Mumbai: The sight of Jyoti Amge, the petite Guinness World Record holder as the globe’s shortest woman, voting in Nagpur on Friday was an unexpected delight for voters waiting in line at the polling station.

Dressed in an elegant crimson sleeveless ensemble, the 30-year-old Amge, measuring 2 feet 1 inch in height, arrived to exercise her civic duty accompanied by her family. Observing the queue with composed patience, she waited for her turn to vote. Later, she exhibited her inked finger.

“I urge all citizens to cast their vote,” she expressed to the press. “Begin with voting before attending to other tasks. As citizens, it is our democratic responsibility, enabling us to choose competent leadership. Only through capable leadership can our nation progress. Therefore, it is imperative to vote.”

Born on December 16, 1993, Amge has appeared in ‘Bigg Boss6’ and has featured in an American horror television series. She is also immortalized in a statue at the Celebrity Wax Museum in Lonavala.

Voting commenced at 7 a.m. for the initial phase of elections across five constituencies: Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondia, Gadchiroli-Chimur, and Chandrapur in Maharashtra.

In Nagpur, the contest is between BJP’s candidate and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and MVA’s Vikas Thackeray. In Ramtek, Shiv Sena’s Raju Parve competes against MVA’s Shyam Kumar Barve, while in Bhandara-Gondia, BJP’s Sunil Mendhe faces Congress’s Dr. Prashant Patole. Sudhir Mungantiwar from BJP and Congress’s Pratibha Dhanorkar are in contention for Chandrapur, and in Gadchiroli-Chimur, BJP’s Ashok Nete goes up against Congress’s Namdev Kirsan.

A total of 26 candidates are vying for the seat in Nagpur, with 15 in Chandrapur, 28 in Ramtek, 18 in Bhandara-Gondia, and 10 contenders in Gadchiroli.