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Senior citizens vote for good infra in Ggn, Badshahpur

Gurugram district, which includes Gurgaon, Badshahpur, Sohna, and Pataudi constituencies, has 1,507 polling booths serving 1,504,959 registered voters, according to Election Commission data. Despite challenges such as the heat and mobility issues, senior citizens made their voices heard, advocating for better governance and more accountability from civic agencies

Updated on: Oct 6, 2024, 05:18:07 IST
By , Gurugram
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Senior citizens across the Gurgaon and Badshahpur constituencies turned up in significant numbers at polling stations on Saturday, defying long queues and hot weather to cast their votes. Many arrived with the assistance of family members or volunteers, while polling staff made special arrangements, such as providing wheelchairs, to accommodate those with mobility issues.

Elderly citizens across the Gurgaon and Badshahpur constituencies turned up in significant numbers at polling stations on Saturday. (PARVEEN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)
Elderly citizens across the Gurgaon and Badshahpur constituencies turned up in significant numbers at polling stations on Saturday. (PARVEEN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

Seventy-two-year-old Rajesh Malhotra, who has been voting since 1965, shared his thoughts: “I have been voting in every election since 1965, and each time it feels just as important.”

Gurugram district, which includes Gurgaon, Badshahpur, Sohna, and Pataudi constituencies, has 1,507 polling booths serving 1,504,959 registered voters, according to Election Commission data. Despite challenges such as the heat and mobility issues, senior citizens made their voices heard, advocating for better governance and more accountability from civic agencies.

Many voters expressed frustration with the state government, citing unresolved issues such as bad roads, waterlogging, and sanitation problems. Nirmal Sethi, a resident of Sushant Lok 1, criticised the government’s inaction and said that her house had flooded three times in the last few years due to waterlogging, adding that the authorities have failed to address it. “The problem of sanitation, waste management, flooding, and bad roads has remained unsolved. No development has taken place in the last several years, and whoever wins needs to change this,” she said.

Meanwhile, Col. (Retd) Suwarn Singh, 82, shared his hopes for better healthcare and elder support: “I have been voting in every election for decades, and I am here again for a better healthcare system and support for the elderly.” Similarly, many senior citizens expressed a desire for improved public services and infrastructure.

Similarly, 98-year-old Dropti Nagpal, a resident of Sector 14, echoed the same as many senior citizens and noted that it is the duty of all eligible individuals to vote. “I have always voted in assembly and general elections and never missed it since 1947. I have always felt that voting is our duty to strengthen democracy. I have voted to strengthen the agenda of development this time,” she added.

While there was significant criticism of the state government, some senior citizen voters supported the initiatives of the union government. Dr SN Prasad, 80, a resident of Malibu Towne, commended the progress made under the Bharatiya Janata Party’s leadership. “The health facilities have improved, and schemes such as Ayushman Bharat have helped improve lives. The road infrastructure and expressway built by the government have also boosted development. However, there is no doubt that the health facilities in Gurugram need to be enhanced.”

Though most senior citizens voiced concerns about civic issues, there was a consensus on the importance of voting. Many stressed the need to keep politics away from religious and caste divides to maintain national unity.

“The elections should not divide the people in the name of caste and community. We have to live together and work with each other after the elections are over whatever may be the results of these politics,” said Suresh Yadav, XX, a resident of Badshahpur.

  • Abhishek Behl
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Abhishek Behl

    Abhishek Behl is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times, Gurugram bureau. With over a decade of experience in journalism, he reports on Gurugram's rapid urban transformation, covering the city's changing infrastructure, governance, and planning landscape. His reporting spans major civic agencies, such as the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Behl has reported on key urban development issues such as RRTS projects, metro expansion, road and highway projects, water supply, drainage, mobility, environmental concerns, land use planning, affordable housing, and the city's real estate sector. He closely tracks policy decisions, infrastructure implementation, and their impact on the city and its residents. He also covers regulatory action against illegal constructions, urban flooding, traffic management, and initiatives aimed at improving civic services and sustainable development. Behl has also written on political developments in south Haryana, focusing on elections and governance. His journalism is driven by fact-based reporting, ground-level coverage, and an understanding of the social and economic dynamics of Gurugram. Apart from work he is a cyclist and a cricketer and a resident of Palam Vihar since 2010.Read More