Mumbai: Home-Voting Introduced For Elderly And People With Disabilities In Landmark Election Move

A first-of-its-kind home-voting facility for elderly individuals and people with disabilities has been introduced in two Mumbai constituencies.

In total, 543 senior citizens and nine differently-abled people from the Mumbai South and Mumbai South Central constituencies cast their votes from home on May 14 and 15 during the fifth phase.

Collector and District Election Officer Sanjay Yadav stated, “The Election Commission of India has provided the facility of home voting through postal ballot by postal voting team for the first time to senior citizens above 85 years of age, PwD voters in Lok Sabha elections. Home voting has started in both the Lok Sabha constituencies of Mumbai-Mumbai South and Mumbai South Central. So far, 543 senior citizens and nine differently-abled people or persons with disabilities voters have exercised their right to vote through home voting.”

Maharashtra is set to hold its fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 20. The constituencies participating in this phase include Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Thane, Mumbai North, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South-Central, and Mumbai South.

Mumbai South is expected to see a fierce contest between two factions of the same party, dubbed the Sena vs Sena battle. The Maha Vikas Aghadi has chosen Arvind Sawant, a two-time MP and Shiv Sena UBT leader, for the seat. Sawant has previously won this crucial seat in the last two elections under the Shiv Sena banner. Meanwhile, the Mahayuti alliance has nominated Yamini Jadhav, a leader from the CM Shinde-led Shiv Sena, who is the MLA from the Byculla assembly seat.

In Mumbai South Central, senior UBT Sena leader Anil Desai is competing against the incumbent MP Rahul Shewale of the Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde faction. The vote counting will take place on June 4.