Bengaluru: In order to encourage people to vote many commercial outlets opened early in the day and shut down at 10 am. This was also to facilitate their staff members to go out and vote.
Shopkeepers in BTM Layout and Jayanagar took a break at 10 am and reopened only in the evening. Many eateries at Jayanagar 4T block too remained closed till evening.
The employees at Swaraj Hypermarket said that they were closed till evening to let the workers go out and vote and also encourage customers to do so.
One of the shop owners, Shivaprasada said, "I opened my shop at 7 am and closed early so that customers give priority to voting. This is the day to exercise our right."
At residential apartments in Thaverekere, many exhorted their flat mates to go out and vote.
Manjunatha, the owner of a residential apartment on Chocloate Factory Road, said, "We are facing shortage of water and power. I cannot solve all the issues my tenants are facing. The only choice that we are left with is to elect a good MP who will lend us a patient ear and resolve the issues his constituency faces."
Senior citizens lead by example
In Bangalore South the senior citizens set an example by reaching the polling booths on crutches and wheelchairs.
Accompanying her grandson, 80-year-old Shanthi said that for the past three decades she never missed voting for a single Lok Sabha election.
"This is the only thing my family has been following religiously. This is the first phase and I want the turnout to be huge. If we want our issues to be addressed then this is the only way we can democratically throw away the leader we do not like and bring the bright young face. The youth should come out in large numbers. They no longer can put the blame on our feet that we did not leave a bright place for them," she added.
