Voting begins for Delhi Assembly elections 2025 amid tight security

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 700 am and will continue till 600 pm officials saidDelhi has 15614000 registered voters including 8376173 males 7236560 females and 1267 thirdgender voters The electorate also includes 239905 firsttime voters aged 1819 109368 elderly voters aged 85 and above and 79885 persons with disabilitiesAround 97955 personnel and 8715 volunteers have been deployed for the elections Security measures include 220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces CAPF 19000 Home Guards and 35626 Delhi Police personnel ensuring peaceful pollingTo 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 participationVoters can use an AIbased Queue Management System app Delhi Election 2025 QMS available on the Google Play Store to monitor realtime crowd levels at polling stations Medical teams will be onsite for emergencies and a creche facility will be available for parents with young childrenAdditionally colourcoded polling stations and a helpline number 1950 will assist voters in locating their designated booth and addressing electionrelated queriesThe ruling Aam Admi Party AAP is eyeing a third term while the Bharatiya Janata Party is leaving no stone unturned to wrest back powerThe BJPs campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted Kejriwal over alleged issues with the Yamuna water and corruption Meanwhile Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held rallies accusing AAP of damaging the infrastructure of DelhiOn the eve of voting Chief Electoral Officer R Alice Vaz urged all eligible voters to participate emphasising that voting is both a right and also a fundamental civic dutyOn the day of voting February 5th I urge all voters in Delhi to come out in large numbers and cast their vote It is our foremost responsibility as citizens to participate in this democratic process she saidHowever the 48hour silent period also saw some controversy Earlier on Tuesday a BJP delegation lodged a complaint at the office of the CEO alleging that multiple workers of the AAP were causing nuisance across all constituencies in Delhi during night time and there is an apprehension that they can influence the electionA social media video of a person who is a worker of Aam Aadmi Party holding a weapon gun belonging to Mehrauli Constituency is being spread across the social media to create panic and threat in the minds of the voters alleged the letter submitted by BJPIn Haryana an FIR was registered against Arvind Kejriwal and other unidentified people under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS for statements regarding the Yamuna water and allegations against the Haryana governmentSeveral prominent Congress leaders will cast their votes including Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi at Nirwan Bhawan at 815 am Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at Atal School at 1100 am Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav at Govt Girl Senior Secondary school Samaipur at 1000 am AICC MP and Treasurer Ajay Maken at Sheela Kids School Rajouri Garden at 900 am and Pawan khera Chairman Media amp Publicity Deptt AICC at Satyawati Sood Arya Sr Sec school Nizamuddin East at 1000 amFormer MP Sandeep Dikshit will vote at Kaviraj Khajan Chand Quetta DAV School Nizamuddin East at 700 am and All India Mahila Congress President and Kalkaji assembly candidate Alka Lamba will cast her vote at Tagore Garden MCD School at 900 amUnion Minister and BJP leader Hardeep Puri and his wife Lakshmi Puri will vote at Mount Carmel School Anand Niketan Moti BaghEarlier on Tuesday AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi also met with the Election Commissioner to discuss issues regarding violence and hooliganism Kejriwal also thanked the Election Commission for making an exception by meeting him as parties were not entertained during the silent periodHotly contested constituencies include New Delhi Jangpura and Kalkaji AAP which currently holds more than 60 seats in the 70seat assembly seeks reelection based on its previous terms achievementsThe New Delhi seat sees a highprofile threeway contest with former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal AAP BJPs Parvesh Verma and Congresss Sandeep Dikshit son of former CM Sheila DikshitIn the Kalkaji constituency incumbent Chief Minister of Delhi CM Atishi is contesting against Congresss Alka Lamba and BJPs Ramesh BidhuriJangpura sees a contest between AAPs Manish Sisodia Congresss Farhad Suri and BJPs Tarvinder Singh Marwah