New Delhi, Feb. 23 -- Voters in Germany are casting their ballots in a highly anticipated national election on Sunday (February 23). The election follows the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition last year, forcing an early vote. Four key candidates are in the running: Scholz, opposition leader Friedrich Merz, Vice Chancellor and Greens candidate Robert Habeck, and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel.

Germany's electoral system rarely delivers an absolute majority to a single party, and opinion polls suggest a coalition government will once again be required. Conservative leader Friedrich Merz, the front-runner, has stated he aims to form a government by mid-April if he secures victory. Unt...