NEW DELHI: Being wheelchair-bound or walking with crutches was not a deterrent for differently-abled Delhiites who enthusiastically arrived at the polling booths on Sunday to make their vote count for the MCD election.
Middle-aged Praveen, whose family brought him to the booth in a wheelchair, said, “Every vote matters. Everyone should come out and exercise their right. Cleanliness was the main issue on my mind when I cast my vote,” he said.
Voting for the high-stakes civic poll in Delhi is largely seen as a three-way contest among the AAP, the BJP and the Congress. Ramu Yadav, 55, who is visually impaired, said he felt empowered casting his vote.
Kamal Kishore, who has been suffering from paralysis for 15 years, reached the polling booth in the morning.
Eight-four-year-old Khulbhushan Gupta, who came in a wheelchair, said he has not missed voting in the last few years. “I feel strong and confident when I vote. It empowers me and I feel I have done my duty,” he said. When asked what his priority was, Gupta said, “Of course, development is the key issue. I want my locality to be further developed and equipped with all the facilities it deserves.”
A daily wager, Mohammad Rashid, who is jobless for over a month due to an accident, reached the Khazoori Khas polling station with the help of a stick only because of his faith - “change starts from us.” At the gate of the booth, he was assisted by polling agents and police personnel, who provided the 48-year-old with a wheelchair and ensured he gets to cast his vote first.