Special steps to ensure voters exercise franchise

Vote and fly at discounted price, says SVEEP chief

Dakshina Kannada district which stood in the first position in the State in the polling percentage in 2009 parliamentary election, slipped into 13 position in the assembly election held last year.

With pressure being high on the district administration to regain the status that it once enjoyed, efforts are made from all sides to create awareness among voters to exercise their franchise, said Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer and Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Committee President Tulasi Maddineni.

Addressing mediapersons on Wednesday, she said that there has been no much difference in the voting percentage in Dakshina Kannada while comparing the parliament and assembly elections. If the poll percentage was 74.46 in parliament election of 2009, the total turn out was 74.78 per cent in 2103 assembly elections. However, there has been a change in position due to other districts marking a huge jump in the polling percentage. If the polling percentage in Kolar was 69 per cent in last parliament election, it rose to 83 per cent in assembly election. Districts like Chikballapur and Tumkur too witnessed an increase in the polling percentage by 12 to 15 per cent.

Beach promotion / aircraft ride

In order to boost the polling percentage to be on par with other districts, the SVEEP committee has taken up various awareness programmes on the significance of voting. 

The ZP CEO said that beach run programme will be organised on April 13 at Panambur beach to create voters awareness. On the same day, there are also plans to organise sand sculpture making contest. 

Cessna aircraft will be in the city to take the enthusiast voters for ride from April 13 to 20. A discount of Rs 500 will be offered to per person, if he/she assures of voting prior to the election, or if he shown the indelible ink mark after the polling day. The joy ride of 20 minutes in this four-seater aircraft is charged at Rs 2,500 per person. Interested can contact Panambur Beach Tourism Development Project CEO Yathish Baikampady at 9449035570, the CEO said.

Highest / lowest polling stations

The district has witnessed an extreme contradiction in terms of polling percentage in the last assembly and parliament elections. Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer A B Ibrahim said that the highest polling in the parliament election was 99.9 per cent in DK ZP HPS Peribettu in Moodbidri and the same percentage was registered in DK ZP HPS  Sajipanadu in Mangalore, in assembly election. The lowest in last parliament election was 3.92 per cent in KREC Aided Higher Primary School, Surathkal and the lowest in last assembly election was 27.02 per cent in Vishwamangala HPS, Konaje.