BENGALURU: Do not blame the system if you do not cast your vote in this upcoming election. Voting for the right candidate of our choice is as precious as appointing a priest for a temple,” Manjula, a city resident, said during TNIE’s campaign, ‘Every Count Matters’, to encourage voting. The 53-year-old woman, who works as a peon in a college, added,“It is important to cast our vote for our future, and awareness is the key factor we need to consider.”
The campaign, launched by The New Indian Express Group in association with Red FM 93.5, was flagged off by state Chief Electoral Officer Sanjeev Kumar on Friday. It will go on till April 17, the eve of the polling day in the city. As part of the campaign, TNIE’s van designed on election theme will visit various areas of the city.
On Day 1, it covered areas such as Vasanthnagar, JC Nagar, Kavalbyrasandra, KG Halli, Nagavara, Hebbal,Jalahalli, Mathikere, Malleshwaram, Sheshadripuram and Gandhinagar.
Welcoming the campaign, Arjun Mohandas, a techie from the city who has also joined an NGO for spreading awareness about voting rights, said, “If we do not cast our vote, we will end up creating problems in our society. The purpose of democracy will be defeated if we don’t vote.”
Sneha Raj, a professor at Mount Carmel College,said the awareness should reach every youth. “As someone from the teaching profession, I strongly recommend that every person realises the importance of voting for the right candidate. Casting one’s vote should be the part of public culture.Polling day has to be treated as the festival of democracy that we all have to protect for our future,” she added.
Nagaraj TR, an autorickshaw driver who said he has exercised his franchise for the past nine elections, said, “It is our duty and responsibility. We should be happy that we live in a democratic country that allows its citizens to chose their leader. If we don’t vote, it is nothing but a burden on democracy. I have read that many countries don’t even have the facility of voting, as they are still governed by the king. So we are lucky in this matter.”