Security, inflation and stable government remained predominant issues weighing on women voters' minds in the national capital, which witnessed brisk polling on Thursday for seven of the Lok Sabha constituencies in New Delhi.
Women electorate from all walks of life and belonging to different communities queued up at polling booths in all parts of the city to "proudly" exercise their franchise.
"I vote in all elections, and so does my entire family. Corruption, stable government among others remain the core issues driving me to the booths here," social activist Varsha Goel, who voted from the Chandani Chowk constituency, said.
In East Delhi too, women displayed palpable excitement to be part of the biggest democratic exercise in the world. Family members Madhu, Kusum and Phulwati in Azad Nagar area brimmed with joy as they displayed their inked fingers.
"We prepare ourselves for the polling day, and look forward to it with excitement. Inflation is something we want to be tackled. And, security of course. We vote for our safety," 33-year-old Madhu said.
Her sister-in-law Kusum, 28, added, "We make sure we don't miss the opportunity despite chores at home." In East Delhi's Okhla, Jamia Nagar and Batla House areas, Muslim women, who proudly held their cards up, expressed displeasure at political parties "sowing the seeds of communalism" and "dividing" people.
"We want our parties to treat Hindus and Muslims as equal, as humans, and not do vote bank politics on our religious identity. It will be better if they worried about providing security to all women of this country than doing dirty politics over religious places," Safia Khan said.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi, Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung's wife Ameena Jung and their daughter, and DPCC's chief Arvinder Singh Lovely's wife who accompanied her husband, were among the early women voters on Thursday.
At a model polling station in Vishwas Nagar in East Delhi, by 1 PM, 52 per cent of the total votes of 996 had been cast, with 303 among them being male and 216 female, a presiding officer at the station said.
In Okhla, by 2 PM, 286 votes had been polled with women comprising 86 of them. Uma Singh in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar said, "one should not support a party which favors instability".
"It is true that there is anti-incumbency in country but one should not be in a hurry while choosing our representatives, as everything needs to be taken with a pinch of salt," Singh said.
"Inflation and women's safety are two issues that I want the government to work on," Hema Regmi, 50, who voted from New Delhi constituency, said. Excitement was writ large on the faces of first-timers, who made preparations to be part of the "electoral feast".
Savita Rani, 24, who came with her twins to Karawal Nagar polling station, said, "My husband always votes but I am voting for the first time. This time I made sure that my voter card is made so I could vote".
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