Village on Delhi-Haryana border records highest voter turnout

Tucked away in the northernmost corner of Delhi, the small village of Bakhtawarpur finds itself in news for an admirable reason. The village recorded the highest turnout of voters for municipal election on Sunday — 69 per cent.

Tucked away in the northernmost corner of Delhi, the small village of Bakhtawarpur finds itself in news for an admirable reason. The village recorded the highest turnout of voters for municipal election on Sunday — 69 per cent.

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Located near the Delhi-Haryana border, Bakhtawarpur has a history of turning up in large numbers to exercise their franchise. In the last MCD elections, its voting percentage was 64.3 per cent. This time, it saw a rise of 4.7 per cent.

While residents of the more affluent parts of the city, especially in the south, preferred to stay home on election day, villagers of Bakhtawarpur braved the sun to follow their “tradition”.

Mohd Yasin Sabri, a resident of the village, said every villager has inherited the tradition of voting from his elders. “It is just not about supporting any particular candidate. We have voted for our self-respect.”

He said the village elders requested every member of all families to cast their votes.

The seat had been reserved for a women candidate this time.

Residents feel that a large number of young voters also have a contribution in making the area having the highest voter turnout.

“Youngsters from our area have voted in higher percentage this year. The election commission had motivated the young voters quite well this time, which is why the voters’ turnout has increased. Young kids have started understanding the importance of their vote,” said Virender Chauhan, another resident.