BENGALURU, 26 APRIL

Friday was anything but ordinary for the residents of Hanumanthnagar in Bengaluru. At 7 am, a vessel seller roused them from sleep, urging them to vote in the Lok Sabha elections. His loudspeaker blared: “Wake up, cast your vote, and exercise your democratic right to protect your livelihood.”

Anticipating the rising summer heat, voters started queuing at the Government Primary School as early as 6:45 am. “I usually go for a morning walk every day. I thought I would finish my voting rather than come back in this heat,” Venkatesh Iyer, 45, a priest, told Salar News.  

In other parts of the City, despite the temperatures touching a maximum of around 36 degrees Celsius and limited facilities at some polling booths, people from all walks of life came together on Friday to celebrate the festival of democracy. But in some places, buttermilk, juice and water bottles were offered to voters who had to swelter the heat and humidity. 

Sree Veerandra Patil Degree College in Sadashivnagar had an uneven ramp, because of which specially disabled people had to be carried by the people. “It was uncomfortable for me and my fellow disabled friends to use the ramp to cast their votes,” said Shruti Naryana, a specially-abled person and accountant. Similar incidents were witnessed at Government High School in Jakkur and Government Model School in Azad Nagar.

At some polling booths, voters had to sweat it out as there were no drinking water facilities in the searing summer. Some voters at the polling booth at Government Primary School in Chickpet had to wait for nearly three hours with no drinking water to cast their votes. “We all know how bad the Bengaluru weather has been. They should have made adequate drinking water facilities for the voters,” said Prakash Leenakumar, a trader.

Some braved their bad health to cast votes. “My health may be a concern, but participating in the electoral process is crucial for shaping our future,” said Rajeshwari S, a housewife battling psoriatic arthritis, who cast her vote at a polling station of Christ High School and PU College in Kaggalipura, Kanakapura Road.

The sale of liquor was banned from 5pm on Wednesday till Friday midnight in Bengaluru. Despite the ban, booze was available across the City in the black market for double the price and since Friday was a holiday, tipplers made a beeline to bars and black marketers adjoining the bars.

Local auto rickshaw drivers had a field day on Friday, by offering a package deal for Rs 500 for pick up and drop to the polling booth and back home for a distance of 10 to 15 kilometres. —Salar News