Side lights: Groom's vow: First vote, then marry

Side lights: Groom's vow: First vote, then marry
Groom's vow: First vote, then marry

Akshay Patil, a 23-year-old farmer from Mangrul village in Kalyan, tied the knot with his childhood sweetheart Asha yesterday after she agreed to his sole condition -that he would vote first, then marry her. The couple's marriage was fixed on Thursday, but Patil told his father Balaram that he would marry Asha only after casting his vote. Though the auspicious hour was noon, Akshay was at the polling booth at the time, waiting in line in his wedding outfit. On seeing him, other voters let him jump the queue and get back to his wedding.

Student flies from France for first vote

A 20-year-old Mumbaikar studing at a university in France flew all the way to the city to cast his vote. Anirudh Ravishankar, a student of economics, is pursuing a threeyear course in France. A few months ago, he was selected for an exchange programme and moved to London. A few weeks ago, when he got know the election date in Mumbai, Ravishankar, a resident of Great Eastern Apartments in Kanjurmarg, decided to return home. "Easter break ended last Tuesday and my classes had already resumed. However, I felt I should not miss the opportunity to vote for the first time. I have a chance to be a part of something historic - the world's largest election, in which over 800 million voters get to exercise their right."

Voting a duty, says 112-year-old

Maribai Umersayyed, 112 years old, cast her vote early in Khar in North-Central Mumbai constituency. Officials at the polling station said that she was one of the oldest voters in the city if not the oldest. “People must come out and vote. Unless they vote, they have no right to complain. Voting is a duty and a responsibility,” she said. Umersayyed, who hasn't missed voting in a single election since Independance, was accompanied by her entire family, spanning four generations. Even her grandchildren came along to cheer her.

EC'S Little helpers traverse Juhu

At Janaki Kutir in Juhu, about a dozen children stepped out of there homes around 9 am, armed with placards they had made over the past few days. They knocked on all the doors in the sprawling complex, urging people to go out and vote. As soon as someone answered the door, the kids would shout in chorus, "Vote for a better India". Once they had covered the entire complex, comprising 25 buildings and a few villas, they took their message to other buildings in the neighbourhood.

50 Transgenders vote for first time

Madhuri Sarode, Urmi Jadhav and Sameera Kale were among 50 transgender people who voted for the first time on Thusday, having received their voter ID cards in mid-April.

Sarode, who works with the Humsafar Foundation at Vakola, said, "We have been demanding our voting rights and our prayers have been answered this year. I travelled from Vakola to Kalyan to cast my vote, as my residential proof is in Vithalwadi, Kalyan (E)."

"We are happy that the Supreme Court has recognised our community and given us the right to vote," said Nita Kini, who heads the Kinnar Asmita, a social welfare outfit for transgenders. "We have 1,225 members but only a fraction received their voter IDs, and hence only around 50 people from community were able to vote this time," she said.



98 lakh
Voters
in Mumbai

2014
52.66%
Mumbai

2009
43%
Mumbai