NEW DELHI: The by-election in Rajinder Nagar has been held in unusual circumstances under the fear of a resurgence of the Covid pandemic. Expecting dampened spirit of voters, the electoral officers of Delhi had gone on an overdrive to attract voters to the polling booths. Senior citizens were especially on their radar and they made special arrangements for them. On Thursday, many of them turned up at polling booths and returned elated or seething at the arrangements.
The office of the CEO said that from 7 am to 6 pm, as many as 442 men and 658 women were given pick and drop facilities on Thursday. One senior citizen, 87, with a fractured foot had managed to reach a polling station. While some were appreciative of the fact that the government had provided adequate facilities for the senior citizens, some showed utter disappointment over the unavailability of a wheelchair at one of the stations.
Shanti, an 87-year-old voter, accompanied by his son, complained about the ill management at the booth located at Swami Dayanand Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya. Her son Govind said angrily, “There is no management for senior citizens in this polling booth. I had to myself bring the wheelchair from the polling booth and help her to cast her vote.” His mother Shanti added, “I was not interested in voting but my son forced me to go for voting. We also managed conveyance on our own.”
Septuagenarians Shree Chand and his wife Kamla Devi came to cast their votes at the pink polling booth in DI Khan Senior Secondary school. He was satisfied with the management at the polling booth. “We had cast our vote without any problem and management by the election commission was good,” said Shree after coming out from the booth. His wife Kamla was also happy with the arrangements.