Pune polls: Children on election duty

The surprising phenomena that could be noticed in this year’s civic polls were that young children who still had over half a dozen years to gain voting rights were found performing polling duties and guiding the voters to polling booths.

The phenomena was prevalent in Sasanenagar and Viman Nagar, where these children, seated outside the polling booths with the voters’ list and laptops along with other volunteers, helped the citizens find their names in the list.

"We have been asked by the candidates here to sit and help the voters caste their vote. We are helping them find their names in the list and guide them to the booth," said 10-year-old Gautam Gaikwad who was on ‘election duty’ in ward number 3 in Viman Nagar.

Soumabha Nandi

‘Door step delivery’ to booth for senior citizen unable to walk

While a lot of senior citizens on Thursday were arguing with policemen over the necessity to park vehicles 100 meters away from polling booth, grumbling that it forced them to walk, a senior citizen limped out of the polling booth at Salunkhe Vihar's RIMS International School and blessed the two police constables.

A rare sight was seen when Kanhaiyalal Dharam Dasani, 67, who is severely diabetic, obese and recently underwent a surgery, arrived at the polling booth and realized he had to walk 100 meters.

The senior citizen pointed out his condition and pleaded to be allowed to drive the vehicle inside the polling booth. Constables on duty were in a fix but finally a constable allowed him to drive the vehicle right up to school's door.

The constable then drove the bike away and parked it while a lady constable escorted the senior voter to his booth, "I didn't need wheelchairs, these young policeman ensured I don't miss my vote," said Dasani.
Alifiya Khan

Stone pelting and infighting reported at polling booths
A stone pelting incident and verbal clashes were reported at NCP Santosh Kokane and Congress Vinod Nadhe at Parvati New English School, Kalewadi, Pimpri at 4.30 pm. Polling booths were shut down for few minutes. 

At the Bhatnagar slum area  stone pelting was reported. The police had detained four persons. The situation was under control.

The total percentage of PCMC civic polls till 3.30 pm was 41.84%. The EVM of Bhandhu Nadhe School was also closed for one hour in the morning.
Archana Dahiwal

Sinhgad Road sees 20% voting during first few hours
The suburban areas especially Sinhgad road received lukewarm response from the voters during the first four hours as the poll booths could record only around 20% of voting.

Senior citizens came in the morning to avoid afternoon sun.

Initially the voters were confused as they faced difficulty in finding their names in the voter list.

At Vadgaon Budruk panel, some voters had to literally visit each centre to find out where their name and voting number is located.

Social activist Kiran Moghe who helped the voters said, “The voting list given to them were not in serial order."

In Dhayari area, which falls in the industrial zone, workers cast their vote early. Twenty five-year-old Dattaji Mane said, “I have to go to work so I came early to the polling booth."

Interestingly Hingne village saw a good response from youngsters. Polling officer DM Bamble said, “In the morning middle aged and senior citizens cast their vote. But from 9:30 to 11:30 mainly youngsters came to the polling stations."

Nitin Shinde a first time voter said, “I am excited to cast my vote so I left my home early and stood in the queue. But after casting my vote I am feeling contented.”
Ashish Jadhav

High-class voters rush to booths in suburbs
The Pune citizens of suburb areas of Pimple-Saudagar, Pimple-Nilekh, Wakad and Sangvi came out in large number to vote since polling booths were virtually next door to them.

Housing societies such as Pimple Saudagar Daffodils Societies, Shubhashree, Kunal Icon, Planet Millennium set up a polling booth at the club houses of their societies so residents could quickly report for voting in the morning session. The Rose Land Housing society polling booth was set at its gymnasium.

The chairman of Sidhivinayak Ginger Housing Society Anil Kumbhar, who arrived with his family to cast his vote, told DNA, "The educated people used to seem aloof from voting, but this time due to the availability of polling booths within the society, this will definitely increase the higher-class voting percentage in civic poll.”

It had observed that there were nearly 500 to 800 voters in one housing society. Earlier, residents found difficult to search for polling booths and avoid the long queue of voters in the summer swelter.
Archana Dahiwal

System crash hampers recording of voter turn out
The system developed by the election office for the Pune Municipal Corporation Election crashed on the voting day on Thursday.

The ward offices in PMC were supposed to send information about the voters' turn out in their respective wards through SMS service, but due to the system crash the election office could not get the details

Dhanakawadi and Bibvewadi were the worst affected areas with large wards and the election office had to send additional staff for counting.

In Pune, first phase of voting from 7.30 am to 9.30 am saw 7.27% voting which does not include ward number 76 which comes under Dhanawadi area as the officers could not send the details in time.

Till 9.30 am total 115323 men and 70672 women had cast their vote in 75 wards.

The percentage of voting at 11.30 am was 15.22% where 3,89,396 men and 2,23,206 women cast their vote, However it does not include figures of 8 ward offices as they failed to give reports to the election office in time. The officials were struggling to gather figures with crashed systems.

Pravin Ashtikar, election officer for PMC elections said, “We are facing problems in Dhanakawadi and Bibavewadi area where the wards are bigger and our staff is struggling to collect the information. Now we have sent additional staff of 10 people to help them out."
Anurag Bende

Mental handicap doesn’t prevent man from casting vote
Since Thursday morning, family members of NIBM resident Harish Govindrao Dabi, 33, were trying to convince him to cast his vote. But Harish, who is suffering from a mental handicap, was irritated at having being woken early at 7am and refused to oblige.

The family members then gave up and left for their polling booth at Salunkhe Vihar Society, taking Harish along with them.

Here is where Harish saw his brother’s inked finger and then realised what he was missing out. “He pointed towards my finger and indicated that he wanted to vote too. I was very pleased as we had made him cast his vote in last elections too. We immediately rushed to polling booth and found out that his name was in same booth. But we didn’t have any identity proof as he had initially refused,” said his Prem Prakash Dabi.

The latter then rushed home to collect Harish’s disabled person’s identity card.

“He can barely recognise family and friends, he doesn’t understand politics. But he knows he has to press a button to vote and I indicated him in right direction after which he pressed the button,” said Prem Prakash.
Alifiya Khan

Meet the 86-year-old who fought all odds to get inked
Six episodes of brain strokes, a semi-paralysed body, weakened eyesight and impaired speech were minor hurdles for 86-year-old Sadubai Dattatrey Kudre when it was a question of her right to vote.

The resident of Kondhwa Khurd who has never missed exercising her right to vote in a single election was literally carried to the polling booth flanked by her two daughter-in-laws on either side.

“My mother-in-law is very socially conscious and when we got married, getting a voter's card was one of first official documents we made here. Every election she comes out to vote and she didn’t want to miss this one. but she cannot walk a few steps as she has suffered six strokes, last one paralysed her partially. So we hired a vehicle and with help of a family friend got her to vote,” said her younger daughter-in-law Neelima Kudre. Sadubai’s sons are employee of Pune Municipal Corporation who are deputed on election duty and will be exercising their right to vote through postal ballot.
Alifiya Khan

More senior citizens seen casting vote
South West area of Pune, including areas of Warje, Kothrud, Karve Road, Paud Road etc, saw a number of senior citizens walking in to cast their vote in the first four hours of voting.

Most of the polling centres in the south west region of Pune witnessed mostly senior citizens coming to vote. Very few youngsters were seen at the poll stations in the first half of the day. Sarang Motkar, a senior citizen, said, “I went for a morning walk and stepped into the voting centre near my house, and then returned home. So I finished my duty right in the morning.’

Software professional Pravin Shedge, said, “I came here in the morning but I couldn't see many people, I suppose not many educated youngsters are interested in voting. My neighbours are also in their houses running after the chores rather than exercising this right to vote.”

Eighty one-year-old Bhaskar Alekar said, “The volunteers here are making me stand in the line when they can see that I am not able to stand, this is the kind of treatment the so called ‘King Makers’ – Voters get. I am not interested in voting anyone, but it is my right and which is why I have hired an auto to come to the booth and vote.”
Kiran Dahitule