Narmadapuram (Madhya Pradesh): The district administration made all efforts to increase voting percentage in the Hoshangabad parliamentary constituency that went to polls on Friday, but the outcome was not up to the mark. Extreme heat, wedding ceremonies and disenchantment among the citizens kept the voters indoors. Nevertheless, many polling booths were decked up on the theme of increasing vote percentage.
At one polling station, women presented a traditional dance appealing to people to cast votes. Several voters said had the Election Commission increased poll timings by an hour, the voter turnout could have increased. Many officers of the district administration visited markets in the city and informed shopkeepers about the importance of voting.
Wedding ceremonies
As many as 450 families were involved in wedding ceremonies, but the district administration made special arrangements for such families to cast voters. Sub-divisional magistrate (trainee IAS) T Prateek Rao gave sweets and gifts to the newlyweds who came to the polling booths to cast votes. Several couples cast votes after tying the knot.
Ex-serviceman, wife cast first vote
An ex-serviceman SK Malviya and his wife Rama Malviya were the first to cast votes at Kothibazar polling station. The presiding officer presented them a Tulsi plant.
80-year-old lawyer, wife cast votes
It was duty’s call, and 80-year-old lawyer Subodh Tiwari and his wife from Bhopal responded to it with courage. The extreme heat could not prevent this elderly couple from casting votes.
EVM goes out of order
At 11: 25am, EVM went out of order. Voting stopped at least for one hour. When another EVM was brought, the polling started at 12:22pm.
Angry villagers
Polling began at 11am in Khal village in Seoni Malwa assembly constituency. The villagers were angry because of potholed roads. Nevertheless, the officials rushed to the spot and pacified the villagers. Afterwards, they cast votes. Similarly, the residents of Nihbura village in Sohagpur assembly constituency boycotted election because of lack of roads and a culvert. But collector Sonia Meena and SP Gurkaran Singh pacified the villagers who cast their votes afterwards.
Ashutosh Rana casts ballot
Film actor Ashutosh Rana arrived at Gadarwara from Mumbai to cast vote. He said the country got democracy from the ancestors, so everyone should cast vote. Similarly, minister Rao Uday Pratap Singh cast vote in his home village, Lolri, along with his family members. MLA Sitasaran Sharma cast vote in Itarsi.
