MCD poll: Feel empowered after voting, say differently-abled voters

Being wheelchair-bound or walking with crutches was not a deterrent for differently-abled Delhi residents who enthusiastically arrived at the polling booths on Sunday to make their vote count for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election.

Praveen (56), whose family brought him to the booth in a wheelchair, said, ''Every vote matters''.

''Everyone should come out and exercise their right. Cleanliness was the main issue on my mind when I cast my vote,'' he said.

Hari Om (70) arrived at the polling booth holding crutches.

''There are many issues in our area and I don't know whether they will be addressed. But I knew I had to ensure that my vote counts,'' he said.

Voting for the high-stakes civic poll in Delhi is largely seen as a three-way contest among the AAP, the BJP and the Congress.

Over 1.45 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the election to the 250 MCD wards, the results of which may have ramifications beyond the national capital.

Ramu Yadav (55), who is visually impaired, said he felt empowered casting his vote.

Kamal Kishore, who has been suffering from paralysis for 15 years, reached the polling booth in the morning.

''This is a right given to us by the Constitution and we should exercise it because each vote counts,'' he said.

Eight-four-year-old Khulbhushan Gupta, who came in a wheelchair, said he has not missed voting in the last few years.

''I feel strong and confident when I vote. It empowers me and I feel I have done my duty,'' he said.

When asked what his priority was, Gupta said, ''Of course, development is the key issue. I want my locality to be further developed and equipped with all the facilities it deserves.'' A daily wager, Mohammad Rashid, who is jobless for over a month due to an accident, reached the Khazoori Khas polling station with the help of a stick only because of his faith - ''change starts from us.'' At the gate of the booth, he was assisted by polling agents and police personnel, who provided the 48-year-old with a wheelchair and ensured he gets to cast his vote first.

Undeterred by the bad circumstances, the high-spirited Rashid wants political leaders who can spreadhead change in society.

''You can see I cannot walk but I still came because change starts with us. As you know voting is important for change. I want political leaders who can uplift the society,'' he said.

Talking about his injury, Rashid said his leg was fractured after he fell at work one day.

''Probably the cast will be removed next week. I am hopeful. That it will be removed. Then only I can find work,'' he said, adding that the government and local bodies should help people like him.

Gyaan Prakash, who is paralysed below the waist, came in a wheelchair to exercise his franchise.

Prakash is of the view that if he can overcome his condition and still come to cast a vote nothing should stop the youth.

''I am here to exercise my right. Everybody should understand the importance of voting,'' he said.

Assisted by her son, 67-year-old Shakuntla reached the polling station in Bhajanpura. She faces difficulty in walking due to a six-year-old accident.

''Voting is important. I haven't missed any elections. I walk with the help of a walker. But I had to come to cast my vote. It is our right,'' Shakuntla said.

She said there are a lot of problems in her area. There are no proper roads, no cleanliness and no streetlight.

The erstwhile MCD, established in 1958, was trifurcated in 2012 during Sheila Dikshit's tenure as the chief minister. ''We disabled people face a lot of problems due to the lack of infrastructure. Whosoever comes in power should take care of that,'' she added. There were three corporations — North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) — in Delhi that were reunified into an MCD on May 22. With the announcement of the MCD polling date by State Election Commissioner Vijay Dev on November 4, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into immediate effect in the Union territory. Both the AAP and the BJP have exuded confidence that they will emerge victorious in the polls while the Congress is seeking to regain lost turf.