Chandigarh, Oct 5 (PTI) The Election Commission of India bringing polling booths into high-rise apartment complexes has become a hit among their residents who would earlier “think twice about taking out time for voting”.
As Haryana voted on Saturday in assembly polls, the voters residing in many high-rise apartment complexes especially in the NCR cities of Gurugram and Faridabad said they found it convenient to cast their votes as polling stations were set up in several such residential buildings.
The Election Commission set up polling stations on the premises of several high-rise building premises in order to increase polling percentage and reduce congestion at polling centres.
“Earlier, we had to think twice about taking out time for voting. But this time, we just came downstairs in our building where the polling station was set up and we cast our votes. It was quite convenient for voters,” said a resident of a high-rise building in Gurugram.
In the millennium city alone, the Election Commission of India set up 126 polling stations in high-rise buildings. Among them, nine were located in the Pataudi constituency, 71 in Badshahpur, 42 in Gurugram and four in Sohna.
In the Lok Sabha elections held in April-May, the Election Commission had set up 52 polling booths in 31 high-rise societies in Gurugram.
Urban and youth apathy is described as a phenomenon when young voters and those living in metro cities fail to turn up at polling stations on election day.
Meanwhile, many polling stations witnessed elderly people coming out with their family members, several of them were on wheelchairs, to cast their votes.
In Rewari, 80-year-old Krishna Kumari came to a polling booth to cast her vote.
“It is everybody’s right and they should exercise this right. If I can reach here, then people should come in large numbers to cast their votes,” said the retired teacher.
Volunteers deputed at polling stations could be seen facilitating elderly voters by holding them or taking them on wheelchairs to cast their votes.
Polling for all the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana began at 7 am amid tight security arrangements, with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker among the early voters.
There are more than 2.03 crore eligible voters in the state and 20,632 polling booths have been set up.
A total of 144 polling stations have been designated as model ones.
Besides, 115 polling stations will be entirely managed by women staff, 114 by young government employees and 87 by differently-abled employees. PTI CHS TIR TIR
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