Lok Sabha polls: Senior citizens recollect old times

When G Nanjappa first cast his vote, he had to write the number of the candidate in a piece of paper and drop it in a box. Today, his constituency has a VVPat voting machine which displays the vote he cast.

DH spoke to several senior citizens around Bengaluru trying to draw a comparison between their first elections and the current one.

"I have lived here since I was five and have been coming to the same poling booth ever since," Nanjappa said speaking to DH.

It is three generations of voters in his family now. "I have not missed a single election till now. I make it a point to also encourage youngsters around me to vote. I tell them that all they need is an identity proof and they can cast their vote," he added.

A retired transport inspector, Nanjappa recollects that booth 49, where he voted today was a place not so easily accessible. "Since I was the inspector, I went after the higher officials to give us at least one bus," he added.

Over the years, this senior citizen believes the electoral process has also become easier. "Even the candidates are better now," he said. Nanjappa's wife who is 83 was accompanied by her grandson to the booth.

Meanwhile, 73-year-old Sucheta Shivaswamy who came to vote at Vijayayanagar urged the youngsters to come out in good numbers and vote.

Lakshmamma (67) was accompanied with two of her daughters to vote at Govindarajnagar in Bengaluru South.

"I voted for the first time when Indira Gandhi first came to power. Back then, I was given Rs 300 to cast my vote. In fact, many of us were not even aware who sent us the money. This time, the situation is different," she recollected. Today this woman lives on a pension of Rs 1,000.

While a few senior citizens believe that nothing has changed over the years and promises by candidates only remain good on paper, 76-year old Lakshmi Bai believes otherwise.

"I spent my childhood in Belagavi. Back then we wrote it in a piece of paper. With the new machine, I had challenges seeing the names. I had to seek assistance," she said.

Bai who had come to Basavanagudi National College, however, believes that over the years, candidates have turned more responsible and work better. The accountability has improved, she said.

Jayakakshmi recollects a time when campaigns involved a single microphone, roadshows and a large group of people knocking on their doors to seek votes.

Senior citizens believe that the focus has now shifted to seeking votes through the social media platform and using smart phones. Campaigns on Facebook and through messages overpower the real-time campaigning, they believe.

"People would come in large numbers for several weeks and make promises before seeking votes. Now, it is a silent process. We saw candidates come only once to seek votes. This is a massive difference," she said.