Nonagenarian Baburao Akhade was among 41 eligible voters from the remote hamlet Burudmal under Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra who for the first time didn’t have to trek 12 km to cast their votes, which was the case until 2019 elections.
Voting was held for 11 of 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the third phase on Tuesday.
This is the first time that officials established a polling station in a nearby school for eligible electors enabling us to take part in the festival of democracy- elections, in our hamlet.
Located 35 km away from Bhor town in Velhe tehsil of Pune district, Burudmal is the smallest polling station with 41 eligible voters under the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency.
By 3 pm on Tuesday, 39 voters, including a first-timer, had exercised their franchise, registering a 95 per cent turnout.
“This has happened for the first time in our lifetime that a polling station has been set up near our houses here in Burudmal. Till the last elections, we all had to go on foot to Sangvi Velvade Khore (valley) to cast votes, which is almost 12 km from here,” said 90-year-old Akhade, the senior-most voter among the flock.
But this time, a polling station was set up in a school, located just next to our houses, giving us much-required comfort in the scorching summer heat, he said.
A youngster, Mahesh Gore claimed this is for the first time after Independence that a polling station was established in the hamlet.
“Earlier, we used to trek and cross two rivers on a boat to reach the polling station, which was 12-km away. Voters, including senior citizens and women, used to find it difficult to get there.
“Considering all these hardships, we had appealed to the Sub-Divisional Officer, Bhor division, to set up a polling station. The administration acted swiftly. Today, 40 of the 41 voters exercised their franchise here,” he said.
According to villagers, the population of Burudmal is 150 and most of the young residents work in Mumbai.
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