Gujarat Assembly Elections: Elderly Voters, Ready to Exercise Their Power

82-year-old Muktiba of Vidyanagar says that “I am very happy to be able to exercise my right to vote.”

As many as 13 senior citizens above 80 years of age and disabled voters of Anand constituency voted at home.

“My name is Mukti Sudhir Mukherjee, I am 82 years old. I have voted in all the elections since I got the right to vote, but due to my age I am suffering from Diabetic Neuropathy. Due to this I am unable to walk much this time. It seemed that I would not be able to vote, but I took advantage of the special facility created by the Election Commission to vote at home for senior citizens like us, and because of that I was able to exercise my right to vote. I am very happy about it.”

The voting for Gujarat assembly elections will be undertaken in two phases, 1st december and 5th December. Taking this into account, this time for the first time, the Election Commission has created a special system so that the senior voters of the state above 80 years of age and disabled voters can vote at their homes. According to which a team of officers-staff including presiding officer and assistant presiding officer connected with voting process went to the homes of 112 senior voters and disabled voters of Anand electorate who had previously opted for the option of voting at home. Voting was conducted in such a way as to preserve the confidentiality of voting.

Efforts have been made diligently by the Election Commission and the District Election System to ensure that all voters can exercise their right to vote in this assembly election, as a part of which a total of 247 senior citizens above 80 years of age and 67 disabled voters voted in this assembly election in seven constituencies of Anand district. While voting is to be done at home without going to the polling station, the voters also have to exercise their right to vote and participate in this festival of democracy.