Bihar assembly polls: Eager to cast votes, but wary of corona

PATNA: Hundreds of non-resident Biharis, who had returned to the city due to the Covid-19 lockdown, will get an opportunity to exercise their franchise in the upcoming state assembly elections. While some feel that the announcement of polls is a significant step towards restoration of the electoral process, others question the need to conduct elections amid a raging pandemic.
Boring Road resident Nikita Kumari is excited to cast her vote for the first time. The 24-year-old says, “Although I was eligible to vote in the 2015 elections, I could not do so because I was in another city. Luckily, I am at home this time and will finally be able to participate in the electoral process. It’s a great feeling.”
Homemaker Ruby Sharma, who lives in A G Colony, is also eager to choose her favourite candidate in the upcoming polls. “My husband is excited too. After work, he is either hooked to the television watching political news or on a call with his friends discussing politics,” she claims.
Sheikhpura resident Tushar Verma, on the other hand, is sceptical about the spread of Covid-19 during the voting process. “I flew from Mumbai to Patna only to protect myself from coronavirus. How can the government conduct elections and put people’s lives at risk?” he asks.
Vicenarian Neha Bharti is also unsure about casting her vote amid the pandemic. The Lodipur resident says, “I had always dreamed of flaunting the electoral ink on my finger, but sadly it never happened because I moved out of Patna after school. Now that the time has come for me to exercise my franchise, I am confused. We should not take the pandemic lightly.”
Meanwhile, few youngsters are not happy with the political landscape of the state and condemn parties for focusing on non-developmental issues. Expressing dismay over the use of the SSR case as a poll plank, Patliputra Colony resident Shivangi Verma says, “I returned to my native place after two years and was highly disappointed to see that nothing had changed. Netas may be misusing Sushant Singh Rajput’s case to gain political mileage, but my vote will solely be on the basis of development.”