New Delhi: Wearing goggles to maintain secrecy, conjoined twins Sohan and Mohan Singh cast separate votes at a polling booth in Amritsar Sunday, as elections were held for Punjab’s 117-seat assembly.
Hailed as “icons of voters with disabilities”, the brothers voted for the first time Sunday. They turned 18 last year.
The twins, fondly known as “Sohna and Mohna”, became famous in Punjab last year, when there was much deliberation over whether or not they would get separate voting rights. However, in January this year, they were handed separate voter ID cards by Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr S Karuna Raju on the occasion of the 12th National Voters’ Day. They had also gotten a government job in December.
Sohna and Mohna share a torso, legs, liver and gall bladder but have separate arms, kidneys and spinal cords. Abandoned by their parents at a young age, they were adopted by the Pingalwara Charitable Society in Amritsar. Doctors at AIIMS had decided not to separate the two through surgery as it could have been life-threatening for either of the two.
“It is a very unique case. EC told us to do proper videography. They’re icons of PwD voters. They’re conjoined but two separate voters. Arrangements were made by the RO of giving them goggles so that secrecy of voting is maintained,” ANI quoted official Gaurav Kumar as saying Sunday.
Conjoined twins, Sohna and Mohna, cast their votes at polling booth no.101 in Manawala, Amritsar. #PunjabElections pic.twitter.com/qx2pxuJ2N9
— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022
This is not the first time conjoined twins have cast separate votes. During the 2019 general elections, ANI had reported the case of conjoined twins Saba and Farah in Bihar.
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Representing PwDs & first-time voters
Last June, the twins had upon turning 18, applied as separate persons to have their names included in the electoral rolls, but there was much debate over whether authorities would consider them as two individuals until they were handed separate voter IDs this year.
Both have “different personalities with distinct features”, The Tribute had quoted Pingalwara society head Inderjit Kaur as saying at the time.
In December last year, Sohna and Mohna had started working with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). “We’re very glad about the job and have joined on December 20. We thank the Punjab government and the Pingalwara institution, which schooled us, for the opportunity,” ANI had quoted them as saying.
Voters in Punjab have been encouraged to exercise their right to vote through various campaigns. Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira had in January said that the twins would lead the project representing persons with disabilities (PwD) as well as first-time voters.
The Twitter account for the Punjab CEO Sunday posted several messages encouraging people to vote, citing examples including those of senior citizens, a groom ready for his wedding, and a bride at a polling booth “with absolutely clear priorities”.
Bride with absolutely clear priorities!!
Booth No-147, AC 112 Derabassi, SAS NagarMake sure to cast your vote Today!#govote #AssemblyElections2022 #COVIDsafeElections #TheCEOPunjab #PunjabVotes2022 #EveryVoteCounts @ECISVEEP @SpokespersonECI @rajivkumarec pic.twitter.com/kH0LOn7aPx
— Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab (@TheCEOPunjab) February 20, 2022
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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