Voters should do due diligence while exercising right: Tendulkar

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar noted that it was a pro bono arrangement.

Addressing a crowd that included students and first-time voters, Tendulkar said: “We are the largest democracy in the world and it is our prime responsibility to exercise our voting rights with due diligence.”

He said while India was the youngest average age nation in the world, it could not claim to be a “responsible nation in the world when it comes to voting”.

“If we are to move forward as a nation, we have to move together and every individual should take that responsibility…Freedom hona chahiye, they should make their own choices. Vote for whoever they feel appropriate, but do your due diligence. It should be a well-thought [out] process, it is not a mere formality to turn up… It can have a positive impact on our nation,” he said.

In his address, Kumar said the ECI had adopted a new approach to boost turnout from the 67% seen in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He said constituencies and booths where the turnout was less than the national and state average were being identified for tailored solutions, rather than a general approach.

Going into the 2024 elections, Tendulkar would spread awareness through talk-shows and digital campaigns, the ECI said in a statement.