Bharatdas Darshandas, a priest for whom the Election Commission used to set up a dedicated polling station inside the Ghir forest during every election for the last two decades, passed away at a hospital in Rajkot on Friday. He was 69.
Bharatdas, the priest at Bangangeshwar Mahadev temple dedicated to Lord Shiva deep inside the woods, was hospitalised on Monday with renal complications. Haridas Darshandas, head of Jamadgni Ashram in Kodinar taluka, said Bharatdas was diabetic and both his kidneys had failed.
“We admitted him to Christ Hospital on Monday. But his health deteriorated further Thursday night and doctors had put him on ventilator. But doctors said that his heart was failing gradually and declared him death on Friday afternoon,” he told The Indian Express.
For every election, the EC would deploy a five-six member polling team for Bharatdas in the forest area which falls under Una assembly constituency. And the priest, who is usually seen donning dark sunglasses and a saffron sarong, would always turn up to vote.
As per law, no voter is required to walk more than two kilometres to cast their votes. The other nearest station from the Mahadev temple is 20 km away.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also mentioned Bharatdas and the arrangements made for him in one of his Mann Ki Baat monthly radio talk show.
