EC focusing on increasing voter turnout in West Bengal

KOLKATA: To ensure that maximum number of voters exercise their franchise on polling days, the Election Commission is focusing on a big way to increase voter turnout.

"West Bengal has one of the highest voter turnouts in India. In both the last 2011 Assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha polls the turnout was over 80 per cent. Women came to vote more than men in 2011 and this time we want to carry forward the tradition," deputy CEO Amitjyoti Bhattacharya told reporters here.

He said they were using folk artistes in the districts to increase awareness among voters.

"We want to ensure participation of maximum number of voters. Sky is the limit," he added.

Notification for holding Assembly elections in the first part of the first phase will be issued by the EC on Friday.

Altogether 18 Assembly constituencies will go to poll on April 4 in the three Maoist-hit districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia. Another 31 constituencies in the first phase will go to poll on the 14th.

EC officials said they are also doing intensive media monitoring round the clock at both the state and district level to monitor whether the model code of conduct is followed properly or not.

For the convenience of voters, basic minimum facilities like drinking water, toilet, furniture, electricity, etc has been ensured in almost all the polling booths, Bhattacharya said.

He said district officials have been asked to send photographs of all polling stations to monitor the existence of facilities.

Voter help desks are also being set up at many places.

Special arrangements are being made for pregnant women, ailing, disabled and aged voters.