- Monday, February 24, 2025
Punjab recorded a voting percentage of 65.96 percent during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the officials are looking to raise it this time.
By: Shubham Ghosh
VOTERS casting their ballots in the northern Indian state of Punjab in the general elections starting in April will be offered cool sweet drink (locally called ‘chhabeel’) at polling stations as part of the election officials’ initiative to boost turnout in intense summer.
Sibin C, the state’s chief electoral officer, on Tuesday (19) announced that a target has been set to achieve a voter turnout exceeding 70 per cent. Punjab has 13 parliamentary seats and all of them will go to polls on June 1, when the final of the seven phases will be held.
The state election office will also focus on increasing the voting percentage in areas where turnout was low in previous elections. Punjab recorded a voting percentage of 65.96 percent during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sibin also informed reporters that the Model Code of Conduct, which came into effect as soon as the election schedule was announced on March 17, will be strictly enforced to ensure free and fair elections in the state.
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Elaborate efforts have been undertaken to prevent the use of muscle and money power during the polls, he said. Sibin also said 25 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in Punjab and added that additional deployment will be made.
He reiterated that efforts will be made to increase voting percentage in the state.
“This time, we have set a target of voting percentage of more than 70 per cent,” Sibin said and coined the slogan “Iss baar, 70 paar (This time, we will go above 70)”.
The chief electoral officer said since the elections will be held during the peak summer, arrangements will be made to provide refreshments to the voters.
“We will make arrangements for ‘chhabeel (sweetened water)’, there will be shades. There will be many facilities for voters so that our voting percentage increases,” he said.
As on March 1, Punjab had 21.2 million voters, he said. Efforts have been made to purify the electoral rolls by deleting similar demographic and photographic entries during the special summary revision to prevent duplications.
Regular meetings have been held with political parties at every stage of the electoral rolls update, providing them with opportunities to raise objections, Sibin added.
(With PTI inputs)
