Sporting the Gandhi cap tocreate awareness about voting

A Gandhi topi (cap) utsav was held in Ballari on Thursday to create awareness among the public about the importance of voting with an aim of enhancing the polling percentage in the Assembly elections scheduled on May 12.

All the people who had gathered, including government employees, teachers, anganwadi workers, wore the Gandhi cap, with the slogan “I Vote” on it, and came out in a procession from ITI in Radio Park and passed through the main thorough fares of the city, drawing the attention of the public.

Another special attraction at the event was N. Lakshmi Devi, a physically disabled person, casting her vote with the help of her legs during the demonstration of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trial (VVPAT).

The district administration has named Lakshmi Devi as the Ambassador for the SVEEP Committee.

The event was organised by Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP), in association with the district unit of Karnataka State Government Employees Association.

Sporting the Gandhi cap, Ms. Lakshmi Devi, working as a guest teacher in a school at Gundumunugu Village in Kudligi taluk, said, “For the past year I have been voting with the help of my leg, that too, without any help. I am happy that I am able to exercise my right. I appeal to voters, including differently abled persons, to exercise their right by casting their vote without any help or favour to strengthen the foundation of democracy.”

K.V. Rajendra, ZP Chief Executive Officer and Chairman SVEEP Committee, M.T. Mallesh, president of District Government Employees Association, appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise without fail.

Sreedharan, Deputy Director of Public Instructions, Ramesh Babu, District Health Officer, B. Nagaraj, Assistant Director Kannada and Culture, were among other officials present.