E-Paper
Elite voters stay indoors, skip polling
Busy thoroughfares of the city remained deserted on Tuesday as people were seen streaming towards the polling stations set up in their localities to cast vote for the Nagar Nigam elections. Though cops were not seen stopping movement of vehicles but people preferred to remain indoors. The citizens preferred to venture out on foot to exercise their right in case they wished.
Busy thoroughfares of the city remained deserted on Tuesday as people were seen streaming towards the polling stations set up in their localities to cast vote for the Nagar Nigam elections.
Though cops were not seen stopping movement of vehicles but people preferred to remain indoors. The citizens preferred to venture out on foot to exercise their right in case they wished. As it has become a trend the elite were yet again hardly seen anywhere near the polling booths. Hardly 20 percent of this lot ventured out of their cosy comforts.
Barricading had been done at several places but cops were not seen acting tough as it happens usually during election time. Those who ventured out in their vehicles were not stopped. Cops behaved in a restrained manner and were hardly seen concentrating at any one place except where there were reports of violence.
Even at big polling booths cops appeared in fewer number. The enthusiasm level amongst the voters appeared average except at places where members of one community dominated the scene. In comparison to city west and south, crowd in the city north was thin.
Voters had started standing in the queue since morning. And this was because they wanted to avoid the heat of the sun. But their calculations proved wrong as weather throughout the day remained pleasant and people had no difficulty in standing in a queue.
Muslim women came out in large numbers to vote in areas dominated by members of their community. Resentment prevailed amongst voters at several places as they had to travel a long distance to cast their votes. A good number of residents of Minto Road had to travel upto Newada to vote for their candidates. There were reports of bogus voting also, a number of voters of Daraganj were peeved after realising that their votes had been cast by others.
Corporator candidates appeared successful in persuading voters to come out of their four walls. It was a festival like atmosphere at most of the polling stations except at places where stray cases of violence were witnessed.
