Election Commission Urges Action on Urban Apathy Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly Polls

The Election Commission has urged state election officials in Maharashtra to develop a robust plan to address low voter turnout in urban areas like Mumbai, Thane, and Pune. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasized the need for increased youth engagement and awareness campaigns to enhance voter participation in the upcoming assembly elections.

With poor voter turnout in Maharashtra metros like Mumbai, Thane, and Pune during the Lok Sabha polls still fresh in memory, the Election Commission on Friday called on state election officials to outline their strategies to boost voter participation in the upcoming assembly elections, according to sources.

During the first day of poll preparedness reviews, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar asked district election officers and municipal commissioners to detail the measures they have implemented to combat 'urban apathy'.

Urban apathy refers to a phenomenon where urban residents and youth prefer to avoid polling stations on election day. Despite the Election Commission's efforts to encourage voting, previous attempts have met with limited success. Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, a meeting was convened with election officers and municipal commissioners of historically low-turnout areas.

Chief Election Commissioner Kumar underscored the need for a 'robust action plan' to tackle urban apathy, highlighting that if regions like Jammu and Kashmir and Bastar have seen high voter turnout, urban areas with better infrastructure and information access should also be able to achieve the same. He directed local officials to ramp up awareness activities, engage youth in educational institutions, and ensure stronger voter engagement for the forthcoming elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)