Karnataka polls: 80-year-old votes from home a day after spouse’s death in Dharwad

DHARWAD: Eighty-year-old Shantabai Tibeli, a resident of Saraswatpur here who was struck by grief following her husband's demise on Monday night, has cast her vote for the upcoming assembly election.
The 'Vote from Home' scheme, introduced for the first time by the Election Commission of India for to enable those aged 80 and above, and the physically challenged, helped her vote on Tuesday.
Shantabai's husband Jyotiba Tibeli, 95, passed away on Monday night, and the family members and relatives were getting ready to perform the last rites on Tuesday morning.
Not aware of the tragedy that had struck the Tibelis, the election officials went to their house to get both Jyotiba and Shantabai vote under the newly introduced scheme.
Realising what had happened to the family, the officials wondered what to do. After discussing with Shantabai, her family members told the officials that she will cast her vote. The officials made necessary arrangements, and Shantabai exercised her franchise.
An election officer, while offering his condolences to the bereaved family, said Shantabai has set an example to others who shy away from voting with lame excuses.
As many as 1,998 voters, who are aged 80 and above or physically challenged, have cast their votes in Dharwad district. These voters were given Form 12 D. As many as 1,686 voters aged 80 and above and 392 physically challenged voters had agreed to cast their votes from home, said Gurdatt Hegde, DC and the district election officer.