The focus is now on spreading voter awareness as the country is going for the Lok Sabha elections next year. In Mysuru, drives as part of Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) have begun months ahead of the Parliamentary polls.
The SVEEP Committee, Mysuru, in collaboration with the District Administration and the Mysuru City Corporation on Friday conducted a voter awareness jatha. This is the first SVEEP drive after the Assembly polls early this year.
Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra flagged off the jatha at Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple at the Balarama Gate of the Mysuru Palace. ZP CEO K.M. Gayathri and senior officials from the district were present. Students, officials and others took part in the jatha that concluded at the old Deputy Commissioner’s office.
Speaking on the occasion, the DC said a special voter enrollment drive will be conducted on December 2 and 3 in the district at the booth levels. New voters can get their names registered. The applications for enrollment can be done through the voter helpline app, he said, adding that voters can get details of the booths from the app.
As the city constituencies witnessed poor voter turnout in the Assembly polls early this year, the thrust is on spreading awareness in urban areas and encouraging voters to ensure greater participation in the elections. More SVEEP drives may follow in the three city constituencies before the 2024 polls.
The voter turnout in Krishnaraja, Chamaraja and Narasimharaja constituencies in Mysuru city was poor despite multiple campaigns, initiatives and activities carried out under SVEEP for increasing the voting percentage. Compared to the polling in the rural pockets in the district, urban voters continued to display their apathy, not stepping out of their homes to vote.
Despite efforts by the Mysuru district administration and the Mysuru SVEEP Committee, voter turnout in Krishnaraja was 59.55% while Chamaraja and Narasimharaja recorded 61.05% and 63.61% voting respectively. Nearly 40% of voters in the three constituencies did not vote in the Assembly polls contrary to the enthusiasm shown to the festival of democracy in rural Mysuru that was overwhelming.
