He Pune Municipal Corporation Elections On January 15, it did not have the facility of home voting for elderly voters or people with disabilities. This was a difference from November 2024 when, as part of a special home voting initiative by the Election Commission, senior citizens and disabled voters in Pune were given the opportunity to cast their votes from home in the state assembly elections.
At the Kroot Memorial School Azad Nagar polling station, Animesh Mantravadi had to wait for a while before his request for a wheelchair for his 80-year-old father Vijay was met.
“My father has a paralytic condition and despite his ailment, he has come to ply his franchise. We had to wait for some time before getting a wheelchair,” Animesh said.
Eager to cast her vote for Thursday’s civic elections in PuneSusheela Banave, 75, also had to wait and stood with her walker on Shivarkar Road before her grandson Shivam could get a wheelchair at the Mahadji Shinde School polling station, Wanowrie.
Several senior citizens in Pune’s Wanowrie area had to face tough times as not only was there a delay in using a wheelchair but some were also non-functional. Some were even seen abandoning this support and walking slowly towards the polling booth which is located a long distance from the gate of Kroot Memorial School in Azad Nagar.
Dr Suryakant Deokar, deputy medical officer, Pune Municipal Corporation, said they had provided wheelchairs at 932 centres. Dr Ketaki Ghatge, Wanowrie district doctor, said they had also provided 65 wheelchairs in the buildings where the polling stations were located. Dr Ghatge visited centers where concerns were raised and said some wheelchairs were old, but the problem was resolved immediately.
In several areas like Erandwane, disabled voters and elderly people were supported in wheelchairs to cast their votes in the PMC elections. Animesh Mantravadi got his parents to exercise their franchise at Kroot Memorial School in Azad Nagar. They waited in their vehicle due to a delay in getting a wheelchair. His father, Vijay Mantravadi, is 80 years old and says that despite his condition he has come to vote.
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Mandakini Dandnaik (85), voting at Moreshwar Sabhagruha, Dattawadi in Pune, said the voting process was smooth and well-managed. As a senior, he was given priority and the necessary assistance, allowing him to complete the process in approximately 10 minutes. He said he has never missed voting in any election, calling it a privilege and responsibility, and urged young voters to exercise their right to vote.
At the same booth, Dilip Kolhe (73) said voters were required to cast four votes but only three voting machines had been provided. “The machines were color-coded. Voters had to cast one vote each in the first two machines and two votes in the third. As an educated voter, I could manage, but I saw others having difficulty with the process. Providing four separate machines would have made voting easier, especially for less informed voters,” he said.
In Abhinav Vidyalaya, contrasting experiences of voters highlighted systemic gaps. Sandhya Bhadkambkar (74) and her husband Deepak Bhadkambkar (75), a couple, suffered a logistical error: “As senior citizens, we should not have been divided. We were allotted different polling booths despite filling the correct details,” they said.
Another Moreshwar Sabhagruh voter Satish (78) said: “The requirement to cast four votes was confusing and did not make sense to me, especially as it is a change from the previous system.” And he added: “Instead of reducing differences, these changes only create chaos.” Expressing disappointment over the repeated pre-election assurances, he said: “Before every election, assurances are given, but once the candidates are elected, citizens are rarely heard when we approach their offices.” Despite his discontent, he said that not voting was not a solution.
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Satish Rajpathak (69) said, “The voting experience was largely smooth,” but noted shortcomings in assistance to senior citizens. “Priority aid is given only to voters over 75 or 80 years of age. People over 60 who require assistance should also be considered,” he said.
Umesh Gogate (68) has been going from one polling station to another since 7:30 in Baner. The booth allotted to him is not there and his name does not appear in the other 2-3 booths nearby, such as polling booths 60 and 61. “My wife’s name is also not in any booth and we cannot vote,” says the Athashri Baner resident. A person at the counter admitted to having had many such cases since the morning.
Two senior citizens, Anuradha Pol (81) and Anuradha Agharkar (81), both with a shared history of never missing a survey, expressed their satisfaction. “The staff was friendly, patient and guided us every step of the way,” they smiled. “Young people should also vote. It is not a privilege, it is a duty.”