Elections 2019: No guidance at booths, claim furious citizens

One of the major issues faced by the voters of the Mumbai North West constituency was that most of their names were missing from the voters' list, and they did not get much guidance at the polling booths. Those who did not find their names on the list, had to return without casting their votes, and they even complained that the officials posted at the polling stations could not address their queries.

The fight in the constituency is between sitting MP and Shiv Sena – BJP candidate Gajanan Kirtikar and Congress NCP candidate Sanjay Nirupam. Due to the scorching summer heat, most people preferred to vote in the early morning and evening hours. Long queues were spotted outside polling stations at Jogeshwari East, Goreagaon, Dindoshi, Andheri East and Versova.

The Pathak family whose names were missing from the list

Missing names

A family of three — senior citizen Parashar Pathak, his wife Anju Pathak and daughter Silky Pathak had landed at the Gyan Kendra School in Andheri West early to cast their votes, however they were shocked to find their names missing from the list. Speaking to mid-day, Silky said, "My mother had a doctor's appointment, so we decided to first cast our votes and then head to the clinic. But we were shocked to see that our names were missing. The officials at the polling station could not help us in any way, and after wasting two hours we left."

Shilpa Ajgaonkar from Goregaon East, who faced the same problem, said, "Though my husband's name was there on the voters' list, my name was missing. I had no option but to return after two hours without voting because even the polling officials could not help." Forty-six-year-old Genevieve Da Silva said that the election officials at the entrance of the St Anthony High School told her that her name was not there on the electoral roll. However, her husband, Clinton, could vote.

Goregaon East resident Shilpa Ajgaonkar's name was missing from the list

Senior citizens enthusiastic

Even though senior citizens of the North West constituency showed a lot of enthusiasm this time, many of them said that the facilities at the polling centres could have been better. A residents' association in Juhu had arranged for a pick-up and drop facility for senior citizens and even wheelchairs were available at polling stations.

Speaking to mid-day, Juhu resident Shankar Adnani, 82, said, "We are happy that adequate arrangements had been made for senior citizens at our centre and we did not face any difficulty in reaching the polling booth." However a youngster, who voted at the Gyan Kendra School polling station in Andheri West, said, "At the Gyan Kendra school, ramps for senior citizens were kept only at one place. Some of them, who had to vote at the adjacent building, were made to sit on chairs, which were then carried to the booth."

First-time voter Devangshi Haria from Four Bungalows

No ink applied

Meanwhile, first-time voter Muskan Gupta, who cast her vote at the Gyan Kendra School, said that an official at the booth forgot to mark her finger with ink. "I have cast my vote but the official in-charge might have forgotten to ink my finger. Even I was not aware of the exact process."

First-time voters
Four Bungalows resident and a first-time voter Devangshi Haria said, "I always wanted to vote and I am happy that I could do it this time. More youngsters should come out and vote because this is the process of nation building." Versova resident Mahesh Babaji Padyal, who is also a first-time voter, said, "I have been waiting to cast my first vote since over a year now and finally I could do it. I feel happy that my vote will play an important role in deciding the fate of the candidate, who will represent us in the Lok Sabha."

First-time voter Mahesh Babaji Padyal from Versova

Kurla resident Rita Vishwakarma was a happy mother on Monday since both her children — 19-year-old son Chandraprakash Vishwakarma and 22-year-old daughter Komal Vishwakarma — voted for the first time. As no one had explained them the voting process, the brother-sister duo said they figured it out themselves.

Muskan Gupta, whose finger was not inked

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