Kolkata: The world’s biggest elections kicked off on Friday in the largest democracy on our planet.
In a country with a population of over 1.4 billion people, nearly a billion — 969 million to be precise – are eligible to voter In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Just compare it to the US, where no more than 170 million people are likely to be eligible to cast ballots in the national Presidential election in November, and you get an idea how big the Indian exercise is going to be.
The first of seven phases of polling over a span of six weeks presented several exciting images of common people braving severe heat to exercise their choice.
One of the most heartwarming pictures came from West Bengal’s Cooch Behar, where a very old woman, who claimed to be 102 years old, walked to her designated polling booth to cast her vote.
As a fellow-voter recorded a video, others around applauded the centenarian for coming all the way from home to vote.
Watch the video shared by Chief Electoral Office, West Bengal on its official handle:
108-year-old elector came to the polling station to cast her vote and be part of the festival of Democracy in Cooch Behar district, West Bengal.#ChunavKaParv #DeskKaGarv #Election2024 #IVote4Sure@ECISVEEP@SpokespersonECI@rajivkumarec@anuj_chandak@deocoochbehar pic.twitter.com/wDWEQSqoID
— CEO West Bengal (@CEOWestBengal) April 19, 2024
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced home voting facility for those who are aged 85 and above, but this lady didn’t bother to avail of the special initiative.
Taking part in the festival of democracy was important for her.
Hats off to her, that’s the spirit every eligible voter should display and come out to perform their democratic duty.
