the democratic process and decide the future of India themselves," he told ANI.
Deputy National Security Adviser Pankaj Kumar Singh also cast his vote early on the polling day.
"We came pretty early to fulfil our responsibility as voters... The facilities are very good... I appeal to the voters to vote without any biases and vote for the party which they think would look after them," he told ANI after casting his vote at a polling booth in Moti Bagh.
After casting her vote, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer R Alice Vaz appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise, "Dear Delhites, please come out and cast your votes to exercise your democratic rights."
Polling for 70 assembly seats began on Wednesday morning in Delhi, as voters cast their ballots for the 8th Assembly amid tight security.
Voting commenced at 7.00 am and will continue till 6.00 pm, officials said.
Delhi has 1,56,14,000 registered voters, including 83,76,173 males, 72,36,560 females, and 1,267 third-gender voters. The electorate also includes 2,39,905 first-time voters aged 18-19, 1,09,368 elderly voters aged 85 and above, and 79,885 persons with disabilities.
Around 97,955 personnel and 8,715 volunteers have been deployed for the elections. Security measures include 220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), 19,000 Home Guards, and 35,626 Delhi Police personnel, ensuring peaceful polling.
To promote inclusivity, 70 polling stations will be exclusively managed by women staff, and another 70 will be run entirely by persons with disabilities. Additionally, 70 polling stations have been set up to encourage youth participation.
Voters can use an AI-based Queue Management System app "Delhi Election - 2025 QMS", available on the Google Play Store, to monitor real-time crowd levels at polling stations. Medical teams will be on-site for emergencies, and a creche facility will be available for parents with young children.
Additionally, colour-coded polling stations and a helpline number (1950) will assist voters in locating their designated booth and addressing election-related queries.
The ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) is eyeing a third term while the Bharatiya Janata Party is leaving no stone unturned to wrest back power.