Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Many voters turned up at polling booths in the city on Friday braving physical disabilities and ignoring personal tragedies. Mothers of infants, wheelchair-bound old ladies and a man who had lost his mother just a week back were some of them.
They told Free Press that they considered voting their right and duty both and could not have given it a miss.
Excerpts
I Lost mother less than week back
Businessman Ashok Garg and his wife Archana were waiting for their turn to cast their ballot at a polling booth at SV Polytechnic College. “Vote is very important and so we are here,” they said.
Ashok was to leave for Allahabad in the afternoon to perform demise-related rituals of his mother. His mother Tara Devi had cast her ballot on November 7 under ECI initiative giving 80-plus and PwD citizens the option of voting from their home. She passed away on November 12. “We have 11 votes in our family and each of us will vote,” he said.
No wheelchair
Aparna Vajpayee, 90, a former teacher, can’t walk. Along with her family members, she reached another polling booth in the same constituency, assured that she would get a wheelchair there. But she was told that the facility was not available. Her family members then brought a wheelchair from their home and she exercised her franchise.
15-km ride
Deepika Patwa now resides at Minal Residency. Deepika and her husband’s names are registered as voters as residents of Hasnat Nagar, Banganga. They came to Polytechnic to cast their ballot covering a distance of around 15 km on a two-wheeler. “My husband was allowed to cast his vote but I wasn’t. I am feeling very disappointed,” she said.
Baby in arms
Arshi Zafar was at the booth at Demonstration School with her 3-month-old son and 2.5-year-old daughter. She left the little girl on a swing in the compound and went into the booth with her son. “ I have to breastfeed him. I am rushing home,” she told the Free Press.
Toddler with grandparents
A 50-year- old businessman Zahid and his wife Faiza (41) came to vote at MLB polling booth along with their 11-yr-old month granddaughter Nva Ali on scooty. The couple said that voting was their first duty. So, they came to vote after leaving their household chores and other important work.
‘Elated to vote at Pink Booth’
30-year-old Manisha Verman was quite elated to cast her ballot at Pink polling booth at Govt. Kamla Nehru School, New Market. She came here with her 4-year-old daughter Anasna . She said that she was voting for the third time but for the first time at a Pink booth. Earlier she used to think that the booth is meant only for women voters but her perception changed later. “ I feel safe and proud to vote here,” she said.
