Gurugram’s bid to better voting record

Sumedha Sharma

Amidst appeals and promises from politicians, the Gurugram administration too is running an exhaustive campaign to maximise the voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections. From social media to transforming public infrastructure to live mascots, the Gurugram administration is doing everything possible to get urban Gurugram city voters to polling booths to cast their votes on May 12.

Gurugram has always lagged behind in the region when it comes to the voter turnout. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Gurugram constituency had registered polling of 66.97 per cent against the national average of 72.78 per cent. Ironically, the overall poor average was blamed on urban Gurugram city, as the Assembly segments of Sohna and Pataudi were far ahead with 75.88 per cent and 73.21 per cent voter turnout, respectively.

Given the poor record of Gurugram city in voter turnout, the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme of the Election Commission of India has been made one of the biggest campaigns in the current elections and it has already started to show results. More than one lakh new voters from Gurugram district have been added to the final electoral list post-revision. Seventy per cent of the new votes added to the list belong to urban areas, especially those falling in the Badshahpur Assembly constituency.

Celebrities on board 

Celebrities such as actress Meghna Malik, youngest Indian to climb Mount Everest Shivangi Pathak, fitness model Lokesh Rajput, and International cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal have been roped in to motivate the youth, especially first-time voters. They have been sending video messages, urging people to exercise their right to vote while some other dignitaries will also be joining the on-ground activities planned by the administration.

Boxer Vijender Singh too was involved but he left midway after the Congress gave him the ticket from Delhi. The programme is inspired by the success of the 2017 experiment when the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) had roped in actor and Gurugram lad Rajkummar Rao as the brand ambassador for the civic poll in the city. 

Country’s first Voter Park

Living up to its reputation of being master innovative, the district administration has created one of a kind Voter Park in the Vikas Sadan complex in Gurugram city. Envisaged as a waste-to-wonder creation, the park has been constructed in 500 square yards that had been lying in disuse. The park has three dummies made from waste, which will give visitors a glimpse of the voting process. A model of the electronic voting machine (EVM), voter verifiable paper audit (VVPAT) machine, and another structure of an inked finger have been installed there. The park gives the first-time voters a chance to visually familiarise themselves with these machines. The park has an information centre where visitors can seek any information about the voting process. It has become the city’s top selfie spot.

Community participation

The district administration has gone a step further seeking the support of students to not just go out and vote, if eligible, but also spread the message and stories through social media, besides painting the city walls with graffiti, and catchy slogans and even singing an election anthem "Lo sab saath chalenge, sab matdan karenge..." created by the students of Dronacharya Government College (DGC), Gurugram. They are seen humming these lines in a video uploaded on the Twitter handle of Amit Khatri, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram. 

“In the present scenario, the youth do not want to vote because they aren't sure about the changes that politicians will bring. But we are motivating them,” says Raj Gupta, president of the students’ union at Dronacharya Government College. “To generate interest among the youth about the elections, we have debates and have launched a signature campaign. We started helping them with their voter cards, and got over 300 cards made for our college students with the help of the district administration. We have even made a poster and got it signed by hundreds of students with a promise that they would cast their votes in the Lok Sabha elections. We'll also be making an official video of the anthem and it will be released soon,” adds Gupta. 

Comfortable polling booths 

The Gurugram administration seems to be working on the idea of comfortable polling booths that will mean more voting. It will create a pink polling booth and a booth for persons with disabilities in all nine Assembly constituencies of the Lok Sabha constituency. The Deputy Commissioner says that the idea behind creating pink polling booths is to send out the message of women empowerment. These booths shall not only have women voters but will also be manned by women personnel. Similarly, the booths for persons with disabilities will be manned by those with disabilities.

Pick and drop facility

The administration has tied up with various organisations to provide the pick and drop facility to senior citizens and physically challenged persons for whom getting to the polling booths will be a hassle. The administration has tied up with NGOs, resident welfare associations (RWAs) and various help groups for the purpose. Similarly, the facilities of drinking water, refreshments and first aid will be available at all polling booths.

“We want to finish the electoral process in the best possible way and the first step in that direction is to ensure that we get all eligible voters to polling booths. We have got a record increase in the number of urban voters and we are sure that this time the number of voters reaching polling stations too will be way higher than the previous years. We are working to make everybody realise the importance of voting. The urban voters in Gurugram are aware of their voting right. They have a voice of their own and freely express themselves at every platform. We just want people to realise that polling is their right and the best form of expression. We wish to inculcate the message deeply so that no measures are required next time to get them to polling booths,” Amit Khatri, Deputy Commissioner

“Besides the smooth conduct of the elections, the biggest challenge for us is to get cosmopolitan Gurugram city voters out of their homes to the polling booths. Ironically, this category of voters, which is pretty vocal, objective and analytical on social media, has been notorious for a poor turnout in every elections whether municipal corporation, Assembly or parliamentary. We are aiming to sensitise these voters about their electoral responsibility to exercise their right to franchise and we are taking measures best suited to them. From getting celebrities to urge people through video messages and social media to tapping the selfie generation with the Voter park or 'Voter Taus', we are striving to get their attention to ensure the desired results,” says Mohammad Imran Raza, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram, and nodal officer for SVEEP. 

There are a total of 11,61, 407 voters in Gurugram — 612,715 male and 548, 669 female voters. A total of 23 members from the transgender community are also enrolled as voters, the highest 11 in Badshahpur. Nine Assembly constituencies spread across three districts fall under the Gurugram Lok Sabha constituency — Pataudi, Badshahpur, Gurugram, Sohna, Nuh, Firozpur Jhirka, Bawal, Rewari and Punahana Assembly constituencies. Pataudi, Badshahpur, Gurugram and Sohna are in Gurugram district. 

In Gurugram district, the maximum number of 378,316 registered voters is in the Badshahpur Assembly constituency, followed by 345,333 voters in the Gurugram seat. 

Voting best form of expression

"We want to finish the electoral process in the best possible way and the first step in that direction is to ensure that we get all eligible voters to polling booths. We have got a record increase in the number of urban voters and we are sure that this time the number of voters reaching polling stations too will be way higher than the previous years. We are working to make everybody realise the importance of voting. The urban voters in Gurugram are aware of their voting right. They have a voice of their own and freely express themselves at every platform. We just want people to realise that polling is their right and the best form of expression. We wish to inculcate the message deeply so that no measures are required next time to get them to polling booths." — Amit Khatri, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram

Getting urban people to polling booths a challenge

"Besides the smooth conduct of the elections, the biggest challenge for us is to get cosmopolitan Gurugram city voters out of their homes to the polling booths. Ironically, this category of voters, which is pretty vocal, objective and analytical on social media, has been notorious for a poor turnout in every elections whether municipal corporation, Assembly or parliamentary. We are aiming to sensitise these voters about their electoral responsibility to exercise their right to franchise and we are taking measures best suited to them. From getting celebrities to urge people through video messages and social media to tapping the selfie generation with the Voter Park or ‘Voter Taus’, we are striving to get their attention to ensure the desired results." — Mohammad Imran Raza, ADC, Gurugram, and nodal officer for SVEEP 

‘Voting Taus’ 

The country’s first live election mascots are back on the streets of Gurugram. Clad in traditional Haryanvi attire and carrying a ‘lathi’ with an enviable long mustache, the former and present administration employees have turned into ‘Voting Taus’. They can be seen in upscale markets, malls and condominiums requesting people to cast their votes on May 12. Their mannerism and dress up are surely proving to be a crowd-puller. Around 40 artistes and administration employees engage with eligible voters through jokes, songs and traditional raginis (folk songs and messages) to make them aware of the importance of participating in the biggest democratic event of the country. The idea of ‘Voting Taus’ was conceived before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and it proved to be an instant hit. The ‘Taus’ are primarily targeting urban areas such as Galleria market, Sector 29, and malls on MG Road, Cyber City, Cyber Hub, Sikanderpur market, DLF phase-1 and new Gurugram Sectors 58 to 117. “I had become a Voting Tau during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the experience was very heartwarming. People would stop by and listen to us in malls and markets. We also went to residential complexes. They also clicked selfies with us,” says Bhim Sen, a member of the team.