Elderly voters turn out to exercise franchise; reiterate importance of voting in MCD bypolls

Elderly voters stepped out early on Sunday to cast their votes in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi bye-elections, emphasising the importance of participating in the democratic process and urging the younger generation to do the same.

Satish, an 88-year-old voter who was among the first in the queue, said he has never missed an election.

“We vote every time and are always among the first two or three people in line. While voting, we think about development. Everyone is working for the country, and we also encourage the youth to come out and vote because it is necessary for the country’s progress. They have the power to choose,” he said.

He arrived with Saroj, his wife, who stressed that the new generation must shoulder responsibility.

“Young people have new ideas and new thinking. They must be constructive and come forward. We, elders, will step back eventually, but the future belongs to them, so they should take responsibility,” she said.

Another voter, 79-year-old Agarwala, described voting as the “first duty” of every citizen.

Keeping a few local issues in mind, he said he cast his vote with the hope that they would be addressed. He also appealed to younger voters to “Wake up early, come out, and take responsibility so the country can move ahead safely.”

Similarly, 69-year-old Kishor said mornings provide ample time for voting and stressed the importance of choosing the right representative.

“Casting your vote is very important. How will you know what your councillor is doing unless you vote? Only by electing them can you understand your representative,” he said.

Polling began Sunday morning amid tight security and will continue until 5.30 pm.

The election is being closely tracked as it is expected to reflect the public mood in the national capital months after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s sweeping victory in the Delhi Assembly elections earlier this year.