Hyderabad: Senior citizens, especially those above 70 years, led the way in inspiring citizens to vote in the state Assembly elections on Thursday morning, as they lined up at polling booths from early in the morning to exercise their franchise.
It was observed that voters aged above 80 years, many of whom walked with difficulty due to age-related issues, cast their votes by 9 am to avoid the midday rush. They later posted pictures of their inked fingers in WhatsApp groups to motivate others to vote.
While many elderly were accompanied by their children or grandchildren, volunteers stationed at the polling booths, including from the National Social Service (NSS) assisted them with wheelchairs. Police constables and polling staff assisted them in entering their details in the register and pressing the button of their choice on the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Volunteers also assisted them in boarding their vehicles after they cast their votes.
Among those who turned up at the polling booths were 84-year-old Dr Vittal Rao in Kukatpally, and 74-year-old Dr G. Nageswara Rao at Kapra in Uppal constituency.
“I voted at Vijaya High School around 8.30 am and I also requested other senior citizens to utilise their right to vote to elect an appropriate candidate to save democracy,” said Nageswara Rao, who also posted the appeal on senior citizens’ WhatsApp groups he is part of.
Ch Prameel and V.B. Saroja Devi, octogenarians from Sanathnagar, were probably the oldest persons to vote in their areas. “We have voted in more than 10 Assembly elections,” they said. They were accompanied by their family members, and not choose to use a wheelchair.
A group of women, all senior citizens, led by L. Nirmala, turned up at the booth set up at Nagarjunanagar community hall in Tarnaka, under the Secunderabad Assembly constituency.
According to the Telangana State Council for Senior Citizens, 70 per cent of senior citizens took part in the voting exercise, while the rest could not do so due to health problems.
A.G.. Manjula, 78, who was assisted by her daughter-in-law, averred that she felt it was her duty to vote, and had turned up at the booth.
Police personnel and his daughter U. Jyothi helped 85-year-old Udayagiri Gopala Krishnamurthy at a booth. “My father-in-law never misses his duty to vote,” said Jyothi said and added they stayed close to the polling station.
