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Bengaluru voters exercise franchise, eye better infrastructure
Bengaluru voters turned out smoothly despite initial concerns of rain affecting polling, with most areas remaining calm. Residents expressed a lack of interest in voting due to ongoing infrastructure issues, but some hoped for change. Senior citizens led from the front at many polling stations, while others faced issues with their names missing from voter lists.
Voters in Bengaluru turned out smoothly on a clear Wednesday, despite initial concerns about potential rain affecting the polling process. However, unlike other districts where energized long queues were witnessed, polling booths in most areas of the city remained relatively calm and quiet.
The atmosphere leading up to the election day had been marked by a sense of despair among residents of the IT hub. They have been grappling with issues such as pothole-ridden roads, traffic congestion, flooding, dwindling green cover, and overall crumbling infrastructure, which has left them feeling on edge.
While speaking on the condition of anonymity, a couple who came to cast their votes in Indiranagar expressed a lack of interest prevailing in their apartment complex.
“Many of my friends said they would not bother cast ballots, as the previous elections did no good to the city’s infrastructure.”
“But we are here to vote, and we’re hopeful that some change could come around. Both of us are voting based on the work of the candidate in our constituency and voting against the party we support,” they said.
Anuj Singh, who voted in Yemalur, highlighted the urgent need for accelerated improvement in the city’s infrastructure.
“Infrastructure needs to improve. The city needs good roads and good public transportation. The improvements are there, but the pace at which things change is very slow.”
A poll worker in Koramangala said a steady stream of voters had been casting ballots since morning as four people waited briefly in line for voting.
Some residents in Koramangala said they could not bear to shut themselves out to vote, even as their friends and relatives were indifferent.
After casting her vote, Bhavana, an IT professional, said fears about the communal tension in Karnataka prompted her to show up. “Quite frankly, I’m terrified about the state of affairs in Karnataka. But, I think, I’m voting in the hopes that things will get better and become the inclusive, progressive state that Karnataka is.”
A first-time voter said she was undecided about who to vote for. “Politicians say a lot of things, like they can afford anything, but don’t follow up with much in practice. But I hope the city’s infrastructure gets better,” she said.
Both adults who turned up to vote, and the children tagging them long, looked forward to the juice shop nearby in Koramangala. The shopkeeper laughingly said the juice “may be making the biggest contribution in keeping a good voter turnout”.
Karthik, a PR professional who voted for the third time in Koramangala, said the Election Commission had set up multiple booths this time, so there were no long queues. “My constituency is at the heart of Bengaluru, and I’ve voted for better roads, infrastructure and public transport. I hope to see my city change for the better,” he said.
Many polling stations in Bengaluru also saw senior citizens leading from the front. “The changes the polls bring in seem to motivate us to cast our votes,” an elderly voter said.
In Sarvagnanagar, predominantly a residential suburb, a few poll workers donned saffron shawls while others at a nearby booth had the ‘hand’ symbol.
A shopkeeper who sells local delicacies said the mood was not as lively in the area as in the last election in 2018. He puts it down to the apathy of the educated urban voters.
The polling had issues of its own. Civic activist Kathyayini Chamaraj, who was supposed to cast her ballot in Shantinagar, was shocked to see her name omitted from the voter list.
“When I checked this morning on the website, which said it was the latest, it had my name. But the date of eligibility was 1st January 2023. But when I checked in the afternoon today, a more updated list of 1.4.23 was there which showed my name as deleted,” Chamaraj said.
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