EC to adopt Chandigarh pattern to increase voter turnout in MCD elections

With civic polls just two months away in the Capital,the Delhi Election Commission is formulating an awareness campaign to ensure better voter turnout and is looking to replicate the success achieved in Chandigarh for the municipal elections in December.

With civic polls just two months away in the Capital,the Delhi Election Commission is formulating an awareness campaign to ensure better voter turnout and is looking to replicate the success achieved in Chandigarh for the municipal elections in December.

The MCD polls in 2007 witnessed a polling per centage of merely 40 percent,whereas,the turnout in the 2010 civic polls in Chandigarh was 60 percent the target Delhi wants to achieve in the civic body hustings in April.

Our awareness campaign to persuade people to exercise their franchise were very successful in Punjab. The state where the polling percentage once was a mere 40 percent went up to 60 percent. We will adopt similar steps to increase the voter turnout. It wont be a replica of the Punjab election awareness campaign,but would be more innovative in order to repeat the success rate in MCD polls, said Rakesh Mehta,the State Election Commissioner,who also heads the poll panel in Punjab.

The Election Commission had organised seminars,prepared advertisement jingles for radio and TV in Chandigarh. Also,billboards and banners were put up to draw attention of people frequenting highways and major roads. Thus,residents of high profile pockets too turned up at the polling booths,he said.

We have called a meeting where all the advertising agencies have been invited. The plan is to run similar ad campaigns to promote MCD elections. Catchy jingles shall be created for radios and TV. Our attention shall be focused on an augmented youth turn out at the polling booths, Mehta said.

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