INDIA: Over 95% elderly waiting to vote, shows survey

. NEW DELHI, India / The Times of India / May 5, 2009 By Rumu Banerjee, TNN Mumbai's young may have decided not to exercise their franchise but in Delhi, the old are more than willing to show the way. According to a survey, more than 95% senior citizens are waiting to cast their vote on May 7. But here's what candidates need to look out for: The number one priority for this segment of voters is safety and healthcare, and they are going to be deciding their vote on this factor. The survey, which was carried out by HelpAge India, an NGO that works with senior citizens, throws up some interesting insights into what the older generation of voters is looking for in their Lok Sabha candidate. Predictably, local issues like safety and healthcare come out high on the pyramid an overwhelming 57.4% feel this way though basic necessities like water, power and development matter as much to them as the rest of the electorate. However, the rising crime graph seems to have weighed on the minds of the respondents in the survey safety from crime and abuse has been tagged as most important by 30% of those surveyed. A close 27.41% feel promise of better healthcare would factor in their decision making. In a blow to the ruling government, however, many felt that the implementation of the National Policy on Older Persons and the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, needed to be stepped up. In fact, 40% felt that the Maintenance Act had failed to do any significant good. Also on their wish-list is easier accessibility as well as an increase in pensions. According to HelpAge officials, the views of this class of voters needs to be accounted for as there are close to 90 million older people who form part of the voter list. Mathew Cherian, head of HelpAge, says, "Almost 20% of the total votes are cast by senior citizens, yet little has been done to engage them in the political process.'' In this campaign season, while some candidates have talked about the needs of senior citizens like BJP's Vijay Goel, most have steered clear of addressing them as a group. The survey, which had a sample size of over 300 respondents, comprised mostly those from the educated middle-income group. The age bracket ranged from 51 to over 90 years, with the maximum respondents 54.3% belonging to the 61-70 years bracket. More than 60% of those polled were retired individuals who were not working. Copyright © 2009 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.