Steel city voters staying away from home to cast their vote for a change

By Amit Tiwari
Jamshedpur: While the around 15.8 lakh voters of steel city wait for 17th April to press the EVM button, there are several of them who will not be here to cast their votes. While officially there are 941 of them away by reason of service in defence forces and other emergency duties, there are still many who are away either for studies or due to some other occupation or employment compulsion.

DK Choudhary is a Central Reserve Police Force officer from the city currently posted in Ahmedabad. He will be casting his vote through postal ballot system. Asked how he feels about his inability vote in his home town, he said, �I have never been in my home town ever since I joined the CRPF. As per government rules, we are transferred to different locations every two to three years. I am opting for voting through the postal ballot facility. Earlier I was ignorant about the facility. But this time I have learnt about it through Internet and my colleagues.�

Subhash Kumar is another defence personnel, posted as a Navy officer in Mumbai. Hailing from Bagbera Housing Colony, he too, remains on duty far away from home. As a result, voting at the nearest polling booth becomes impossible for him. But still, he has decided to cast his vote as such facility is available to defence personnel as well.

�I am surely going to cast my vote this election as it is both my right as well as my privilege as a citizen of this country. Casting vote is the duty of every citizen since this is how we actually take the first step to bring about change for the next five years. If I miss it this time, I will lose my right to complaint, at least morally,� said Kumar.

Girish Sahu, an Indian Army officer posted in Srinagar, came to know about the elections through his family members and Internet. He keeps taking updates on the elections in Jharkhand on the Net. �I have never opted for postal ballot voting. But this time I want to be a part of the change which will be brought about by the voters of this country. I think we should not miss this chance which comes after several years.

There are many others who, though not working in defence forces, will be away from the city on the election day. Sanjay Yadav, is an I-T professional employed in a reputed firm in Bengaluru. He is planning to come home in next couple of weeks. But he too, will have to miss the change to vote in the city. �I am not sure if I will be there in the city on 17th April. All other members in my family will be voting on that day. If my leave is accepted soon, I may fly down to vote there,� said Yadav over phone.

Like Sanjay, Sudhir Jha, Gopal Kumhar and Rajnish Singh are the other few city residents who will be not there in the city on the polling day. But all of them understand the importance of voting and appeal to the steel city people to not miss the golden chance to elect the right person as the MP of their constituency.