There are a few things that may have contributed to the higher polling percentage this time in the city. As it was a public holiday, traders kept their shops closed till the voting while malls and multiplexes too downed shutters. A much lenient approach by the administration towards voters for identification as compared to that during Lok Sabha polls resulted in a better turnout of voters across the city.

There was an extensive drive by the district administration before the polls for issuing voter identity cards, but not all could manage to get them. However, those who received didn’t seem to be comfortable due to the mistakes in their card.

The decision of allowing the voters to exercise their right to vote on producing one of the 14 documents recognised by the Election Commission probably resulted in a positive response. “I was not allowed to vote during the Lok Sabha polls due to mistake in the name registered in the electoral list. The mistake remained unchanged despite formal application, but I was allowed to vote this time,” Surendra Jadhav from Dhayari said.

Ramchandra Salunkhe, a pensioner, was worried whether he would be allowed to vote since his ration card had been lost. The poll staff allowed him and his entire family to vote on the basis of the central government health card of his family.

Maya Mangwani (59) who could not vote during the LS elections because of mistake in her name, age and address on voter-I card was surprised when she was allowed to vote this time. “The name has been wrongly written as Maya Anil Mangwani instead of Maya Amol Mangwani, the birth year has been changed from 1950 to 1937 and the address too has been misprinted as Sanewadi instead of Aundh D P Road,” Mangwani said.

... contd.