Nagpur: Even as the State Election Commission urges citizens to turn out in large numbers for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections, the civic administration’s indifference has effectively shut the door on one of the city’s most committed voter groups, senior citizens above 85 years of age.
In a glaring departure from the arrangements made during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the administration has failed to provide home voting facilities for elderly voters in the civic polls, raising serious questions about inclusivity, planning and respect for democratic rights. The result: thousands of aged and infirm voters risk being silently disenfranchised.
Gold Rate
12 Jan 2026
During the recent national and state elections, election machinery had proactively reached the doorsteps of voters aged 85 and above, enabling them to cast their ballots from home. The initiative was widely publicised and hailed as a step towards participatory democracy. That sensitivity, however, appears to have vanished in the municipal elections, with no clarity, no notification and no alternative mechanism in place.
Across Nagpur, senior citizens, many of them regular and politically aware voters, have been repeatedly seeking information about home voting, only to be met with official silence and confusion. Election officials at the ground level are reportedly clueless, unable to give straight answers. At an estimated 8 to 10 voters above 85 years per polling booth, the cumulative impact could be substantial, particularly when many of them are physically incapable of stepping out.
Municipal Deputy Commissioner Nirbhay Jain confirmed the administrative vacuum, stating that no instructions for home voting in civic polls have been received from the State Election Commission, effectively washing the system’s hands of responsibility.
The omission becomes even more troubling given that several wards are expected to witness razor-thin contests, where victory margins could be as low as 10 to 20 votes. In such a scenario, denying elderly citizens the means to vote is not just an oversight, it could influence electoral outcomes.
For those affected, the lapse is deeply personal. A senior citizen from Karnalbagh, confined to his home due to health issues, said the denial was both painful and humiliating. “I want to vote. I have always voted. Being excluded now, despite being a conscious citizen, is deeply disappointing,” he said.
The BJP has squarely blamed the administration for the failure. BJP City President Dayashankar Tiwari said the party had formally urged election authorities to make provisions for senior citizens, but the appeal was ignored. “Voting is a fundamental right. Ensuring access, especially for the elderly, is not optional. If senior citizens are left out, it is a clear administrative failure,” he said.
As polling day approaches, the absence of home voting for senior citizens stands as a stark contradiction to official appeals for higher turnout—exposing a system that speaks of democracy, but fails to deliver it to those who need support the most.
