Grassroots push under SVEEP to strengthen democracy
Democracy thrives when every voice is heard. In a vibrant democracy, every vote counts and every voice matters. Guided by this principle, the Chief Electoral Officer, Assam, through the SVEEP programme, is leading impactful initiatives aimed at empowering voters, enhancing awareness, and encouraging wholehearted participation in the General Election to the Assam Legislative Assembly, 2026.
To strengthen participatory democracy, all DEOs of Assam, under the leadership of CEO, Assam, Anurag Goel, are driving dynamic and people-centric campaigns to ensure that no voter is left behind. Through innovative outreach and grassroots engagement, Assam is gearing up to celebrate the festival of democracy with greater participation than ever before.
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Assam, continues to spearhead innovative initiatives to enhance voter awareness and participation. With a vision to make the election truly inclusive and participative, an array of targeted interventions are being undertaken to inspire every eligible citizen to be a part of the great festival of democracy. As part of these efforts, various programmes such as street plays, drawing competitions, rangoli competitions, slogan writing competitions, digital poster-making competitions, wall writing, news presentation competitions, workshops, and other creative awareness activities are being conducted. In addition, to attract and engage voters, several districts have introduced appealing mascots, while in some districts, popular personalities have been roped in as icons for voter awareness campaigns. Rakesh Bonik, renowned paracyclist and the State icon, is creating awareness amongst the voters across the State.
In a proactive effort to enhance voter participation and strengthen democratic engagement, the District Administration of Tamulpur, in collaboration with the SVEEP Cell, launched the “Adopt a Polling Station (PS) Campaign” across selected polling stations in the district.
The campaign is formally initiated at Tamulpur MV School under Tamulpur Circle, Ghoramara MV School under Baganpara Circle, and Bimala Nagar LP School under Goreswar Circle. Aimed specifically at polling stations that recorded comparatively low voter turnout in previous elections, the initiative seeks to address gaps in voter awareness and participation through targeted community engagement.
What makes the initiative noteworthy is its community-centric model. Civil Defence volunteers, in close coordination with Booth Level Officers, BLO Supervisors and Circle Officers, are engaging directly with voters— particularly senior citizens, women, and first-time electors. The participation of voters aged over 85 years in the outreach meetings underscores the inclusive spirit of the campaign. As part of the programme, outreach community meetings were conducted at the identified locations, witnessing enthusiastic participation from various sections of society. Notably, senior citizens — including voters aged over 85 years — along with women and first-time voters, took an active part in the discussions.
Beyond awareness, the campaign seeks to rebuild trust and inspire a sense of civic duty among citizens. By taking the message to the grassroots, the administration aims not just to increase turnout but to reinforce the foundational values of democracy.
Speakers at the meetings emphasised the importance of voting as a fundamental democratic right and encouraged citizens to actively participate in the electoral process. The initiative also aims to build trust in the system and foster a sense of civic responsibility among voters.
Officials expressed optimism that such focused interventions and significant grassroots initiatives to deepen democratic participation at the grassroots level, targeting areas with historically low voter turnout, would extensively improve voter turnout in the upcoming elections while reinforcing democratic values across the State.
