Scientist flies down from UK for vote that wasn’t to be

An Indian scientist flew all the way from the University of Leeds, UK, to vote on May 12. But Rakesh Tiwari, 35, a voter from Rajarajeshwarinagar, found out about polls in his constituency being deferred only in the small hours of Saturday, after he had boarded the flight to Bengaluru from Pune.

Rakesh had planned his India trip in such a way so as to be able to vote as well as do some research. He arrived in India on April 16 and was doing his research in Pune. Before moving to the UK in 2016, Tiwari worked with the Indian Institute of Science.

Rakesh has been researching the ‘Co-occurrence of heat waves and drought in Karnataka’, which he will present before a panel of scientists at Indian Meteorological Department in Pune on May 28. This means he won’t be able to vote in RR Nagar polls, which has been deferred to the same day.


“I am highly disappointed. I won’t be able to vote on May 28. My presentation is scheduled for the same day,” he said.