POLL DAY: different strokes

lusive autos to ferry voters
MANY Mumbaikars chose not to step out of their homes on the polling day. But enterprising autorickshaw owners found a novel way to keep their meter running. Dozens of autorickshaws plied in the suburbs exclusively for political parties,ferrying voters from their homes to polling booths. Aslam Sayyed,an owner of two autorickshaws in Bandra,plied his vehicles for the Congress party,for Rs 600 a day. “I earn some amount at least,though the amount would be paid by party workers a few days later,” he said.

ping date with democracy
Seventy-year-old Sundarabai Redekar,a regular voter for three decades,arrived at N M Joshi Municipal School,wearing a collar around her neck. “She was unable to even get out of bed but insisted that she wants to vote. She has been suffering from backache and can’t balance herself,” said Redekar’s grandson Sunil. “I have never missed an election in my life and I won’t miss it now either,” said Redekar as she hobbled out of the booth.

Severe lower back pain did not deter 74-year-old Brijbala Sinha from casting her vote. Sinha has been advised by her doctor to take complete rest and keep a cervical belt strapped around her lower waist all times,but the septuagenarian resident of Vashi would not miss voting. “Voting is a very important right as well as a duty of every citizen. I have voted all my life and I don’t see old age as a reason to not do so,” she said. Sinha had to be held by her son and daughter-in-law as she walked slowly and climbed to the first floor of Tilak College in Vashi to vote. The area (sectors 28 and 29) in Vashi recorded a turnout of 44 per cent.

,an SMS battle: Sena vs MNS
Hours before the election,SMSes in favour of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were floating around Mumbai’s suburbs,mainly asking citizens to cast their vote for the MNS,if the “Marathi asmita” (Marathi pride) was to be protected. The Shiv Sena was also quick to counter the MNS move with its own,similar text messages. It also appealed the voters to vote for the Sena-BJP alliance. “Else,you (the voters) have to regret for the next five years,” a message said. No party lodged any complaint with the Election Commission regarding the text message campaign on the polling day.

ers complain of slow polling
In the Ghatkopar East constituency,several voters complained about slow polling. Nilesh Dhawde,who cast his vote at Gurukul School,said “I left my house around 10:30 am for casting my vote but my turn came only around 12 noon. There were around seven election officers in the polling booth,Still the process was terribly slow.” Party workers also agreed the same.

“The polling at certain buildings was very slow. This was a technique to chase off Gujarati voters who anyway avoid standing in long queues,” said an activist supporting Raja Mirani,an independent candidate.

problems… cops bored!
An uneventful polling day meant long hours of boredom for a few staff and policemen posted at polling booths. Constable K F Kudolli of the Karnataka State Reserve Police Force who was posted at a booth in the Sewri constituency passed his time brushing up his Marathi. “Our seniors had warned us about communal rifts in this area and advised us to pretend as if we don’t know any language other than Kannada. As we are leaving tomorrow and this being our first visit to Mumbai,I even tried to talk to Mumbai cops in Marathi,” he said.

Ramabai Nagar,anger votes

Families of the victims of Ramabai Nagar police firing inicident are upset that the main accused in the case walked scot-free. And this Assembly election,many of them showed their protest by voting for Republican Party of India (RPI) candidate Namdeo Dhasal.

“ I have voted for Dhasal as we hope that he could get us justice. The Congress has backstabbed us,” said Sunita Pathare,whose sister-in-law Kaushalyabai Pathare ,was killed in the incident. The Supreme Court had dismissed the special leave petition filed by the state challenging the Bombay HC’s order suspending the life sentence awarded to the police officer who had ordered the firing. Parents of another victim,Vilas Daudke,had similar feelings. “Not one candidate visited our homes even with fake promises,” said Sitabai Duadke(85).

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