Election Commission tickles funnybone to get Bengalureans to vote

BENGALURU: Guess what? The Election Commission is getting creative to attract more voters. Their idea seems to be to catch them while they walk and jog. On Sunday morning, the patrons of Lalbagh were in for a treat. It was not just flora, fauna or fresh air but also something to tickle their creative instincts and get them to be responsible voters.

A three-day cartoon exhibition by 25 leading cartoonists such as Chandra Gangolli, B G Gujjarappa, V Gopal and M V Shivram, has been put up to give voters an extra nudge and get them to turn up to exercise their rights. Catch phrases such as ‘Maga, get up and vote’ and ‘As you are absent-minded, I have removed all other sheets... so that you don’t forget to vote’, with a girl pointing out the calendar to a man, will certainly draw laugh out of a lazy voter.

Sanjiv Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, insisted that the voting day be considered a ‘festival of democracy’ and not a holiday.The EC has reasons to worry as Bengaluru has shown poor turnout in the past with 47.22 per cent and 58.27 per cent during the 2008 and 2013 assembly elections respectively. The 2018 elections saw 65 per cent turnout. However, the city hasn’t shown much interest in the General Elections. Only 10 per cent surge in the turnout was observed from Bangalore constituencies during the 2014 elections. Hence, to encourage more people to vote, the EC has organised this exhibition at the glasshouse in Lalbagh with the Information and Public Relations Department and Horticulture Department, Lalbagh.

Cartoonist Chandra Gangolli (40) said he’s trying to convey that we are responsible for the government we choose. “Cartoons can help voters understand the message better,” he said. Dr M V Venkatesh, director of the Horticulture Department, Lalbagh, and special officer to Election Commission, agreed. He said a picture can convey a thousand words. “I remember one of them where the artist had drawn Yamraj sending a person back to earth from hell so that he could vote and come back,” he laughed.There was a demonstration for the public on how to use EVM.