Published 15:07 IST, October 22nd 2019
101-year-old votes with 270 family members in Maharashtra elections
101-year-old votes with 270 family members in Maharashtra elections. Named Haji Ibrahim Alim Joad, he is a retired Army Officer and owner of Joad Constructions.
A 101-year-old retired British Indian Army officer along with 270 members of his extended family across five generations have reportedly cast their vote in the Vadgaon-Sheri constituency on October 21. The family members who accompanied and cast vote with him reportedly included 10 of his 12 sons, 2 daughters, 45 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, and even a few young great-great-grandchildren. The retired army officer was hospitalized due to heart ailment since four days before he was discharged on the voting day as he was declared healthy by the doctors, informed one of his grandchildren, Tanveer, to the media.
Haji Ibrahim Alim Joad 's appealed everyone in his family to vote
The great grand-dad was reportedly quite anxious to cast his vote and tried to ensure that all his family members also cast their votes. Before the voting day, he sent out a word to his family members to assemble outside the hospital or at their respective polling stations in the constituency. As informed by his grandchild, Tanveer, the entire family literally adhered to the request and reached the polling booths to cast their vote. The family head Haji Joad reached the booth around 2 PM in a wheelchair, as per reports. To assert his wish to make people vote, he had issued a recorded video appeal to the people before being discharged from the hospital.
About the centenarian
About 72 members of the family were reportedly present at the booth when Joad cast his vote. Haji told the media outside the booth that he has voted in every single election - civic, assembly and parliament, seen many governments come and go, and known and asserted the value of voting to everyone he could. The 102-year-old moved to Maharashtra from his native place in Rajasthan in 1942 for business. His grandchild Tanveer informed the media that he has served three years in the British Indian Army till 1945, and after Independence, he decided to make Pune his permanent home. After returning from the army, he started a civil work business, which has now become ‘Joad Constructions’. Speaking of his fitness, the grandchild added that Joad had visited Hajj thrice and could cycle for 12 Km till the age of 90. He had to cease it as he developed knee issues by that age.
Updated 16:17 IST, October 22nd 2019