Kozhikode: All members of a family residing in E-4 flat in Mariam Grove Apartment near Mother of God church here are arousing curiosity during the election. That is because their surname ‘Vogt’ is pronounced as ‘vote’. But only two of them can vote in the election.
The Vogt family are the descendants of German native Albert Bartholomew Vogt who was a captain in the British army. He settled in Kozhikode during the British rule. Though four generations passed, all of them maintained the family surname ‘Vogt’.
Captain Albert Bartholomew Vogt had 12 children. He married Portuguese woman Clara. Their son Sebastian Bobby Vogt’s son was named after grandfather – Albert Vogt. As he is abroad now, he would not be able to cast vote in this election.
Albert’s mother Alphonsa Vogt, and wife July Celina Vogt, who is an English teacher at St Joseph’s Anglo Indian School in Kozhikode, are the two voters who can cast votes in this election. They will exercise their franchise on April 6.
Albert and July’s son Alister Ignatius Vogt and daughter Alisha Mary Vogt are minors and are not included in voters’ list. July Vogt is interested in writing and had won Aksharashree Award of the National Youth Promotion Council in 2017.
Many relatives of Vogt family in Germany also are bearing the surname Vogt. The election officials, candidates and campaigners are surprised on hearing the surname Vogt during the election campaign, the family said.
