Delhi Chief Minister and ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday cast his vote at a polling booth in Civil Lines along with his family.
Kejriwal, who is seeking another term from the New Delhi constituency, cast his vote along with his father, mother and wife at a polling booth in Rajpura Transport Authority in Civil Lines area amid tight security.
Before heading to the booth to exercise his franchise, Kejriwal was seen seeking blessings from his parents.
Speaking to media persons after casting his vote, Kejriwal said he is hopeful that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will form the government in Delhi for the third time.
“I am hopeful that people will vote on the basis of work done in Delhi, and that AAP will form the government in Delhi for the third time,” he said.
He also appealed to the voters, especially the women, to exercise their franchise.
Earlier in the morning, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had made a special appeal to the women voters in the national capital asking them to come out in large numbers and vote.
In a tweet in Hindi, Kejriwal said, “Definitely go and vote. A special appeal to all women, just as you take up the responsibility of the home, the responsibility of the nation and Delhi is on you. All of you women must go to vote and take the men in your families along with you.”
His son is a first-time voter.
Voting on 70 assembly seats began at 8 am on Saturday and will go on till 6 pm. The counting of votes will take place on February 11.
The entire poll exercise has turned out to be a family affair for Arvind Kejriwal as his wife and daughter were seen canvassing diligently for a second term for the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor over the last one month.
In fact, his daughter, who is an IIT Delhi alumni had taken months-long leave to assist her father in his political enterprise.
Over 1.46 crore people are eligible to vote in the 2020 Delhi polls. The current term of the Delhi Assembly ends on February 22. There are a total of 1,46,92,136 voters — 80,55,686 men, 66,35,635 women and 815 belonging to the third gender — in the final voters’ list of Delhi Election.
In 2015 election, AAP bagged 67 seats with 54.3 per cent of the total vote share, while BJP was left on 3 seats with 32 per cent votes. Congress was not able to manage a single seat and got only 9.6 per cent of the vote share.