Mumbai: As the Thane Lok Sabha seat is all set to go to poll on May 20, the Mira-Bhayandar election officials have stepped up the voter awareness campaign. After roping in students to spread a word about the elections, they are now using 'ghanta gadi' or garbage collection vans to make headway in the same direction. Currently, the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) operates 45 such vehicles.
The officials are ingeniously using the public address systems (PAS) mounted on these vans to play poll-related jingles. The novel idea is inspired from the audio messages, which are usually played on the vans' PAS to raise sanitation awareness.
Resources officer Avanti Bhoir has been appointed to conduct such creative activities under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP)- a flagship program of the Election Commission of India for voter education.
“These vans have a wide reach as they go door-to-door for garbage collection, which in turn will sensitise and encourage people to vote,” said Bhoir. After roping in students to render theme-based songs and perform street plays to encourage people to vote, the officials are now planning to install the PAS in the public transport buses and auto-rickshaws plying in the twin-city.
The Thane Lok Sabha seat comprises assembly segments of Mira-Bhayandar, Kopri-Pachpakhadi, Ovala-Majiwada, Thane, Airoli and Belapur. With the addition of new voters, the electoral strength of the Mira-Bhayandar assembly segment stands at 4,54,696, including 2,41638 men, 2,13,054 women and four transgender persons. In the 2019 LS polls, this assembly segment had recorded a turnout of 49.1%, with an electoral strength of 4,22,273.
