Young candid, but the elderly won’t give away

CHANDIGARH: "I have cast my vote. You will know who I voted for on March 11,” said an elderly voter in Thuhi village near Nabha, keeping his cards close to his chest. But several young voters, some of them teenagers who don’t even have a vote, proclaimed, “The broom has swept the poll.” They giggled, giving a high five to one another.

Mukhtar Singh (85) being helped by his relatives to reach a polling station in Amritsar district on Saturday. PTI

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4

“I have cast my vote. You will know who I voted for on March 11,” said an elderly voter in Thuhi village near Nabha, keeping his cards close to his chest. But several young voters, some of them teenagers who don’t even have a vote, proclaimed, “The broom has swept the poll.” They giggled, giving a high five to one another.

In several parts of Malwa, including Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sirhind, Nabha and Patiala, where it seems a fight to the finish between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, young voters claimed the “Akalis are gone.” But the elderly voters were not too sure. “Akalis may win again owing to their personal rapport with the people,” they maintained.

Asked about the role of deras, the Maur twin blasts and the alleged support of radicals to AAP, most youngsters broke into a smile. “It is common knowledge that these are all attempts to manipulate the voter. Such tricks do not work every time and everywhere,” said a lad from Patiala’s Narmana village.

Another spirited youth pointed out that while his parents, being dera followers, would abide by its diktats, “I have a mind of my own. Several youngsters like me have worked hard to ensure the victory of a ‘young’ party.” His friends nod in agreement.

In several rural areas, that saw acute Congress-Akali rivalry in the past 10 years, there was unusual bonhomie, with supporters of one party jesting with those of another. At villages such as Dheerpur near Sirhind, no party had set up a booth. “We consider all parties as one,” was the explanation given. At nearby Barari Kalan village where there were no election booths, agents of different parties were seen squatting on mats. “It’s good that the EC has placed restrictions on setting up election booths. Otherwise, we would focus more on gathering supporters to give the impression that we were the winning side, often leading to scuffles,” observed one of them.