Election officials joined around 60 bikers in Mizoram’s capital Aizawl on Friday to vroom for a cause — motivate people to perform their “civic duty” by exercising their franchise.
Polling for the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Mizoram will be held in the first phase on April 19.
“Mizoram usually records a high voter turnout in the Assembly elections but the participation in the parliamentary elections tends to be less. The bike rally in association with two local clubs under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) garnered the attention of the city populace,” Chief Election Officer Madhup Vyas said.
He rode alongside the bikers involved with Matchlezz Motor Cycle Club and Biker Girls, the latter a group of motorcycle-riding women.
District Election Officer Nazuk Kumar said the SVEEP bike rally was organised with the theme ‘Voting – My civic duty’. The bikers covered about 17 km from Aizawl’s Bawngkawn Brigade Field to Silaimual.
“The idea behind the rally was to connect with the young and first-time voters and convey to them how important it is for them to participate in the democratic exercise,” she said.