Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit after casting their vote
New Delhi:
Millions are voting in Delhi today to choose between three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit and her main challengers - BJP's Harsh Vardhan and anti-corruption campaigner Arvind Kejriwal, a debutant hoping to dent the fortunes of the two political behemoths. (LIVE updates)
Nearly 12 million or 1.2 crore residents of the capital are eligible to vote for the 70-member Delhi Assembly.
"Please vote, then eat," advised Mr Kejriwal, who was among the early voters today.
"I am too grown-up to be nervous. I will keep my fingers crossed," said Sheila Dikshit, 76, fighting for a record fourth term. Congress president Sonia Gandhi also queued up to vote at a polling station in the heart of the capital.
The BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan is a 58-year-old surgeon and former Health Minister hoping to re-establish his party in the saddle after 15 long years.
The verdict on Sunday will be seen as an indicator of the possible outcome of the national elections, due by May. (Full coverage)
Mr Kejriwal, a former tax official, and his Aam Aadmi Party have threatened a staggering shake-up with their promise of a corruption-free government. "He has attracted a range of different voters, many of whom are disillusioned with traditional politics," Sanjay Kumar, an analyst at the Center for the Study of Developing Societies told news agency AFP.
Mr Kejriwal's nine-month old party constitutes an army of volunteers who in recent weeks have trudged through the city's poorest neighborhoods to tap the deep vein of dissatisfaction that has gripped Delhi residents, particularly over corruption and the soaring cost of living. (Read: What the three major parties promise in their manifesto)
While campaigning, Mr Kejriwal has dramatically brandished his party's election symbol, the broom while vowing to "sweep out the rubbish that has accumulated over the decades."
On Monday, when the election campaign officially ended, both Congress and BJP warned voters against supporting the upstarts who could eat into their vote base. "Voting for the Aam Aadmi Party is a waste of your vote," warned BJP senior leader Sushma Swaraj.
Nearly 12 million or 1.2 crore residents of the capital are eligible to vote for the 70-member Delhi Assembly.
"Please vote, then eat," advised Mr Kejriwal, who was among the early voters today.
"I am too grown-up to be nervous. I will keep my fingers crossed," said Sheila Dikshit, 76, fighting for a record fourth term. Congress president Sonia Gandhi also queued up to vote at a polling station in the heart of the capital.
The BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan is a 58-year-old surgeon and former Health Minister hoping to re-establish his party in the saddle after 15 long years.
The verdict on Sunday will be seen as an indicator of the possible outcome of the national elections, due by May. (Full coverage)
Mr Kejriwal, a former tax official, and his Aam Aadmi Party have threatened a staggering shake-up with their promise of a corruption-free government. "He has attracted a range of different voters, many of whom are disillusioned with traditional politics," Sanjay Kumar, an analyst at the Center for the Study of Developing Societies told news agency AFP.
Mr Kejriwal's nine-month old party constitutes an army of volunteers who in recent weeks have trudged through the city's poorest neighborhoods to tap the deep vein of dissatisfaction that has gripped Delhi residents, particularly over corruption and the soaring cost of living. (Read: What the three major parties promise in their manifesto)
While campaigning, Mr Kejriwal has dramatically brandished his party's election symbol, the broom while vowing to "sweep out the rubbish that has accumulated over the decades."
On Monday, when the election campaign officially ended, both Congress and BJP warned voters against supporting the upstarts who could eat into their vote base. "Voting for the Aam Aadmi Party is a waste of your vote," warned BJP senior leader Sushma Swaraj.
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