Ahead of the assembly polls due later this year in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday expressed concern over the low voter turnout in the state in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and asked officials to formulate a strategy to enhance participation of people in the electoral process.
Bihar's voter turnout in the last Lok Sabha elections was around 10 per cent less than that of the national average, the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said.
Election Commissioner of India, Vivek Joshi, who reached Patna on a four-day visit to Bihar to review the preparations for the upcoming assembly elections, chaired a meeting with the CEO, State Police Nodal Officer Kundan Krishnan and other senior officials here on Friday.
In the meeting, preparations for the upcoming elections, adherence to the Model Code of Conduct, special summary revision of the electoral roll and other related issues were discussed.
"The Election Commissioner of India expressed concern over the low voter turnout in Bihar. While the national average voter turnout stands at 66.10 per cent, Bihar recorded only 56.28 per cent in the last Lok Sabha elections, which is significantly lower," the CEO said in a statement.
Joshi stressed the need to formulate a comprehensive strategy to increase voter turnout, which should be implemented at the micro level and regularly reviewed by the ECI.
"He noted that in the last 10 years of general elections, Bihar's voter turnout has hovered between 56 per cent and 57 per cent, which necessitates focused efforts to improve it," said the statement.
Bihar has a total of 7,69,046 Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and 5,91,347 elderly voters aged above 85 years. The ECI directed that maximum inclusive participation of these voters be ensured so that they can vote without any hindrance.
"This will not only affirm inclusive participation of all sections of society in the electoral process but will also play a vital role in increasing the overall voter turnout," said the statement.
Joshi instructed officials to ensure that all election-related activities are carried out impartially and within stipulated timelines.
He also urged the administration to take proactive and creative initiatives to ensure the active participation of all stakeholders.
The ECI is conducting extensive training programmes to ensure the accuracy of the electoral roll.
"Those attending training programmes include polling station officers, electoral registration officers, and booth-level agents of recognised political parties. These training sessions are being held in New Delhi, as well as at divisional and district levels across Bihar," the statement said.
Bihar has a total of 77,895 polling stations, and the ECI directed officials to ensure that all essential facilities are provided there.
According to the final publication of the electoral roll, Bihar has approximately 7.80 crore registered voters.
"The Election Commissioner directed that no eligible citizen should be left out of the electoral roll. He expressed concern about the low registration among youth aged 18 to 19, whose current number stands at only 8,08,857, compared to the estimated population of around 6.4 million in that age group. Hence, he directed special focus on registering voters in this age category", the statement said.
During his four-day visit, Joshi will inspect the First Level Checking (FLC) of EVMs in Motihari on Saturday and will hold a review meeting.
He will also visit Bettiah (West Champaran). On Sunday, he will meet with SSB officials in Valmiki Nagar and conduct a field visit. On Monday, he will visit areas in Vaishali district.
Joshi's visit is aimed at conducting on-the-ground assessments of voter facilities, security arrangements, the FLC process, training centres, and the condition of polling stations. Through this visit, the ECI intends to ensure that elections in Bihar are conducted in a fair, peaceful, and participatory manner, the statement said.
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