Varanasi, June 01 (HS). In the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the voting process started in the district at 7 am on Saturday amid tight security. Voting began after the mock poll at 7 am. Voters started queuing up at their booths from 6.30 am for voting. Enthusiasm is being seen among voters at the booths since morning. Even VIPs showed enthusiasm for voting.
Sikkim Governor Laxman Acharya along with his wife voted with full enthusiasm at Primary Pathshaala Golaghat Ramnagar. After voting, the Governor of Sikkim said that this is both my right and duty. I am happy to discharge both. I appeal to the countrymen that everyone should exercise their right to vote.
Similarly, Minister of State Ravindra Jaiswal reached the booth of Government Girl's Inter College at Maldahia with pomp and show and cast his vote. In the same sequence, Minister of State with independent charge Dr. Dayashankar Mishra Dayalu cast his vote at Harishchandra Degree College at Maidagin, Mayor Ashok Tiwari at booth number 31 Irrigation Department Colony, District Panchayat President Poonam Maurya at booth number 332 Primary School Kadipur, City South MLA Dr. Neelkanth Tiwari at booth number 198 Primary School, Shankuldhara Pokhra, Cantt MLA Saurabh Srivastava at Composite School Mahmoorganj, BJP District President and MLC Hansraj Vishwakarma at booth number 185, Kanchanpur Rohania, BJP Metropolitan President Vidyasagar Rai at booth number 64 Rakesh Junior High School Nirala Nagar, Shivpurwa. There was a different enthusiasm among the youth, especially the first time voters, regarding voting.
In the same sequence, District Magistrate/District Election Officer S. Rajlingam along with his wife exercised their franchise in the model booth set up in the Cantonment Board Model Primary School in the Cantonment Board area. Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal, ADG Piyush Modiya and other officers of the area also exercised their franchise.
On this occasion, the District Election Officer appealed to the people of the district that they should definitely exercise their right to vote by considering it their responsibility. He informed that voting is going on smoothly at all the booths in the district. On the other hand, State Congress President Ajay Rai, the candidate of Indy alliance from Varanasi, visited the Lord Ganesha temple at Bada Ganesh before voting. After this, he voted along with his wife and son at the booth set up in Basant Public School located at Ramakant Nagar Pishamachan. In view of the intense heat and hot wind, people decided to vote and started reaching the booths in the morning itself. Voting slips had reached most of the voters a day before.
A total of seven candidates including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are in the fray from Varanasi parliamentary seat. Their fate will be decided by 19,97,577 voters, including 9,13,692 women voters. Half the population in Varanasi is in a decisive role, who will vote keeping in mind the issues related to women's respect and self-reliance. At the same time, 37,226 first-time voters between 18 and 19 years are also ready to play an important role in this election. In the last and seventh phase of the great Kumbh of democracy, voting is being held at 1909 polling stations of a total of 660 polling centers in the district. To ensure smooth conduct of the election, 127 sector magistrates, 18 zonal magistrates are patrolling with the force. From early morning, District Election Officer S. Rajlingam, Police Commissioner and other officers were seen reaching the booths to take stock of the arrangements and also taking information about voting from the presiding officers and polling personnel.
It is worth noting that voting has started on 13 seats of UP in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Varanasi seat is also included in the seats of this phase. Apart from Union Minister Dr. Mahendra Pandey, Pankaj Chaudhary and Anupriya Patel, the fate of 144 candidates including SP's Afzal Ansari will be decided.