Lok Sabha elections 2024: A ringside view, through eyes of polling personnel
(This story originally appeared in on Jun 01, 2024)
In the world’s largest democracy, the journey to conduct elections can be as arduous as it is significant. TOI takes a closer look at the backbone of this vast electoral process — polling personnel who went the extra mile in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Some called it “Mission Impossible”. Treacherous terrain in Maoist strongholds, steep Himalayan slopes, and the Chinese frontier; bedbugs, sex workers and a slum; rain, mudslides, and jungles infested with mosquitoes and leeches; personal grief and health challenges. But election personnel — school teachers, administrative staff, and other govt employees — demonstrated remarkable commitment and courage in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to ensure nearly 970 million voters, over 10% of the world’s population, could exercise their franchise. These compelling tales from the frontlines evoke the essence of a modern-day “Rediscovery of India”, embodying the spirit of Bharat Ek Khoj and the nation’s democracy.
Lok Sabha Exit Poll Results 2024 Live Updates
When hills beckon twice
In the rugged landscape of Uttarakhand, polling parties undertook strenuous treks to remote villages twice — once for elderly voters above 85 years old and again on the main polling day. For instance, a polling party of six, including a policeman, navigated a four-hour trek to Kalgot village in Chamoli district on April 8, which falls under Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat, to ensure elderly women could vote, then returned for the rest of the village’s 350 voters.
