The Hindu : New Delhi News : Men outnumber women in New Delhi

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Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
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New Delhi

Men outnumber women in New Delhi

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

NEW DELHI: Taking measured steps to cover the distance from his residence to the polling booth in Moti Nagar, 90-plus Tilak Raj was in no mood to let the early morning chill or his ill health keep him from casting his vote. The nonagenarian, who has rarely ever given elections a miss, said he does not believe in “abstaining”.

So on Saturday Tilak Raj was at Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Moti Nagar, which is a segment of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency, to cast his vote. He was not alone. A stream of other aged people slowly inched their way to the polling station, which had recorded 20 per cent turnout by 12 noon.

At the same polling station, 85-year-old Hansraj, walking with the aid of a walker, was accompanied by his son to cast the vote for the man who made it possible for him to receive his old age pension “without having to run around”. The only glitch at this polling station with four booths was the delay of half-hour that occurred due to malfunctioning of an electronic voting machine.

In neighbouring Patel Nagar, voters seemed keen to come out to cast their votes. At the three polling booths in DAV School, the voter turnout till 11-30 a.m. was 40 per cent, with more men than women casting their ballot.

In Karol Bagh, long queues outside the six booths were seen at the Nigam Adarsh Vidyalaya. While most voters found their names in the electoral list and seemed satisfied with the functioning of the EVMs, Bhupendra Kumar was trying hard to convince the officials to allow him to vote. “It is strange, I have the old card and I even submitted the fresh forms and the photographs, but while my wife’s name has been added mine is missing,” he said. The voter turnout at this polling station too was about 35 per cent by noon.

The polling booths at the Cantonment Board School in Delhi Cantonment wore a deserted look as voters trickled in at brief intervals. Here, too, the aged scored over the young . A mere 24 per cent had turned up to vote at this station till 12-30 p.m.

At R. K. Puram, the crowds began trickling in only after lunch. Here, too, the men seemed keener to exercise their franchise than women. At the two polling booths set up in one of the schools, 90 women had turned by 1 p.m. “During the first half of the day, very few people came in to vote. A majority of those who came were aged people and that too men. Women somehow show little inclination to come out and vote,” said an official.

The largest voter turnout in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency was in the Malviya Nagar segment. Serpentine queues were seen at Prathmik Vidyalala where seven polling booths had been set up. Polling assistance booths were swarming with . “I have not had a moment’s break since morning. I have noticed that a large number of the elderly are queuing up too,” said an official. In Greater Kailash, where BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate V. K. Malhotra is seeking election, voting picked up after lunch. At the Arya Shishu Shala polling station, the voter turnout was between 30 and 35 per cent by 2 p.m.

“People have a perceived notion that the rich and the educated do not vote. It is incorrect. We are motivating each other to make an informed choice,” said S. K. Malhotra, a local resident.

At Kasturba Nagar polling station, the crowds again began trickling in after lunch. At polling booth No.101, an 85-year-old woman was alleged to have been disallowed to vote because she did not have a valid identity proof. According to a resident of Kasturba Nagar, a person manning the booth allegedly abused Usha Chabra for not possessing an identity card. At the VIP polling booth in Nirman Bhavan, apart from several Members of Parliament who were scheduled to cast their votes, quite a few “commoners” too trooped in to cast their ballot.

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