Voting 'not merely political expression', reflects faith in democracy: President Murmu on National Voters’ Day

President Murmu said the strength of our democracy lies not only in the magnitude of numbers -- the number of voters in the country exceeds 95 crore -- but also in the depth of democratic spirit.

New Delhi: Emphasising that voting is "not merely a political expression" but reflects citizens' faith in the democratic process of elections, President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said that the right to vote gives concrete expression to constitutional ideals of political and social justice and equality.

Addressing the National Voters' Day celebrations, which commemorates the establishment of the EC on the same day in 1950, she said while the right to vote is important, it is equally important that all adult citizens exercise their franchise, keeping in mind their constitutional duties.

She expressed hope that all voters, "free from temptation, ignorance, misinformation, propaganda, and prejudice", will strengthen the country's electoral system through the exercise of their conscience.

Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter to MY-Bharat volunteers said being a voter is not just a constitutional privilege, but an important duty that gives every citizen a voice in shaping India's future.

Describing voters as the decider of the destiny (bhagya vidhata) of India's development journey, Modi said, "many youngsters among your friends or relatives may be first-time voters. This is a moment of great significance for them. Our first-time voters should be welcomed into democracy as individuals who hold the power to transform the destiny of our country."

In her address, Murmu said the strength of our democracy lies not only in the magnitude of numbers -- the number of voters in the country exceeds 95 crore -- but also in the depth of democratic spirit.

"Voting is not merely a political expression. It reflects citizens’ faith in the democratic process of elections. It is also a means for every citizen to express their aspirations. The right to vote available to all adult citizens without any discrimination gives concrete expression to our constitutional ideals of political and social justice and equality," she said.

She said the 'One Person, One Vote' principle ensured by the Constitution was the result of the firm faith of our Constitution-makers in the wisdom of the common people. The voters of our country proved their faith to be right, and Indian democracy earned respect on the global stage as an extraordinary example, she said.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said all democracies across the world agree that a clean and accurate electoral roll is the cornerstone of a strong democracy.

"As per the Constitution and the law, any person who is 18 years of age or above, ordinarily resident in an Assembly constituency, and a citizen of India is eligible for registration in the electoral roll of that constituency. To fulfill this core objective, the EC initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and no ineligible person is included in the electoral roll," he added.