GHOL (BARAMATI, PUNE DISTRICT): It’s the way this village votes that staggers observers. Every election year, the sarpanch turns up at Ghol with reasons why the village should pick a particular symbol. The residents then march en masse to vote, and they all choose the same symbol. It’s a unanimous decision by nearly 100 people, all based on the word of one person.
The earliest memories of this strange pattern come from Babu Mahadev Polekar, who has been voting since the 1970s. Neighbours say he is well over 100 years old. “We never ask for names of candidates because we can’t read or write. We just press the button,” says Polekar. The present sarpanch is a woman, Phulabai Polekar, who has held the post since 2017. She was, however, not available for comment when TOI tried to contact her.
The earliest memories of this strange pattern come from Babu Mahadev Polekar, who has been voting since the 1970s. Neighbours say he is well over 100 years old. “We never ask for names of candidates because we can’t read or write. We just press the button,” says Polekar. The present sarpanch is a woman, Phulabai Polekar, who has held the post since 2017. She was, however, not available for comment when TOI tried to contact her.