More polling booths to be set up in Gurugram high-rise buildings
Sumedha Sharma
Gurugram, July 13
With the ‘vote from doorstep’ drive proving to be a major success in Lok Sabha elections, the Gurugram administration has decided to go with it in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections too. Over 52 booths set up in high-rises managed to increase the voter count in urban Gurugram considerably in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. The administration has now decided to raise the number of booths to over 150 to get people to vote. It may be noted that urban Gurugram is among notorious places for having the lowest voting percentage, and the administration has now decided to bring voting booths to their doorstep yet again. The administration has asked Resident Welfare Associations with around 800 votes or more to submit proposals and get voting booths in their residential societies.
“We recorded one of the best voting percentages in the high-rises, where people not only had booths at their doorstep but also comfortable ones. These booths were adjudged the most comfortable by voters and that is what got many out to vote. We will now look beyond condominiums and go to other residential areas. The RWAs with the optimum number of voters can get a booth in their common areas, like community centres, etc. As of now, we have identified over 70 more booths and we will take this total number to 150,” said Nishant Yadav, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner.
It may be noted that among the four Assembly segments in Gurugram constituency, Gurugram City fares the poorest in polling in every election.
Meanwhile, the Gurugram administration has also suspended 35 booth level officers (BLOs) for lapses in execution of their electoral duty in the last Lok Sabha elections. The BLOs were found lacking in updating voter lists. The maximum number of BLOs, 22, have been suspended from the Gurugram Assembly segment, followed by seven in Pataudi, four in Sohna and two in Badshahpur.
