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As voting began on 10 seats across Uttar Pradesh in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, voters queued up to exercise their franchise.
Among voters, Rahul, a Person with Disabilities (PwD), was brought to a polling booth in UP's Kasganj by his father to exercise his democratic right. Rahul arrived in a wheelchair to cast his vote at the polling booth in Kasganj. "I have voted earlier as well. I feel good after casting the vote. I have come here along with my father," Rahul said while speaking to ANI. As many as 100 candidates are in the fray in the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, including high-profile Mainpuri, along with Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Sambhal, Etah, Budaun, Firozabad, Bareilly, and Aonla. Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, as per the Election Commission. Similarly, in Chhattisgarh's Bhilai, senior citizens queued up to cast their votes at polling stations. "Everyone should cast their votes and exercise their democratic right," said an elderly woman who arrived at a polling booth to cast her vote. "It is my right to vote, hence I have come here to vote," expressed an elderly man who had come to cast his vote. The Election Commission has announced 'vote-from-home' facilities for citizens over 85 years of age and persons with disabilities for the Lok Sabha elections. The commission said that voters above 85 years of age and persons with disabilities with a 40 per cent benchmark disability can vote from home. The commission said that at polling stations, volunteers and wheelchairs will be deployed and transport facilities for persons with disabilities and the elderly will be arranged. Earlier, a group of specially-abled persons in Madhya Pradesh's Indore held a rally to raise voter awareness on May 3. Shahzad Ali, President Of Wheelchair Disabled Sports Association Madhya Pradesh, while speaking with ANI said that the rally was organized to motivate people to come out in large numbers and vote. "This rally was under held voter awareness program. With this rally, the specially-abled persons of Indore wanted to inspire people to come out and cast their vote in the Lok Sabha elections," he said. He added, "We wanted to motivate people that if disabled people like us can exercise our right to vote, then normal people can go out and cast their vote." The polling for 93 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states and union territories in the third phase of the general election started on Tuesday. (ANI)
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