Working outside Ahmedabad but intent on voting

By voting, Ahmedabad-based professional, Ayyan Karmakar, finds a voice as a citizen of the country and he is determined to do so, come what may. “When I crib about the various issues in my country, the least I can do for

democracy

is vote. Yes, travelling 300km to get home and getting back in the same day will be hectic and tiring because I need to report to work in time on Wednesday, but I feel it’s my duty to vote and I will do so,” said Ayyan.

There are several professionals who are registered voters in

Gujarat

but are employed out of their home town or home state. However, despite all the odds, be it struggle to get leaves or tiring journey home, they are all determined to cast their vote. “I left Ahmedabad since my graduation days, but I have made it a point to come home to vote because it is one way to become a part of the democratic process. While I will continue to make this effort in the future, I also hope the government considers the plight of various professionals who have migrated out of their home town for work and introduces provisions for casting vote remotely. Booking a flight in the last minute is expensive while getting a train ticket is often not easy,” said Hrishikesh Bawa, a Sardarnagar resident who works out of Gujarat.

Since the elections in Gujarat are scheduled on Tuesday, it has come as a boon in disguise for several voters, who got a chance to visit their home town, having taken an extended weekend. “We have weekends off at office and the company has also declared a holiday on Tuesday. I am super excited to go vote this time because it is the first

Lok Sabha

election I am voting for and more so because I got a leave for Monday so that I could spend four days with family,” said a Junagadh resident, Jinal Patel, who is employed with a city-based pharmaceutical company.