Lone voter gets his own polling booth in India

Election history was made in India when officials set up a polling station to collect just one vote.

Guru Bharatdasji Darshandasji Maharaj, a priest in a Shiva temple, was the sole voter in a village in Gujarat’s Gir forest, famous for being the only place in the world where Asiatic lions roam in the wild.

The 58-year-old arrived to vote in Banej where the booth was set up at an ashram, a religious lodging, and cast his vote yesterday .

The polling officials, however, remained there until the official closing time. As per election rules, they were required to see whether there was any “challenge vote”, where political party agents can challenge the credentials of a voter.

“They remained in the ashram from 8am to 5pm even after I had voted. They said it was the rule,” the priest told the Hindu newspaper. He added that before the polls, two officials and an armed policeman travelled deep inside the forest to reach the booth.

The priest frequently travels outside the forest. “I do travel outside the forest to other regions of Gujarat. I have been coming to Ahmedabad often to meet my devotees,” he said.

The village of Banej is 18 miles from city Junagadh and is a pilgrimage centre for the people of the nearby areas.

The third of five phases of parliamentary elections took place yesterday with a total of 1,567 candidates fighting for 107 parliamentary seats during voting.

Polling for phases four and five will be held on May 7 and 13 respectively while votes will be counted on May 16.