A Lifer Appeals Citizens to Exercise Franchise in Assembly Polls

A Lifer Appeals Citizens to Exercise Franchise in Assembly Polls

                            A Lifer Appeals Citizens to Exercise Franchise in Assembly Polls:

                                            How About You, Gentleman?

Vadodara, November, 27: (Information Bureau):

                  Manoj Patel   an ex serviceman, and a lifer in Vadodara Central Jail for the past 15 years, has appealed the citizens of Gujarat to exercise their franchise in the upcoming assembly elections. Significantly, when the well educated voters in the society choose to refrain from casting their votes, an appeal from a prisoner who has been sentenced a life imprisonment, can be proved quite an eye opener for the society.

Though Manoj, who has been in prison for the past 15 years, continued his studies in jail and obtained various certificates.  He keeps himself update with the current political events. He says:” Everybody from each community must cast their vote because it is a duty of every citizen to select a right representative for the development of their state or the country”.

Worried with the lower turn out in general elections, the Election Commission of India, with a view to encouraging people for exercise their franchise on large scale, has initiated a massive voter awareness campaign by introducing Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) in this forth coming polls. All the District Election Officers in Gujarat have introduced new and innovative ideas for the implementation of SVEEP in their respective districts. ECI has even planned to utilize the services of Olympians like Saina Nehwal and Mary Com for voter awareness programmes.

Kathudia Dada, a 117 year old senior citizen from Rozdhar village of Dediapada taluka of tribal dominated Narmada district, has been exercising his franchise since the first elections after the freedom, is eager to vote for his favorite candidate in the upcoming polls. Dediapada is a small forest taluka full of flora and fauna.  Impressed by his enthusiastic approach towards democracy the Director General of ECI has asked Narmada Collector Milind Torawane to project him as a brand ambassador for SVEEP in Gujarat, during his recent visit to Gujarat.

Vadodara Collector and District Election Officer Vinod Rao, aiming to create awareness among voters in the district, has planned to organize a curtain raiser of Vadodara Marathon named “City Runs For Healthy Democracy” in the first week of December, in which thousands of young and old people will participate to spread the message of democracy. Significantly, Vadodara Marathon, a renowned organization in Vadodara city, organizes “Vadodara Marathon” in the January month of every year, in which thousands of people including noted sports persons participate, has showed willingness to organize such curtain raiser marathon in the larger public interest.