With walking sticks, and helped by kin, elderly vote enthusiastically

Senior citizens were enthusiastic voters at many places, walking to polling booths with the aid of walking sticks and some even on wheel-chairs, with relatives giving a helping hand, as they exercised their democratic rights for the Delhi state elections Wednesday.

As a concession to the elderly, relatives were allowed to drop off elderly citizens at the door of the polling booth in their vehicles and pick them up and the elderly voters also did not have to wait in queue.

Rukmini Devi, 74, was carried by four relatives on a plastic chair as she came to vote at the Nirman Bhavan polling station in New Delhi. She said she came to vote every time and has never missed any election.

T.V. Venkitachalam, former editor of the now-shut National Herald, walked with difficulty to the polling booth at Gulmohar Park, a journalists' colony in south Delhi. He was helped by two relatives to walk into the booth.

Venkitachalam, 85, did not allow his failing health to deter him from casting his ballot. "I am happy to have cast my vote today. I am thankful to the polling officials for being courteous and my relatives who brought me to the booth," Venkitachalam told IANS.

Another elderly journalist, Punyapriya Dasgupta, also came to the same booth to cast his vote, walking with the aid of walking stick and a relative aiding him.

It was the same in other areas of the capital which is largely seeing a triangular contest between the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Eighty-year-old Vimla Devi, who was brought to the Dwaraka polling booth in a wheel-chair by her relatives, said she was "very excited to cast her vote.

"Since morning, I was very keen to cast my vote. I kept asking my sons to take me along. Seeing my enthusiasm, they just couldn't say no," Vimla Devi chuckled.

Her 40-year-old son Rohit said his mother was an acute diabetic and has been ailing for sometime."We were worried about her health, but couldn't say no when she insisted," Rohit told IANS.

Romila Begum, 80, came to vote at the Batla House booth in southeast Delhi. In keeping with the festive atmosphere of an Indian election, the woman came along with 16 relatives, including two nieces, aged 19and 20 years, who are first time voters.

Romila Begum complained IANS that the area around her house is not yet developed, despite promises."There are no proper roads near my house, but we still come to support the same party," she said.

Jashoda, 95, who also came in a wheel-chair, said elders have to "set an example for the young generation."

"If we old people don't vote it will be a bad example for our grandchildren," she said as she was supported by her grandsons to cast her vote in Rajinder Nagar in central Delhi.

Rani Mehra, 82, who cast her vote in Mayur Vihar-11 in east Delhi, shared the same sentiment.

"As long as I can walk I will go and vote. Voting is a right, which must be practiced by all. It is an important right. If we have to keep the nation strong, every person needs to vote. It is sad to see some youngsters skipping this right, it should be kept above every thing else," he added.