Past 100, braving scorcher, they vote in Kashi

Varanasi: Several enthusiastic centenarians and elderly

voters

braved the summer heat on Sunday to queue up at polling booths in the high-profile Varanasi constituency, where PM Narendra Modi is in fray.

“It is not just a right, but also my duty towards the nation. I fulfilled my duty, and expect others to be part of this festival of democracy,” said 123-year-old Sivananda Baba, perhaps the oldest voter in the country. As per his Aadhaar card, his date of birth is August 8, 1896. According to Guinness World Records, the all-time record for the oldest person ever is held by Jeanne Louise Calment from France, who lived 122 years 164 days, from 1875-1997.

Baba cast his vote at the polling booth in a primary school of Durgakund area. He was accompanied by his disciples. Born and brought up in Bengal, he leads a simple life in a small flat on second floor in Kabir Nagar colony, which is revered as an ashram by his disciples.

Another centenarian, Shivpujan Mishra, a resident of Kaiwalyadham Colony, reached the polling booth in Durgakund on a wheelchair, accompanied by his son Vijay Shankar Mishra, a retired professor, to cast his vote. His voter identity card pegs his age at 107.

Though Mishra is younger than Sivanand Baba, he is physically weak and has a fading memory. Mishra, a native of Vayepur Devkali village in Ghazipur district, retired as principal of DAV Inter College. An alumnus of Banaras Hindu University, Mishra has been wearing khadi since 1942 and was associated with the freedom struggle, said his son Vijay. He couldn’t reach his native place to vote in 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 assembly polls due to ill health, but kept his tryst with democracy this time.

Munesara Devi, resident of Madaw village, claims to have voted in every election. Munesara, an illiterate, reached the polling centre in village primary school with her son. She said, “Humne aaj tak ke har election mein vote dala hai (I go to cast my vote in every election).”

While many elderly, undeterred by their ailment and age, exercised their right to vote, some had to return disappointed. 100-year-old Kailash Chandra Bharadhwaj could not cast his vote as his name was missing from voter list. A resident of Girinagar colony in Birdopur area, Kailash celebrated his 100th birthday recently and pledged 100% polling from his family having 25 voters. His son Avinash Chandra, an income tax lawyer, said it was the first time since the first general election in 1952 when he could not cast his vote.