Over 20.3 lakh invitation cards to be sent across 13,000 polling stations in state: CEO Gujarat

New Delhi [India], April 8 : The Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat, P Bharathi, is extending a unique invitation to voters, particularly women, to participate in the upcoming grand festival of democracy.
Over 20.3 lakh invitation cards will be dispatched to encourage an increased turnout of women voters at 13,000 polling stations across the state.
In the spirit of India's unity in diversity and its tradition of inviting others to celebrate occasions, P Bharathi is sending out these invitations to voters, urging them to cast their votes with their families, the information department Gujarat stated.
The aim is to enhance the participation of women voters at more than 13,000 polling stations where the difference in voter turnout between men and women is more than 10 per cent, and where the overall voter turnout is less than 50 per cent compared to the previous Legislative Assembly elections.
District Development Officers at the rural level and Deputy Municipal Commissioners at the urban level have been appointed as Nodal Officers of the Turnout Implementation Plan (TIP) to increase voter turnout at these polling stations.
To further increase women's voter turnout, around 20.3 lakh invitation cards will be sent out across the state, requesting families to vote together.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Bharthi, has appealed to women voters to take time out of their busy schedules to vote with their families and inspire others to do the same through these invitation cards.
In addition, all district election officers have been instructed to conduct Chunav Pathshalas at all polling stations to discuss the reasons for low voter turnout and to make efforts to ensure that the maximum number of citizens exercise their right to vote.
Street meetings are organised by Asha workers, Anganwadi workers, Booth Level Officers, School Principals, Talatis, Gram Sevaks, non-political social leaders of villages and members of self-help groups under Chunav Pathshalas, where attendees will be encouraged to pledge to vote with their families for maximum voting turnout in the upcoming Lok Sabha General Elections-2024.
The BJP whitewashed the Congress in the 2014 and 2019 general elections by winning all 26 constituencies in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gujarat will vote for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in a single phase on May 7 across all the 26 parliamentary constituencies in the state. The counting of votes is slated for June 4
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won all 26 seats with a vote share of 63.1 per cent while the Congress party bagged 32.6 per cent vote share.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party registered victory in all 26 seats with a vote share of 60.1 per cent whereas Congress received 33.5 per cent of votes.