External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the president of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Rekha Sharma, made headlines after casting their votes in Delhi for the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, each receiving a certificate for their unique status at their respective polling stations. Jaishankar was recognized as the first male voter, and Sharma was celebrated as the first senior citizen voter.
After voting, Jaishankar took to social media platform X to share his experience, displaying his inked finger and encouraging a high voter turnout for this phase. He also expressed his optimism about the continued support for the Narendra Modi government and the vision for a developed India, stating, “I believe that the voters in Delhi will once again support Viksit Bharat and the Modi government.”
Similarly, Sharma shared her pride in being both the first voter and the first senior citizen voter at her booth. She urged the public to vote and select their leaders, marking the occasion with a post on X that included a photo of her inked finger and her received certificate from the District Election Office.
The sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections kicked off at 7 AM across 58 constituencies spanning six states and two Union Territories, including all seven seats in Delhi. This phase sees a comprehensive security arrangement and includes critical areas like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Noteworthy candidates in this phase include Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP’s Maneka Gandhi, Sambit Patra, Manohar Lal Khattar, Manoj Tiwari, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Bansuri Swaraj, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Raj Babbar, and Kanhaiya Kumar from the Congress, among others. This phase continues the election process that has already covered 428 parliamentary constituencies across 25 states and UTs in the initial five stages of the 18th general elections.