Elderly voters turn out to exercise franchise; seek improved healthcare facilities, roads

New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) Elderly voters, accompanied by their family members or police personnel, stepped out to exercise their franchise in the Delhi assembly polls on Wednesday.

Former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal escorted his elderly parents, who were in wheelchairs, to the polling station.

“My parents have been unwell but they had been excited since the morning to cast their votes. They put in all their effort to vote,” he said.

Asif (83) and his 80-year-old wife Masra Asand arrived at a polling station in Shaheen Bagh with their grandchild. The wheelchair-bound couple also encouraged others to cast their votes.

“Everyone is working hard to earn a living and support their families but the condition of roads and sanitation remains a major concern. These issues should be prioritised. Other than that, we are not expecting any major changes,” they said.

Shaukat Ali, a 91-year-old resident of Zaffrabad in northeast Delhi, wants better healthcare facilities for the elderly.

“The healthcare facilities are in a bad state. One has to stand in long queues to get treatment. People who use their contacts are preferred while the common man keeps waiting their turn,” he told PTI.

In Kalkaji, 85-year-old Ram Pyari was escorted to the booth by her 62-year-old daughter Reena.

Reena said, “My mother is always excited about voting. On Tuesday, she was explaining the election process to my granddaughter, who is in Class 8. Like every time, we came to vote together.”

Talking about the issues plaguing Delhi, she said the roads were in terrible shape and their condition was deteriorating.

“But no matter what, we make sure to vote. The garbage needs to be cleaned — there’s no point in having clean houses if, as soon as we step outside, we have to walk through open drains and piles of waste,” she added.

At many places, the elderly were escorted by police personnel.

In Sarojini Nagar, police personnel escorted a 92-year-old woman to Atal Adarsh Vidyalaya where she exercised her franchise.