KARIMNAGAR : People from urban areas must also come out in large numbers to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to the Karimnagar Parliamentary constituency, Collector and District Election Officer Sarfaraz Ahmed said at the Rally for Ethical Voting, conducted by the district administration, in association with The New Indian Express and the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK), on Saturday.
The recent Grama Panchayat polls saw about 90 per cent of eligible voters exercising their franchise, and the Assembly polls at Huzurabad and Manakondur constituencies saw about 85 per cent voting. But in urban areas, only 68 per cent of votes were polled, the collector said, adding that he expects more than 85 per cent of eligible voters to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections. He also urged people to refuse money and liquor, which parties distribute to win voters’ favour.
Election Special Officer P Praveenya said each person must assume responsibility of improving the voting percentage in the Lok Sabha polls. Commissioner of Police VB Kamalasan Reddy said people must be allowed to cast their votes in a free and fair manner, and suggested that voters from urban areas draw inspiration from their rural counterparts.
Elections observers TK Shibu, Manoj Kumar Tripati and Srivasava appealed to the gathering to make the April 11 elections a success by working towards registering 100 per cent voting.
MCK commissioner K Satyanarayana, District Cooperative Officer Ch Manoj Kumar, Marketing department Deputy Director K Padmavathi, District Sports Officer G Ashok Kumar, MEPMA PD M Pavan Kumar, Public Relations Department’s P Bhasker, and other district officials were present at the event.
Before organising the event at Circus ground, NSS and NCC students of SRR Government Degree College, self-help groups, ICDS and MCK staff, and various district authorities took out a voter-awareness rally from Gandhi Statue of Collectorate to Circus Ground. It was flagged off by the Election Special Officer and MCK Commissioner.