Long queues of women voters were seen outside various polling stations since early morning, hinting a high turnout of female electorates in the second phase of the Assembly polls today.
The serpentine queues included women across ages, professions and backgrounds. From elderly women voters to the first timers, the determination of not missing their right to adult franchise was seen in all who stood enthusiastically participating in the democratic process. Numerous women, who had queued up at polling stations claimed that they had prioritised their vote this time as a result of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Fear of losing their right to vote had made them adjust their routine and even fly down from distant countries.
Fear of political disruptions or technical glitches that might hinder their vote brought the women early to the booths. “I skipped my breakfast, asked my children to have biscuits and tea today and hurried to cast my vote,” said Rukhsana Khatoon, a voter of Kidderpore, under the Bhawanipore Assembly Constituency. “The morning hours are the busiest parts of my daily life. But today, I decided to skip the morning chores and cast my vote at the earliest,” she said. Nazia Khan, another woman voter in Ekbalpore, further added: “Till the last elections, I would take my own time to come out to vote. But this time, I did not want to take any risks. Given the concerns, I decided to come to the booth as early as possible. I am standing in the queue from 7.30 a.m.”
Numerous women voters who are married to distant states came back to cast their votes. While some boarded flights and trains, others availed buses to travel to their maternal homes to avoid missing their right to vote. Anita Saha, married in the neighbouring state of Odisha, left two of her young children and husband to be able to cast her vote. “I have left my two young sons aged four years and eight years with my husband to come to Kolkata and cast my vote. I availed an overnight bus and would leave for Odisha the next morning,” informed the voter of Maniktala constituency. Like Anita, Payal Chakraborty flew from Kerala to cast her vote. “Had it been any other time, I would not have been able to come up as my daughter is unwell,” said Payal. “But since this was of prime importance in the background of the SIR, I left my daughter with my mother-in-law to cast my vote here. Leaving behind my daughter was a tough decision while giving out the vote amiss was also not an option. So it took me some time to find a solution to the problem. I’m relieved that I am able to cast my vote. I will return to Thiruvananthapuram in the afternoon tomorrow,” reiterated the mother of a six-year-old girl child.
Women from even far off nations returned to cast their vote. “I work in the IT sector in the Netherlands and have been employed there for the past one and a half years. Learning that lakh of voters had lost their voting rights in the background of the SIR, I had fears that skipping my vote this time could cost my right to vote, which I did not want. So, I took a three days’ leave from work and flew down from the Netherlands to be able to exercise my franchise,” pointed out the IT professional, a voter from Jadavpur.