Dhenkanal: Standing at two and half feet tall, 20-year-old Siddhant Sahoo became the shortest voter in the district after he exercised his franchise for the first time Tuesday.
Speaking to us on this occasion, Siddhant expressed his joy at being a part of the mega festival of democracy.
“I had been waiting for this day to exercise my voting rights. I am very happy today for playing a role in electing lawmakers of our state and country,” he said.
The young lad is a high-school dropout. He was forced to discontinue study for several reasons. That, however, has not turned out to be a barrier for him to learn about the world surrounding him. Even though not highly educated, he is not ignoramus of present voting system either.
“I cast my vote on EVM. There is also a VVPAT system to be sure of one’s vote being cast correctly. Besides, there are other facilities in place at the booth. However, transparency should not be compromised at any cost,” he observed.
He is the second son of Nimain Sahoo of Kantor village under Parjanga Assembly constituency in this district.
PNN