Ludhiana West bypoll: 240 senior citizens cast vote from home

Though the bypoll for about 1.75 lakh voters in the Ludhiana West constituency will be held on June 19, on Friday and Thursday over 240 senior citizens, above the age of 85 years, have already cast their vote from their residences.

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Reliable sources in the district administration told The Tribune that as per the Election Commission’s guidelines, elderly persons above the age of 85 years had to be visited by polling teams at their respective houses to get the voting procedure done. On both days, till the filing of the report, over 240 persons had cast their vote. There were 264 persons on the voters’ list and the polling was on.

The oldest person in the constituency is Pritam Singh, who is 100 years old. He cast his vote in the presence of his family and polling staff. A separate enclosure was made for the elderly man and his daughter Parvinder Kaur helped him to cast his vote.

She said her father forgets things but asked her why so many persons had come. He was made to understand the voting procedure and then he polled his vote by ticking candidate of his choice.

“I had to help him due to his weak eyesight. But we are satisfied that such facility is provided by the government to the elderly. Otherwise, taking out senior citizens for polling in the scorching heat is almost impossible,” his daughter said.