Accompanied by her daughter, 106-year-old Shanti Bala Vaidya reached a polling station in Bara Hindu Rao area in north Delhi to cast her vote in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) poll on Sunday morning. "She has not missed a single election since she started voting," her 40-year-old daughter Kamla said.
Vaidya only understands Bengali but cannot talk. "The only word she utters is 'Maa'. She calls me Maa," Kamla, who is a dry fruit vendor, said. Police personnel deployed at Deputy Ganj polling station also helped Vaidya in casting her vote.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said police also have a responsibility towards voters, especially senior citizens."Our personnel at polling booths have been briefed and sensitised to assist anyone who needs help," he said.
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Amina Bibi, 105, said she casts her vote in every election in the morning. The polling booth this time was around 300 metres away from her home and she preferred walking alone, though many neighbours asked her if they could accompany her. She cannot speak properly due to old age but made her intent to vote clear.
Gurdas Jeet Singh will be celebrating his 100th birthday next month, but his excitement for voting is still the same, his grandson Bimal Jeet said. "This is our right. Unless we come out of our homes, how will we have people liked by us in power? Mere complaining sitting at the comfort of our homes is not going to change things," Gurdas Jeet Singh said.
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He also expressed concern that the younger generation does not show interest in voting. "I always ensured that I should never miss my right to vote," he said. They voted at a polling station in East Delhi's Shanti Nagar area.
There are more than 1.45 crore voters for the MCD poll, of which 78.93 lakh are men and 66.10 lakh women. According to the Delhi State Election Commission figures, there are 229 voters aged 100 and above, while 2,04,301 voters are above 80 years old.
(With PTI inputs)
