Seventy-two-year-old Shivalingamma from Kunigal, Tumakuru, spent her youth working as a manual labourer and had to turn to begging in her old age. She will vote for the first time on May 12. She has been living at the Beggar's Rehabilitation Centre, Sumanahalli, for six months and was enrolled as part of a special voter registration drive on Saturday. “Gram panchayat leaders got me enrolled as a voter earlier, but I have never voted so far. I will vote this time,” she said.
She is one of the 508 residents of the Beggar's Rehabilitation Centre who were enrolled in the drive, following a directive from the High Court to the Election Commission of India to give voting rights to beggars, homeless people and undertrials.
A team of BBMP officials, on Saturday, enrolled all the residents – 364 men and 144 women – who filled Form 6 giving the rehabilitation centre as their residential address. They were given a demonstration on how to use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT.
N. Manjunath Prasad, chief returning officer, Bengaluru, said they will be added as voters of Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency.
“Never before have they been given voting rights,” said Chandra Naik, secretary, Beggar Relief Committee.
Raghavendra, 70, also from Tumakuru, proved to be a keen political observer. He had voted in all elections, and would do so again. He held forth, to anyone who would listen, on the fortunes of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
Many residents wanted to be allowed to return to their home towns to vote. But officials of the Centre said that, as per the rules, they could be let out only after getting permission from the tehsildar or if their family came to claim them. Every year, at least 80 residents are released from the Centre every month, even as new ones join.
There were several other problems as well. Some residents hail from other States. They neither know the local language nor have any clue of local politics, but were enrolled. Anil Kumar, 38, from Nanded in Maharashtra, said that he does not know who to vote for as he is ignorant of the politics here.
179 homeless people registered
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) registered 179 homeless people, who regularly sleep in the civic body’s five night shelters. Their names will be added in the voter rolls of the constituencies where these night shelters are located.
However, beggars and homeless people will not be able to vote. BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said that it is not possible to enrol them as voters as the EC rules mandate a residential address. “Beggars and homeless associated with government-run institutions can be enrolled as officials will vouch for them and the institution’s address can be taken as the residential address,” he said.
