New Delhi: Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary on Sunday claimed that he was unable to vote in the Delhi MCD polls as his name was missing from the voters` list. Holding the AAP and BJP responsible for it, he alleged that not only his name but the names of lakhs of voters have been deleted from the list. He found his name missing from the list when he reached the polling booth to exercise his right to franchise for the MCD polls. He alleged that, just like in Uttar Pradesh, in Delhi, names of voters of Dalit and Muslim-dominated areas have been deleted. Chaudhary said that he had cast vote in the earlier elections and being a former MLA, is a marked voter, whose name cannot be struck off, but despite that, his name has been deleted.
He said that he complained to the Election Commission but to no avail. People have been continuously calling the Congress control room, saying that their names had been struck off from the voters` list, Chaudhary claimed. He said that voters were being denied their right to vote in the elections and the silence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in this regard is questionable. Voting for 250 wards is underway and will conclude by 5.30 p.m. COunting of votes will be held on December 7.
Differently-abled votes Delhi
Being wheelchair-bound or walking with crutches was not a deterrent for differently-abled Delhi residents who enthusiastically arrived at the polling booths on Sunday to make their vote count for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election. Praveen (56), 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. Hari Om (70) arrived at the polling booth holding crutches. “There are many issues in our area and I don’t know whether they will be addressed. But I knew I had to ensure that my vote counts,” he said.
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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. Over 1.45 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the election to the 250 MCD wards, the results of which may have ramifications beyond the national capital. 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.
“This is a right given to us by the Constitution and we should exercise it because each vote counts,” he said. 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. Undeterred by the bad circumstances, the high-spirited Rashid wants political leaders who can spreadhead change in society.
(With agencies inputs)