Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters of Delhi that they must cast their valuable votes in the assembly elections on Wednesday and said do keep this in mind "Pahle matdaan, phir jalpaan" (First vote, have meal later).
In a social media post, he especially greeted the first time young voters. Modi urged voters to participate in the festival of democracy with enthusiasm. He had spearheaded the BJP's intense campaign to against the Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi since 2015.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union ministers S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, were among the early voters as polling began for the Delhi Assembly elections.
President Murmu reached a polling booth inside the President's Estate and cast her vote around nine am. "President Droupadi Murmu voted in the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections 2025. The President cast her vote at the polling station in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya inside Rashtrapati Bhavan complex," her office said in a social media post.
Vice-President described voting as the oxygen for democracy and said exercising of franchise was the biggest right given to the people. Dhankhar and his spouse Sudesh cast their votes here for elections to the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
Later, he told reporters that voting was the oxygen of democracy. "The basis of democracy is voting, and voting is the mother of all rights. There is no right above this," he said. Democracy holds meaning only when every person casts their vote judiciously and freely, he added. "India is an example for the world. (It is) the oldest democracy, the largest democracy, the strongest democracy, the most vibrant democracy, where change in power or stability in governance is evident only through voting," Dhankhar said.
The vice-president reminded that when the country became independent, every adult person, male or female, was given the right vote, whereas this was not the case in many big democratic systems of the world that got independence before India.
He also lauded the arrangements made by the Election Commission for smooth conduct of the democratic exercise. "The technology that we have adopted, the speed with which the result of your voting is declared publicly, the world is appreciating it," he said. Other prominent leaders who came out to cast their vote were Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, and Delhi Chief Electoral Officer R Alice Vaz.
AAP's Greater Kailash candidate Saurabh Bharadwaj, BJP's Karawal Nagar candidate Kapil Mishra, Congress' New Delhi candidate Sandeep Dikshit, and Kalkaji candidate Alka Lamba also exercised their franchise soon after voting began at 7 am.
Saxena said after casting his vote, "It is a festival of democracy. I appeal to all Delhiites to participate in this festival. Today is a day of duty, not a holiday." Jaishankar said, "I have always been an early voter, a Delhi voter. The people are in a mood of change." Delhi Chief Minister and AAP's candidate from Kalkaji, Atishi, offered prayers at the Kalkaji temple ahead of casting her vote.
"This election is a battle between good and evil. This is a battle between work and hooliganism," she said. “I have cast my vote for better Delhi and for better life of people.
I appeal to voters to vote for better education, better health, and other facilities,” AAP candidate from Jangpura constituency Manish Sisodia said.
There are around 1.56 crore eligible voters in the capital, which is witnessing a triangular contest between the ruling AAP, BJP, and Congress. While the AAP is eyeing a third consecutive term, the BJP and Congress are hoping for resurgence in Delhi.
In a swipe at the AAP, Rahul Gandhi urged people of Delhi to remember while voting who committed the biggest scam in Delhi by talking about practising clean politics.
The former Congress president said people's vote for his party will protect their rights, strengthen the Constitution and put Delhi back on the path of progress. He cast his ballot in the morning in the New Delhi constituency at the Nirman Bhawan polling centre. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha issued an appeal to voters on social media. "My dear brothers and sisters of Delhi. I appeal to all of you to go and vote today. Your every vote for the Congress will protect your rights, strengthen the Constitution and put Delhi back on the path of progress," he said in his post in Hindi.
"While voting, 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?" the former Congress chief said.
After casting her vote in the New Delhi constituency, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in a post in Hindi,
"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. Use your right after thinking well and definitely cast your vote."
The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years until 2013, is striving to stage a comeback after failing to win a single seat in the last two elections.
AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by his family members that included his elderly parents, cast his vote and appealed to the people of Delhi to exercise their franchise for "good schools, hospitals and development of the city".
Kejriwal, who is contesting from the New Delhi seat for the fourth time in a row, is pitted against BJP's Parvesh Verma and Congress's Sandeep Dikshit, in a keen contest.
"My parents have health issues but they were very excited about voting since morning," the former chief minister told reporters.
His wife Sunita Kejriwal and son Pulkit Kejriwal also accompanied him to their polling station. Kejriwal said hopefully people will vote for "those who work".
Sunita Kejriwal said people are "very intelligent" and will make the right choice.
"They won't tolerate hooliganism," she said. The Aam Aadmi Party accused the BJP during campaigning of resorting to "hooliganism" to win the elections.