Early birds at polling booths in Gurugram share the excitement

Polling in Gurugram district for the state assembly elections began at 7 am on Monday morning with voters lining up at the booths to cast their vote from early in the morning. The voting concluded at 6 pm and the results for assembly elections will be announced on October 24.

However, low turnout of the voters was recorded in Haryana. Voters of the four assembly seats of Gurugram district including Badshahpur, Gurgaon, Pataudi and Sohna exercised their franchise. 45 percent people in Badshahpur, 51.2 percent in Gurgaon, 50 percent in Pataudi and 59 percent in Sohna cast their vote.

Many people arrived at the polling booths early in the morning with their families to cast their vote. Sharing his experience, Bhawani Shankar Tripathi, a resident of Sector 23 A, said, “I was seventh voter in the queue. I saw many elders in the line when arrived at the booth with my family to cast my vote in the morning. 

“It is disheartening to see the low turnout from the young generation. I don't understand what went wrong despite many efforts and awareness programmes” he said. 

Urging people to cast their vote, Rahul Chandola, a resident from DLF phase 1, said, “This is our responsibility as citizens of the country. I voted with my family and request others to come out and vote.”

Several people were seen checking their names in the voter list. First time voters seemed very eager to cast their vote. They were seen clicking selfies with inked finger feeling proud to be the citizen of the country. 

Shreya Sharma, a first time voter, said, “This is my first vote. I feeel it our right through which we elect our leader for the next five years. I want the new government to be more focussed on tackling the increasing pollution in the city and providing better higher education.”

In 2014, the turnout of voters in Gurgaon assembly seat was 64.11 percent, while in 2009 it was 54.17. Badshahpur constituency registered a turnout of 68.56 percent in 2014 compared to 64.61 percent in 2009. Pataudi seat registered a turnout of 68.44 percent in 2014 and 60.27 percent in 2009, while Sohna seat registered a turnout of 76.96 percent in 2014 and 74.46 percent in 2009.