New Delhi: Delhi saw a voter turnout of 19.95% in the first four hours of polling, with Mustafabad constituency leading at 27% in the first two hours, while Karol Bagh recorded the lowest at 11%. A total of 15.6 million eligible voters, including 7.2 million women and 1,267 third-gender voters, are expected to cast their votes today.
Soumya Kumari, an 18-year-old first-time voter from Vijay Vihar, shared her concerns about cleanliness and women’s safety as key issues. “I was a little scared about how to vote. My voter ID card came via courier three months ago, and everything about how to vote was mentioned there,” she said, emphasizing the need for action on garbage removal and improved safety for women.
Historically, Delhi has experienced lower voter turnouts. The 2020 assembly elections recorded a turnout of 62.55%. In a bid to increase participation, polling day was declared a holiday in neighboring National Capital Region cities, and measures like increasing polling centers and setting up booths in high-rise societies were implemented.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who voted in New Moti Bagh, commended the efforts of election officials and security forces for smooth poll preparations. “I would like to thank all polling officials, security forces, MCD, and NDMC. Over 12,000-13,000 rallies were done peacefully in Delhi in the past month,” he added.
