Given the fact that voting percentage at a number of booths in Khunti recorded minimal turnout during 2009 lok Sabha elections, conducting free and fair polling with considerable voter turnout, will be a tough task for the administration during the elections on April 17.
District administration however, claims that the voter turnout will definitely increase this time as they have been succeeded in convincing the voters through different awareness campaigns under Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) being run by the Election Commission of India.
“last time there had been less number of security forces, but this time we have adequate number of security available with us for conducting free and fair polls even on the most sensitive booths in the constituency,” said Khunti DC Samson Soy.
Soy also added that the district administration is taking all steps to increase the voting percentage where there had been none or negligible voter turnout during the 2009 general elections.
Remarkably in Khunti alone, there were at least 16 booths where there had been negligible or zero percent voter’s turnout during 2009 general elections. Some of booths where zero percent voting were registered during 2009 elections include Barigardha, Kota, Sargeya West and Mosanga.
Besides security arrangements, extensive awareness campaign has also been launched in the last few months so that the voting percentage gets increased in those areas. “We have also been campaigning under SVEEP programme in the sensitive areas for the last several months to increase voting percentage in these lok Sabha elections. People are being convinced to vote through folk artists, rallies, posters, pamphlets, leaflets, cinema slides, street plays and magic shows,” added the DC.
Over 150 booths have been identified as most sensitive in Khunti itself. “We have identified 156 polling booths as the most sensitive ones on security point of view and have been put under category ‘A’. The more sensitive the booth is, more security forces will be deployed on it to ensure free and fair polling in these booths,” said Khunti SP Anis Gupta.
District administration had also been given special instructions by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to take required steps to ensure increased voting percentage on such polling booths. “We have been conducting mass level campaign in the areas where there had been recorded least voter turnout and the DCs had also been given instructions to launch extensive awareness campaign among the people to make them come out for voting,” said CEO PK Jajoria. We expect better results this time, added Jajoria.
A total of 36.53 percent voting was recorded in Bundu, Tamar and Adki blocks of Tamad Assembly constituency under Khunti lok Sabha seat which is said to be the stronghold of People’s liberation Federation of India, a splinter group of CPI (Maoist). Khunti, has also been declared one of the most sensitive constituency for conducting polls among all the Naxal affected areas in the State.