103-year-old voter in Karnataka gets thank you call from CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has spoken to a 103-year-old voter in Karnataka’s Belagavi district over telephone and heartily thanked him for exercising his franchise using the home voting facility.

Mahadeva Mahalinga Mali recently voted from home at Chikkodi in Belagavi for the May 10 Karnataka assembly elections.

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Home voting takes place before the actual election in secrecy in the presence of election officials as well as representatives of political parties.

After the outbreak of the COVID-19, the Election Commission allowed home voting to voters 80 years and above besides those suffering from the infection or under quarantine.

CEC’s praise

Rajiv Kumar telephoned Mahadeva on Tuesday, saying elderly voters like him were an inspiration for young and urban voters to take part “in the festival of democracy”, officials in New Delhi said.

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Mahadeva thanked the election panel chief for the home facility and said he had voted the last time after reaching the polling station on a wheelchair.

(With agency inputs)