A 102-year-old man, suffering from a heart ailment, went straight to a polling booth to cast his vote after being discharged from a hospital in Maharashtra's Pune district on Monday.
Ibrahim Alim Joad, who, according to his family, has never missed voting since Independence, consulted his doctors before going to vote.
After he was granted permission, the centenarian was taken directly from the Jehangir Hospital to a polling booth in Wadgaon Sheri constituency where he cast his vote along with around 50 other voters from his own family, his grandson Tanveer Joad said.
He was admitted to the hospital four days back for a heart ailment, he said.
"He has never missed voting since Independence. So while he was in the hospital, he expressed his resolve to cast the vote this time also. After consultation with his doctors, he was given permission to cast his vote," the grandson said.
Earlier, doctors had decided that he would have to return to the hospital after casting his vote, but since his medical reports were normal, he was discharged on Monday, he said.
The centenarian has 10 sons and two daughters and the Joad family comprises over 250 members, who live in the same area in Pune.
"Around 70 of us (family members) today along with my grandfather exercised our right to vote," Tanveer Joad said.
He said his grandfather had served in the British Army for three years. After Independence, he moved to Pune from Rajasthan and worked as a building contractor and settled in the city.
Earlier, Ibrahim Joad in a video message from the hospital appealed to people, specially youth, to vote.
"Though I have been admitted to hospital, I will be going to the polling booth to vote. I appeal to the youth also to come out and vote," he said in the message.
Besides, noted historian and Maharashtra Bhushan awardee Babasaheb Purandare, 97, also cast his vote at a booth in Pune.
In Mumbai, a nonagenarian was the cynosure of all eyes as he accompanied Union minister Smriti Irani outside a polling booth in Mumbai.
"Today's hero is Khanna sahab, who has served in the Army. He is 93 and came out to vote. It is an inspiration," Irani said.
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