When a team of booth-level officers (BLO) arrived at the doorstep of Laxman Madhavrao Shastrakar, 90, on Wednesday afternoon at Vithal Mandir ward, he asked why he should exercise his franchise that day when the rest of the Chandrapur electorate would vote on April 19. Smiling, one of the team members explained that this was a convenient facility provided to him.

Only when the team assured him his vote would be securely recorded, did the nonagenarian cast his vote.

As teams of BLOs went door-to-door across Chandrapur to record these votes, mid-day accompanied them and spoke to elderly voters about their experiences.

Parvatibai Bankar, 97-year-old Chandrapur resident; Kamal Baburao Shastrakar, 88, a retired teacher; Laxman Madhavrao Shastrakar, who will turn 91 in two months

“I will be turning 91 in just two months, and I can no longer walk independently; I rely on my walking stick or someone to assist me. Last election, I managed to reach the voting centre in someone’s car, but unfortunately, my wife couldn’t accompany me and she missed the opportunity. While some polling booths across the country offer facilities for senior citizens and disabled individuals, many others do not. Dealing with crowds, noise and standing for long hours has become increasingly challenging for me, especially considering my frequent need to use the restroom. This new facility will greatly benefit senior citizens like myself,” said Shastrakar.

“Initially, Shastrakar was adamant that he would only vote on April 19 and from his home. We explained to him that this was not possible, as we wouldn’t be able to visit him on the voting day. However, after his wife and others from the team persuaded him, he cast his vote,” said Prakash Holambe, a teacher and BLO.

Shastrakar’s wife Anjanabai, 87, said, “Many senior citizens skip voting because of their health. I cannot walk and have lost at least 70 per cent of my vision too.”

‘Was intrigued by facility’

A relative of the couple, Kamal Baburao Shastrakar, 88, a retired teacher, said, “I would have taken an autorickshaw to reach the polling booths. However, a few days ago, people from the election commission came and asked if I would like to vote from home. Initially, I thought, ‘How is it possible?’, voting being such a sensitive thing. I still consented out of curiosity. It was interesting to see their arrangements. They actually created a makeshift polling facility. They took my thumb impression and sealed it securely.”

Baburao Padgelwar (left), 92, with his son Ghanshyam, 71, and granddaughter, at their residence

Baburao Padgelwar, 92, has been bedridden for the past few years, with limited hearing and speech abilities. During the last election, Padgelwar’s son, Ghanshyam, 71, had to arrange for him to be taken to the polling booth in an auto and find a place for him to sit until he could vote. “It’s quite a hassle, and more importantly, it’s very inconvenient for my father. I believe very few people have been added to the list to avail of the vote-from-home facility so far. Being aware of this, we opted for it. My father has never missed voting in any election; he is very particular about this. I’m glad he could vote this time too, and from home,” he remarked.

Asked since when he had been voting, Padgelwar reminisced with his son about Abdul Shafee being elected as the MP. Shafee, a Congress leader, won the seat in 1971, when it was known as Chanda.

Relatives Manjulabai Baburao Bankar, 92, and Parvatibai Sitaram Bankar, 97, also availed themselves of the vote-from-home facility. “I never imagined I could cast my vote from my bedroom. When they told me earlier that I did not have to visit the polling booth, I thought they would create a makeshift one near my home and call senior citizens from nearby areas to cast their votes there. This was even better. The officials came to my home and I could cast my vote sitting on my bed,” said Parvatibai, who has been bedridden for the past few years now.

New initiative

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced a pan-India facility wherein around 13 lakh voters above 85 years old in Maharashtra could opt to vote from home if they did not wish to or are unable to go to polling booths. The process had been tried out for assembly elections in other states and bypolls.

As per Dr Sachin Khandale, naib-tehsildar, Chandrapur, there are 2,300 85-plus-year-old registered voters in Chandrapur city. “We created a list and asked the BLOs to survey the areas and get their consent for voting from home. Of the 2,300, some consented while many said they would want to vote at the polling booth. Some were not found at home, while a few have passed. All that has been updated. As per the survey, 191 people availed the facility, of which 175 were senior citizens about 85 years of age, the remaining 16 were people with disabilities (PwD),” Khandale said.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, in Chandrapur city, 121 85-plus-year-olds managed to cast their votes from the comfort of their homes of which 58 votes were recorded on Tuesday.

An officer from the state election office explained, “District election officers were tasked with identifying such elderly voters, after which BLOs would visit their homes to provide them with the option to fill out Form 12 D, consenting to avail the facility to vote from home. This process would be completed at least a week ahead of the polling date.”

Process explained

According to data from the state election office, of the 13 lakh voters above 85 years, the highest number reside in Pune district at 1.24 lakh, followed by Mumbai Suburban at 98,085.

“A special team comprising BLOs and officials has been formed to distribute and collect ballots from the homes of these voters after notifying them a day in advance. Once elderly voters opt for this facility, they cannot visit the polling booth. If the team visits their homes twice and does not find them present, their names are marked under the voter-from-home facility, and they cannot vote,” Khandale said.

The vote-from-home initiative in the region commenced on April 9 and will conclude on April 11. Expounding on the process and his team’s implementation efforts, Khandale stated, “We have established 10 squads tasked with assisting senior citizens and PwD to cast their votes from home. Each team has been provided with a detailed roadmap of the surveyed area and the homes they are assigned to visit. We have prioritised transparency and safety throughout the process.”

Squad goals

He continued, “Each squad comprises two polling officers, two to three BLOs, a micro-observer, a videographer and a police staffer. These teams have undergone thorough training to ensure the safety and security of the process and have been equipped with voting compartments, which they will set up at each household they visit. After marking their vote on the postal ballot inside the compartment, voters will seal the ballot paper in an envelope before handing it over to the polling officer. The squad will then obtain the voter’s signature on a declaration form before departing. This process is designed to be transparent and will guarantee a secure voting process.”

13,00,000
No. of voters above 85 years in state

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