'Love my family, but chose my candidate'

CHANDIGARH: Politicians might have slung mud on each other in the days preluding to the voting day, to try and get the attention of the

voters

, but one of the endearing sights at the polling booths was how families stuck to each other despite differing views on candidates, only determined that they should cast their votes and do their duty.


In the case of 80-year-old Sumitra Devi, three generations of her

family

stood in the queue to choose the change that they each wanted. Sumitra, a resident of Sector 28, who is exercising her voting right for many years now, said that be it youngster or elderly, everybody should exercise his or her voting right.

"If you can't

vote

for electing your representative, then you have no right to complain. I always make sure that entire family votes together. I am happy that this time my younger grandsons voted for the first time," added Sumitra.

Sumitra's daughter-in-law, Angela Bassi, said elections also brings families together. "In our family, we discussed issues affecting the city and the nation, but no one tried to influence anyone," Angela added.

Families divided over choice of candidates and political parties, seem to be a running theme this election. According to Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Sector 45, in his family while he and his wife were in favour of a particular party, his parents were in favour of a local

candidate

of other party.

"It's good that families discuss politics and elections because, after all, it is about building a strong democracy. I am happy that my entire family cast their vote no matter what their choice of candidates and parties were," Singh added.

In some cases, even husband and wife were backing different candidates. Amit Joshi and his wife Ananya Joshi, residents of Sector 47, said that they had a good debate over candidates before deciding.

"I prefer a candidate who delivered results in the past. I voted on the basis of local needs but my husband had a different view. In the end, I stick to my view point and voted accordingly, whereas my husband voted for other candidate," said Ananya Joshi.

Her husband Amit Joshi said that they both love each other but when it comes to politics, they both had different points of view.