Party workers put in their best to impress voters at the last moment

KANPUR: The excitement of grassroot party workers was more palpable in the air than the heat wave on Thursday. As all the four contesting candidates of SP, BSP, BJP and the Congress watched proceedings from the pavilions, keeping their fingers crossed and with majority of voters abstaining from voting, it was the party cadres who slogged it out on a hot summer day.
Even though, as expected, the nonchalant urban voters treated the day as holiday, making the excuse of severe heat to stay indoors, the enthusiasm of the party workers refused to wither away for the 10-hour long voting period from 7.00am to 5.00pm.Taking up their position inside the booths set up 200 metre away from actual polling booths as per the rules of election commission, they continued `canvassing' unabated in the favour of their leaders, providing inputs to voters while guiding them to their booths and informing about polling procedure.
At the poll centre of Christ Church College, the Congress workers were seen escorting voters, telling them to press the number 4 button of Sriprakash Jaiswal. Nearby, BJP workers, who were using a deserted bus-stand as a makeshift office, tried their best to counter the enthusiasm of the Congressmen by reminding voters to go for the first button with lotus mark.
In the narrow by-lanes of old city, where severity of heat was less, a spirit of festivity prevailed which was cashed in by the party workers. The workers of all parties were out in full strength and built the final momentum in support of their party leaders. In the process they blatantly violated model code of conduct too by treating voters with `lassi ke kulhads' on the pretext of providing some respite from heat to the voters before pressing the buttons.
In some areas considered to be BJP stronghold, party cadres used local newspaper clippings to polarise voters of majority faith. Few days back, Jaiswal had claimed that 98 per cent of minorities are with him. The BJP workers used the statements by saying that Jaiswal did not need majority's votes.