'Womanned' pink booths for the ease of voting by fairer sex

Saying it with roses

Colour pink symbolised the power of women across the state with polling booths being set up exclusively manned by them across the state, to make women feel comfortable.

The pink coloured booths called 'Sakhi' are entirely managed by women, right from the returning officer to the security personnel. The booths have been set up to encourage and facilitate more women to come forward and vote.

The pink booths in Kanakapura greeted their voters with pink roses. The pink booths are fully equipped with medical aid that includes first aid kits and ORS (oral rehydration system) packets. They also had medical staff on guard constantly.

The pink booths were also equipped with wheel-chairs to help elderly women voters. Many voters were also delighted to take a selfie at the 'pink selfie booths' on the polling booth premises after voting.

The pink booths also had sanitary napkins for the comfort of women voters. Close to 450 pink booths have been set up across the state for easy voting by women.

There were male voters alongside female voters at some pink booths like Sheshadripuram and Bommanahalli constituencies, among a few others. The Election Commission had clarified that pink booths had women-only staff, and men were also allowed to vote at these booths.

Karnataka is the fifth state that had pink booths installed for the Assembly elections. The Election Commission had tried this for the first time in the Assembly elections in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, followed by Gujarat and the North East.