They challenged odds to get inked

Mistri Mohr Singh,49,a resident of village Aulakh in Malaut cannot walk.

Mistri Mohr Singh,49,a resident of village Aulakh in Malaut cannot walk. A tuberculosis patient,he was diagnosed suffering from blood cancer. The idea of being a part of the dance of democracy was too much to resist even for Mohr,who has been bed-ridden for the last two years. Two persons carried him to the polling booth and took him inside as there was no wheel chair. His wife helped him cast his vote.

I did not want to waste my vote. I get this right once in five years. I voted with a hope that perhaps something better would be done for cancer patients by the government, Mohr said after exercising his franchise.

Similarly,42-year-old Kulwant Kaur,braved the illness and took the help of her daughter to reach the booth and cast her vote. Like Mohr,Kulwant too was unable to walk owing to an overdose of medicines. No doubt I am unwell,but I do realise my duty to vote. So I asked my daughter to bring me here to the polling booth, Kulwant said after she was helped out of the polling station by her daughter.

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She has been sick for more than three months and suffers from fits. But she was very sure about casting her vote today, Kulwants daughter,Tarunjeet,added.

In Badal village,Tilak Ram,rolled his wheelchair into the polling booth. Born disabled and now in his mid fifties,Tilak Ram has never missed exercising his franchise.

Gidderbaha constituencys Husnar village saw five visually challenged voters casting their votes. They had arrived with their attendants. The Election Commission had made the forms available for the visually challenged at all the polling booths in the state.

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