Pune: Slum pockets in Pune and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) areas registered a good voter turnout, particularly during evening hours, as workers from all political outfits went the extra mile to mobilise electors to benefit their parties. Except for a couple of hours in the afternoon, officials said they noticed a constant flow of voters at polling booths in slum pockets. During morning hours, people of all age groups were seen exercising their franchise.
Some voters expressed frustration over initial glitches in the electronic voting machines (EVMs), which forced them to stand in queues for longer durations. However, officials on duty said the issues were resolved within 30 minutes. Voting began slowly at the Siddharthnagar slum pocket on NIBM Road but picked up pace around noon. However, several residents remained indoors, and many voters who turned up were from nearby localities. “Yes, I will vote. Unlike people living in plush housing societies, we have a lot of work to do in the mornings and cannot waste time. I have already checked, and I will come in the afternoon to vote,” said Shanti Ubale, a domestic worker, as she hurried out for work. Her husband Pratap, an autorickshaw driver, said, “Business today looks good as many people are coming. I was hired by a party to pick up voters and drop them at polling stations and home. I will be paid in the evening. I already voted as it will be a busy day.” At the Rajiv Gandhinagar slum pocket in Yerawada, too, many residents said they planned to vote in the second half of the day. “I have to open my garage at 9am and hence, couldn’t vote in the morning. But I plan to close shop early and stand in the queue. Mornings are difficult,” said Pandurang Gadwe, a two-wheeler mechanic. His friend added, “In slum areas, most people vote in the afternoon as there are ‘perks’ available. Party workers come to our homes, hand us slips, and confirm polling booths.” Similar views were shared by residents in Janata Vasahat slum pocket in Parvati area. “Many have voted, but many are waiting for the afternoon. I already voted as I have a train to catch to Mumbai in the evening. Development and cleanliness are major issues, and we hope they will be addressed,” said Vikas Balwe, a driver. His parents, however, said they would vote later in the day. “If we get proper and uninterrupted water supply, it will be good,” said the Balwes. Voters said party workers made elaborate arrangements to transport them to polling booths. “All party leaders ensured that voter slips were delivered to our homes in advance, which made it easy for us to locate our booths. This proved particularly handy in the evening hours, when many voters rushed to cast their franchise,” said Akash Waghmare from the Pimpri market slum area. Political party workers arranged autorickshaws and cars to ferry voters to polling booths and back. “The transport facility mainly helped senior citizens,” said Sagar Kale from the Kudalwadi slum pocket in Chikhali. Ganesh Kadam, a political party worker in the Shastrinagar slums of Kothrud, said party workers even used their two-wheelers to pick up voters. Voting in these pockets was reported to be peaceful amid heavy deployment of police personnel and the presence of party workers. “We took extra precautions in several sensitive pockets, especially densely populated slum areas such as Ambedkarnagar in Pimpri and Kudalwadi. Additional force was deployed in these localities to ensure voting was conducted without any hindrance,” said Sarang Awad, additional commissioner of police. In Kudalwadi, one of the largest slum pockets in PCMC limits, election officials said voter turnout was steady since morning, with several booths recording over 10% polling in the early hours. Party workers were seen patrolling lanes and bylanes of the slum pockets, keeping a close watch on each other’s activities.
