Karnataka election news: Luminary trio roped in to motivate voters in Dharwad

HUBBALLI: Musician and Padma Shri Pt Venkatesh Kumar, national-level para shooter Jothi Sannakki and national air rifle shooter Rakesh N Nidagundi have been chosen as ambassadors for Dharwad district to be part of the awareness campaign to increase voter participation in the forthcoming assembly elections in the state.
These talented personalities have been roped in by Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation Programme (SVEEP) for its drive to increase public awareness on the importance of exercising one’s franchise.
Sannakki, the first woman national para shooter, is from Hubballi and has participated in multiple championships across the country, winning many of those. Her recent showing was at the Para Shooting Championships in Haryana.
National air rifle shooter Rakesh N Nidagundi is also from Hubballi. He started wielding the rifle when he was just three years old. Nidagundi has won one national title, two gold medals at the state level and one zonal award.
Pt Kumar is a Hindustani vocalist and is well-known for the Kirana and Gwalior gharanas. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016.
Swaroopa TK, the zilla panchayat chief executive officer and nodal officer for SVEEP, told TOI: “For the district-level ambassadors, we had proposed the names of some prominent personalities to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), who chose two national-level athletes and one personality from the music fraternity.”
Swaroopa said apart from signing up these well-known persons as ambassadors, SVEEP has also organised a three-wheeler rally at Dharwad for the differently abled.
Padma Shri Kumar said: “Voting is everyone’s responsibility and everyone should participate in it. It is a precious right given to us by the Constitution. If we want development of our district, taluk and village, then it is our responsibility to choose a candidate.”
His words found an echo in what para shooter Sannakki and rifle shooter Nidagundi had to say. “Participating in the voting process is a must. Voting is our right, so people should exercise their franchise without fail in order to achieve 100% polling,” they said. The duo was all praise for the Election Commission’s efforts to allow the differently abled and senior citizens who are above 80 years to vote from home.