Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker votes in Haryana Assembly elections

Double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker on Saturday cast her vote in the Haryana elections 2024. The 22-year-old, along with her father Ram Kishan Bhaker, cast her vote at a polling station in Charkhi Dadri in the Jhajjar constituency. According to Bhaker, this was her first vote.  

'Responsibly of youth to vote'

She appealed to the people, especially the younger ones, to come out and cast their votes.  

"Being the youth of this country, it is our responsibility to cast our vote for the most favourable candidate. Small steps lead to big goals... I voted for the first time..." Bhaker later told ANI.  

#WATCH | On casting her first vote, Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker says, "Being the youth of this country, it is our responsibility to cast our vote for the most favourable candidate. Small steps lead to big goals... I voted for the first time..." https://t.co/806sYLcpoe pic.twitter.com/vQ5j4m7fFB

— ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2024

Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, also urged voters in Haryana to exercise their power to choose the next state government.  

"Manu is the brand ambassador and a youth icon for voting. She had to come. We vote in every election. How will our village develop if we do not vote... I would request everyone to come out and vote. It's better to come out today than to curse the government for the next five years..." he said.  

Haryana Assembly election 2024

All 90 Assembly seats in Haryana are going to the polls on Saturday in a single-phase vote.  

CREDIT: BCCL

The fate of 1,027 candidates contesting the election will be decided by 2,03,54,350 eligible voters on Saturday. Of the total candidates, 101 are women, while 464 are independent.  

Of the total voters, 1,07,75,957 are men, 95,77,926 are women, and 467 belong to the third gender.  

There are 5,24,514 voters aged between 18 and 19 years, and 1,49,142 persons with disabilities, of whom 93,545 are male, 55,591 are female, and six belong to the third gender.  

Top candidates in Haryana election

Top leaders in the fray include incumbent Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat, and JJP's Dushyant Chautala.  

CREDIT: ANI

The BJP is hoping for a third term in office, while the Congress is eyeing a comeback, pinning their hopes on anti-incumbency and issues like farmer protests and wrestler protests.

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