President Kovind, key politicians exercise their franchise in Delhi polls

After a steady start, polling for Delhi assembly elections picked up the pace at about afternoon, as residents of Delhi including First Citizen of India, President Ram Nath Kovind and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh among others exercised their democratic franchise on Saturday.

Former deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, Congress Interim president Sonia Gandhi along with their family members also reached at polling booths to cast their vote.

Polling for 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi started today at 8 am today amid tight security arrangements at the polling stations.

A voter turnout of 27.48 per cent was recorded till 2 pm for Delhi Assembly polls, according to Election Commission's Voter Turnout app.

Among the high profile dignitaries who polled their votes earlier today were former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and BJP leader Ram Madhav.

Entire Gandhi family also stepped out to cast their votes including Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with her husband Robert Vadra and their son Raihan Rajiv Vadra who is a first-time voter.

Meanwhile, Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh, Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora exercised their franchise at respective polling booths.

Key politicians including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also queued up outside polling booths to cast their votes for Assembly polls in the national capital.

Jaishankar cast his vote at NDMC School of Science and Humanities Education at Tuglak Cresent whereas Kejriwal along with his wife - Sunita Kejriwal, mother and son, a first-time voter, cast their votes at a booth in Civil Lines.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia expressed hope that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will return to power with full majority and said people are voting for better education and the future of their children.

Apart from the eminent faces, 110-yrs-old Kalitara Mandal, the oldest voter of Delhi also cast her vote at SDMC Primary School, Chittaranjan Park in Greater Kailash assembly constituency.

A groom and his family, dressed up in wedding attire were also seen standing in a queue to cast their vote at a polling booth in MCD Primary School in the Shakarpur area of Laxmi Nagar constituency.

The city is witnessing a triangular contest among the ruling AAP, which won a landslide majority in the last elections, the BJP and the Congress. In the last poll, the AAP had won 67 seats, the BJP 3. Congress didn't open its account.

The Congress, which was in power for 15 years at a stretch in Delhi under the leadership of former Chief Minister late Sheila Dixit till the party lost to AAP in 2015 polls, will be hoping for a revival.

AAP is contesting on all 70 seats, while the BJP has fielded its candidates on 67 seats and has left three seats for its allies -- two for JD-U and one for LJP. On the other hand, Congress is contesting on 66 seats and has given four seats to its ally RJD.