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BMC Elections 2017: Senior citizens queue up in large numbers to vote

Police and polling officers jointly confided that it was largely senior citizens and middle-aged people who came to vote.

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An elderly woman arrives at a polling station near Mahalaxmi Temple to cast her vote on Tuesday
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What was conspicuous at most polling booths in the city on Tuesday was the large number of senior citizens who had come out to vote and stood in queues from 7.30 am.

At a polling station in ward number 68, at Juhu Versova Link Road, a senior citizen did not even mind climbing up a small winding road inside the building to reach the polling booth. Shahbano Guljar, 50, is wheelchair-bound and her husband was told to come out from the auto by the police. Shahbano was pushed up the ramp to vote. "Yes, I always come to vote. It's my right and duty," she said.

Similarly, in the Antop Hill area, Ismail Kalyenkar, 85, proudly showed his inked finger and said "Everyone should vote." Though most of the youngsters evaded voting in the city, Amit Agarwal, a 21-year-old banker, accompanied his mother to the polling station in Versova . "I applied recently to enrol myself in the voting list, my name is not yet registered but I didn't want to miss this chance, so I accompanied my mother."

The most significant example of seniors being committed to vote was evident from 100-year-old Ramabai from Ishwar nagar in Borivali East. Her grandson Sunil Shhirke carried her till the polling booth as she wasn't fit enough to walk on her own.

Jagdish Bhat, 83, a resident of Kandivali East, expressed regret that he would soon be moving to the US to be with his children and henceforth won't be able to vote.

"I have never missed a single election in all these years. However, this might be my last as I will be moving to the US soon."

Police and polling officers jointly confided that it was largely senior citizens and middle-aged people who came to vote. The staff offered assistance to them. Voters did not mind senior citizens bypass?ing? them in the queue.

Gotu Mhatre, 89, a resident of Bandra East, had something to say to the youngsters who avoided casting their vote.

"It is our duty to vote no matter which age group we belong to. Everybody should exercise their right to vote rather than cribbing about the problems we face in the area. My wife and I both came by auto since we can't walk that far."

On the other hand, Krishnakumar Pradhan, another voter, said, "The polling booths were senior citizen-friendly. It took me only five minutes to cast my vote. It is good to see that they have made arrangement for senior citizens so that they don't have to stand in line to cast their vote."

He added: "The criminal records displayed on the gate of polling booths will help citizens, especially the first-time voters, to think before voting for a candidate."

Polling booths in Dadar, the Shiv Sena's stronghold, witnessed a large number of senior citizens since morning as compared to the younger lot. At a polling station in Balmohan Vidyamandir, senior citizens turned out in large numbers.

The enthusiasm among the senior citizens in Dadar, Parel and Worli was obvious as they reached the polling booths with the help of their family members.

Even in tony areas like Malabar Hill, the situation was the same. Manju Shah, 84, and her husband Rajnilal Shah, 88, both came out to vote at ward number 219.

Manju said, "It is our democratic right to vote and we should use it and hence, we came out to vote."

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