Launch campaign to increase voter turnout in LS seats with low percentage: EC tells Bihar officials

Patna: The Election Commission on Friday directed municipal commissioners and DEOs of those parliamentary constituencies in Bihar where polling percentage was lower than the national average in the last Lok Sabha elections to launch an ambitious and intensive campaign to increase voter turnout in the upcoming polls.

The direction to this effect was given by the EC at a conference, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in New Delhi on Friday.

The 'Conference on Low Voter Turnout' was attended by municipal commissioners and district election officers (DEOs) of the selected districts in the country.

Eleven states and Union territories - Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand - had voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The parliamentary constituencies in Bihar where voter turnout was lower than the national average in the last Lok Sabha polls include Patna Sahib (45.80 per cent), Nalanda (48.79 per cent), Karakat (49.09 per cent), Nawada (49.73 per cent), Jahanabad (51.76 per cent) and Arrah (51.81 per cent).

Aurangabad (53.76 per cent), Madhubani (53.82 per cent), Mahrajgang (53.82 per cent), Buxar (53.95), Sasaram (54.72 per cent), Siwan (54.73 per cent) and Munger (54.90 per cent) are also on the list.

The ECI has identified 266 parliamentary constituencies, including 215 in rural areas, with low voter turnout and is preparing targeted intervention to enhance voting percentage in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The chief election commissioner emphasised on a three-pronged strategy of providing facilitation at polling stations, such as queue management, sheltered parking in congested areas, targeted outreach and communication, and involvement of critical stakeholders, including resident welfare associations (RWAs), local icons and youth influencers to persuade people to come to polling stations on voting day.

He asked all municipal commissioners and DEOs to prepare different strategies for urban and rural areas and plan interventions accordingly.

The ECI has directed officials in Bihar to prepare a booth-wise action plan to enhance participation in the polling.