NEW DELHI: In good news for women voters, Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has decided to set up all-women polling booths for the first time, the CEO’s office announced on Monday. The national capital, which will vote on May 12 is looking at a three-cornered fight has around 1.39 crore, eligible voters. “All-women polling booths will be exclusively for woman. Locations for them are yet to be identified. The aim is to showcase their abilities and engender a sense of woman empowerment.
These special booths will have only women staff, including presiding officers, polling officers, micro observers and security personnel. Such booths are aimed at empowering women and increasing their participation in the electoral process,” said Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh. He also announced that specially-abled voters would be given transport facilities to and from the polling booth.
“In pursuit of the Election Commission’s mission of ‘leaving no voter behind’ and with special focus on persons with disabilities, transport facility will be provided to differently-abled residents of the city who, otherwise have no means to travel to polling booths,” he said, adding that the facility would be offered to those who have no other means of transport and need it urgently.
The number of voters has raised from 40 lakh in last general election held in 2014 to 70 lakh as projected in 2019, said the said Ranbir Singh, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Around two lakh people have been added to the electoral roll in Delhi in the last two months, taking the total number of eligible voters to 1.39 crore at present. The Lok Sabha elections will start from April 11 and will be held in seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23. The elections in Delhi will be held on May 12.
Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan and Sunita Godara who is a former Indian marathon runner and became the national marathon champion first time in 1984 by winning Delhi Marathon have been roped in to spread the awareness among voters.
A senior official said that for the first time, VVPATs will be used at all polling stations.
“We have 20,435 VVPATs for 13,816 polling stations. As per EVMs, we have 34,953 Ballot Units and 19,002 Control Units. VVPATs were used only in Delhi Cantonment in 2015 Assembly polls. They were not used in 2014 Lok Sabha elections,” the official said.
Manika Batra, Rishabh Pant to woo voters
Table Tennis player Manika Batra and cricketer Rishabh Pant have been roped in to encourage voters in the national capital to engage in the parliamentary exercise. Both sportspersons will spread awareness about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “The sports icons have been roped in to spread awareness. Our effort will be to increase the percentage from last time’s 65.02 per cent,” Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh said.