Only 289 choose home voting facility in Jind district

Deepender Deswal

Jind, May 18

As the Election Commission of India (ECI), introduced the facility of home voting for the elderly and persons with disabilities for the first time in the Lok Sabha elections, just a small fraction of people have opted for voting from home in Jind district.

Nonagenarians prefer booths!

• Abhay Ram, a 95-year-old resident of Bohatwala village said that he always participated in voting with his family. The Election Commission has provided good facilities for the elderly to vote from home, but this time also, he will vote by going to the polling booth with his family members
• 98-year-old Bir Singh, a resident of Kalwa village, said he would cast his vote in the EVM by visiting the polling booth instead of filling a form at home
• 92-year-old Jailo Devi of Kalwa village said that as she is still active in her daily life, so she will also go to the booth on May 25 and vote

According to the district administration data, Jind has a total of 13,688 voters above the age of 85, while 5,325 are categorised as persons with disabilities.

However, a district administration official informed that the booth-level officers (BLOs) have approached these voters at their homes to procure the Form 12D from them.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Imran Raza said out of the total voters above the age of 85, only 227 have opted to fill the Form 12D as they were unable to leave their houses due to old age or ailments. The DC said, out of the total voters registered in the district in this category, 62 PwDs have chosen the option of home voting.

Jind district has five Assembly segments. As per the Assembly segment-wise, there are 2,274 voters above 85 years of age in Julana Assembly constituency, 2,907 in Safidon Assembly constituency, 2,164 in Jind Assembly constituency, 3,386 in Uchana Assembly constituency and 2,957 elderly voters in Narwana Assembly constituency.

He informed that there are 5,325 disabled voters in the district, including 998 in Julana Assembly constituency, 1,060 in Safidon constituency, 746 in Jind constituency, 1,199 in Uchana constituency and 1,322 in Narwana constituency.

He said, “Volunteers have been deployed to help the elderly and disabled people at every booth so that they do not face any problem. The district administration will also provide e-rickshaws, wheelchairs and other basic facilities at polling booths for the elderly and disabled,” he added.

With just 289 voters from both categories opting to vote from home, the enthusiasm among the electorate to exercise their right to franchise by visiting the polling booths is evident. Among those who opted home facility for voting include 39 voters in Narwana Assembly, 123 in Uchana, 32 in Jind, 62 in Safidon, and 33 in Julana.