Kolkata: She is “102 not out” with a zeal to cast her vote.
Sarala Bala Dey was born when the British ruled India, but most of her memories are blurred now. TOI accompanied the EC members to her room in a two-storey building on Shyampukur Street where she was sitting on the floor with a stand fan at her back. “Do I cast my vote?” Dey asked while giving a thumb impression.Dey told TOI, “I can’t remember my past properly now but I want to cast my vote.” Her daughter-in-law Srabani Dey said, “For a long time, she stopped casting her vote and her voter card was also cancelled. In 2022, her card was renewed and she availed of this facility from home. We are hopeful that this time also, she will be able to cast her vote.”
Election Commission officials on Thursday went to north Kolkata homes as part of their door-to-door campaign to reach out to voters aged 85 and above. Thursday was the last day when voters aged 85-plus could fill their 12D forms to vote from home. Kolkata goes to polls on June 1.
Another senior citizen, 91-year-old Rama Banerjee, who resides at Aurobindo Sarani, was also visited by EC members for collection of her thumb impression. However, Rama Banerjee declined to provide her thumb impression and instead insisted on signing on her own, demonstrating her determination to participate in the electoral process. “I can’t stand in long queue but I want to cast vote.” Her son Pradip Banerjee said her mother is feeble in terms of her health but she is mentally sound and strong.
Similarly, Giri Shaw, a 93-year-old resident of Rabindra Sarani said till last assembly election, she took part in the electoral process but this time her daughter Ranga Shaw applied for availing this facility. “I got to know that my mother can avail this facility due to her age and I applied for it.”
EC’s Shyampukur assembly supervisor Sreya Shom said, “We had conducted an awareness programme and visited the homes of locals. We are happy that these people are cooperating with us to be a part of the electoral process.”