Reportedly Kuttanad native Govinda Pillai has been suffering from age related ailments for the last decade or so. Meanwhile at 110, the former firewood cutter belonging to the Aelimadathil house cannot hear, cannot walk and seldom steps out of his house, but on April 23, Govinda Pillai will be present at the polling booth in Alappuzha to exercise his franchise in the world’s biggest election, just like over 2,000 other centenarians in Kerala who will get out and cast their vote.
The 110 year old’s son Purushothama Pillai tells “My father has been a long time supporter of the Congress party. He has voted in every election as far as he can remember. Now, he can barely walk but he insists that he will cast his vote this election. So we will arrange a car and wheelchair and take him to the booth on April 23”.
Moreover Govinda Pillai votes in the southern district of Alappuzha, up north in Kasaragode, 101year old KN Sham Bhat will exercise his franchise in Kumbala panchayat, Manjeshwaram. Apparently the relatives of these centenarian voters say that booth officials have been helpful in the past too and have given priority to aged voters, so as to not make them wait in queues to cast their vote.
