The eighth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections kicked off with an enthusiastic turnout of political leaders.
Among the early voters were political heavyweights including YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Baba Ramdev, Mohammad Kaif and others.
This election phase is about heavyweights and the play out yet again of the Goliath versus David battle as Rahul Gandhi takes on in Amethi television star turned politician Smriti Irani of the BJP. The battle has got more challenging with Narendra Modi bringing in the emotional pitch calling the TV star his “little sister” he has requisitioned for Amethi at a massive rally there. The eighth phase covers 64 Lok Sabha covering seven states including Andhra Pradesh (25), Bihar (7), Himachal Pradesh (4), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Uttar Pradesh (15), Uttarakhand (5) and West Bengal (6).
Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna were among the first to cast their vote.
BJP's controversial candidate Babul Supriyo accused the Congress of booth capturing.
However, a confident Congress's Sanjay Singh after after casting his vote said, "here will be no change in Amethi, there is no challenge."
The YSR Congress leader, whilst casting his vote, hinted that he would be open to all options for post polls alliance.
Dismissing the Modi-wave, YS Sharmila, too, added in agreement, "Options for post poll alliance are open. We will support whoever gives our state a better deal. I personally don't think there is a Modi wave."
AAP candidate Kumar Vishwas, also cast his vote.
Others among the first voters were the India's first voter SS Negi and his wife:
WATCH: As part of its #PledgeToVote campaign, Google India features Shyam Saran Negi—India's first and oldest voter
Other political big-wigs to vote included the Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat:
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