Kakkayam (Kerala): The voting for the second phase elections in Kerala passed off peacefully with voters coming out in large numbers to register their democratic right.
But in the Kakkayam dam site polling booth - 60 kms away from Calicut - a lone voter, Rama Dasan has brought the Election Commission in Kerala to its knees.
On the day Rama Dasan is to cast his vote, four Election Commission officials and two policemen wait patiently for this lone voter to come and cast his precious vote.
He can arrive any moment and even if he decides to skip voting this time, they have to wait for him till the stipulated closing time of 1700 hrs (IST). This is the power of Indian democracy.
"We have heard that he refuses to adjust. Every year, he normally comes by 4 pm, but this time, he said he will come early. We are waiting for him from early morning and only when he comes can we leave," says Election Officer at Kakkayam dam site polling booth, Mahesh NV.
Unlike Election Commmission officials, the CNN-IBN team is not duty bound to wait for him. So, they decide to venture into the dense forests in search of Rama dasan.
Their biggest problem is not the bumpy road, but the signs of wild elephants and leeches. They finally find Dasan who decides to come with them and vote.
Dasan casts his vote and proudly shows his inked index finger. But ask him why he decides to stick to this polling booth and he flares up.
"The booth cannot be cancelled. We give tax to government, about Rs 30,000 per year. The interest on this amount is enough to fund this polling booth once in five years," he says.
"The government is not doing us any favour. If I have to go down to another polling booth, I have to spend Rs 500 for transportation. Will the government pay me for that?," questions the 52-year-old.
Dasan refuses to budge and the law is on his side - the distance from the residence of the voter to the nearest polling booth should be less than one-and-a-half kilometres.
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