The Hindu : New Delhi News : VIPs cast their vote in New Delhi

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Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
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VIPs cast their vote in New Delhi

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Photo: V. Sudershan

Waiting for their turn: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and husband Robert Vadra waiting to cast their votes in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Vice-President Hamid Ansari was the first to cast his vote at the Nirman Bhavan polling station for the Delhi Assembly elections on Saturday morning. Accompanied by his wife, Mr. Ansari reached the VIP polling station shortly after 8 a.m.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was the next to arrive, a little after 9 a.m. Dressed in a mustard sari and shawl, the Chief Minister, who is contesting the election for the New Delhi Assembly seat, exuded confidence as she walked into the VIP booth No. 85 to cast her vote.

Flashing the victory sign at the posse of cameramen present in strength outside the polling station, Ms. Dikshit told media persons that the people of Delhi “will vote for good governance and betterment of Delhi”.

Referring to the terror attacks in Mumbai, Ms. Dikshit said her heart went out to those who lost their lives. “I think the people of Delhi, like those in the rest of the country, know how it all happened. We have to defend our sovereignty and we have to defend our people. This is not a political matter and we should not trivialise it,” she added.

Ms. Dikshit later returned to accompany Congress president Sonia Gandhi to the polling booth. An eager crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi was disappointed when it was learnt that the Gandhi scion had cast his vote at Nagarpalika Secondary school on Rajesh Pilot Marg.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Chief Ministerial candidate Vijay Kumar Malhotra cast his vote at St. Columba’s School at 9 a.m. Senior BJP leader Vijay Jolly, who is challenging Ms. Dikshit for the New Delhi seat, cast his vote at a polling station in Chhattarpur.

PTI adds: Voicing deep concern over the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Priyanka Gandhi said that the perpetrators of these attacks be dealt with sternly.

“It is a threat to the nation and whoever has done this to us should be made to pay for it,” she said, adding that the Government had been taking all necessary steps to deal with the situation.

“The Government, the nation as a whole, is reacting to this unitedly. I think that is the most important thing. We are all very strong as a nation and as a people and we will fight it all together…. My heart goes out to the families of the victims,” she told reporters outside the polling booth after casting her vote.

When asked on how her grandmother, the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, would have reacted to the terror strikes had she been alive, Priyanka said, “She would have acted in a way that would have made all of us proud.”

There were five other voters in the queue at the polling booth when Rahul Gandhi arrived to vote at around 8-30 a.m. and he was offered a chance to vote straightaway. However, he refused to jump the queue and cast his vote only at his turn.

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