To woo the 46,000 first-time voters in Puducherry, the Elections Department will send SMS and letters urging them to vote in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, said Chief Election Officer D Srikanth at a meeting with representatives of political parties on Friday.
The Elections Department is taking all steps to enhance the voting percentage and a five per cent increase from the 85 per cent turnout in the 2011 Assembly elections has been fixed as target (90 per cent) for the LS polls. In the previous LS elections, the voting percentage stood at 79 per cent.
“Awareness on voting will also be taken up through the digital boards, signature campaigns, FM radio and television. Bicycle rallies will also be taken up,” Srikanth said. Replying to the political representatives who wanted to know the status of cases registered in the previous elections, Srikanth said of the 113 cases registered in the last elections, 24 were disposed of, while 74 were pending at various stages.
“Announcement of freebies in the election manifestos has to be explained, detailing the funding, the source of the funds and the benefit. If any account is maintained by the candidate in a foreign bank, it has to be intimated to Commission,” the CEO said. Members of the Congress, DMK, BJP, CPI and BSP attended.