EC ropes in singers, bands for voter awareness campaign

Sen, whose band is known for hits such as Maeri and Phir Dhoom, was singing his popular numbers to a mostly young crowd as part of Delhi Election Commission’s voter awareness programme.

After the success of concerts to engage youngsters through music and popular culture in the state Assembly elections last year, the Delhi EC has roped in a number of famous music bands and singers to create awareness among youth ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

“We have Euphoria performing again this time. They performed before the public yesterday in Central Park in CP. Many members of the audience were younger than 30 years. Being a Sunday, the turnout was excellent for the evening,” a senior Delhi EC official told Newsline.
On Monday, music band Nyaya performed at Pacific Mall, he said.

Delhi EC is also in talks with singer Sunidhi Chauhan. “It’s tentative right now but most probably she’ll perform on April 6. The venue is yet to be confirmed,” the official said.

According to Delhi EC, the musical events are not just intended to reach out to the young crowd but are also a “celebration of democracy”.

“The young people of this country need to feel connected with the elections. The world’s largest democracy is going to elect its representatives. It’s a matter of huge pride that we are able to have free and fair elections so smoothly with such a large population,” an EC official said.

Last year, bands Indian Ocean and Euphoria had performed as part of Election Commission’s voter awareness campaign.

Speaking to Newsline, Indian Ocean’s Rahul Ram said, “The steps EC is taking to encourage young people to vote is laudable. In Assembly elections last year, we performed in Nehru Park in South Delhi.”

Referring to his performance as memorable, Ram said, “It was a beautiful winter afternoon in a beautiful park with a young crowd. We received immense response from people in all four states where we performed. These were places where assembly elections were held last year and they had a record voter turnout.”

Though Ram doesn’t give all credit of this turnout to the music events, he is quick to add that it plays a role in attracting young voters. “There is no study to prove how effective these concerts are but they certainly do create a vibrant environment,” he said.