Uganda delegation visits Noida for election tips

A delegation of poll officials from Uganda was in Noida and Greater Noida where they visited voting sites to understand the nuances of the election process in the world's largest democracy, according to officials.

The four-member delegation visited four polling booths, including one critical, with three of them in Noida and the rest in Greater Noida, the officials said.

The delegation from Uganda comprised its Deputy Chairperson for Election Aisha B Lubega, commissioners Kigozi Sabaggala Mustapha and Ahabwe Justin Mugabi, and senior Election Officer Matsiko Emmanuel, a senior official said.

"The delegation was made aware of the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation programme, better known as SVEEP, a flagship programme of the Election Commission of India for voter education," said Rajeev Tyagi, the nodal officer for SVEEP here.

"The visitors from Uganda were surprised with the festival-like fervour among citizens at the polling booths where several people were queued up for the 'Desh ka Mahatyohar' (the country's mega festival," he told PTI.

Tyagi said the visiting team from the African continent toured four model polling booths, one critical booth, a pink booth, where everything is managed entirely by women and one person with disabilities booth.

"The delegation had an in-depth understanding of the entire poll process, use of the electronic voting machine (EVMs), indelible ink, VVPAT system, and all another poll-related process. They also interacted with voters for an insight," Tyagi, also the general manager of the Noida Authority, said.

Lubega, Ahabwe and Kigozi are members of Uganda's Electoral Commission Strategic Plan 2015/16-2021/22, according to the country's Election Commission website.

In 2016 general election, Uganda had a voting population of 1.52 crore, which is expected to reach 1.94 crore by the next polls in 2020/21, according to their website. Noida and Greater Noida, parts of Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency, went to polls on Thursday during the first leg of the seven-phased Lok Sabha election.

Gautam Buddh Nagar, with 22.97 lakh voters, had 2,397 polling stations that witnessed a total turnout of 62.7 per cent, up from 60 per cent in 2014 and 48 per cent in 2009.

The first phase of the polls that was conducted Thursday in 91 Lok Sabha constituencies, spread across 18 states and two union territories, had more than 14 crore voters, about one-sixth of nearly 90 crore total electorate in India.