Titabar, March 14: The Titabar election district (sub-divisional administration) will rely on the persuasive powers of an affectionate bhoni - the Assamese term for a younger sister - to increase voter turnout for the Assembly elections.
The bhoni mascot, which was launched today at the office of the Titabar sub-divisional officer (civil) Keerthi Jalli, in the presence of officials, will be used to increase voter turnout in the constituencies.
The Titabar election district comprises Titabar and Mariani Assembly seats.
The mascot is perhaps the first of its kind in the state.
A red plastic band with four knots depicting April 4 as polling day was also launched on the occasion. Volunteers will tie the band around people's hands during awareness drives to remind them of the voting date.
Jalli, who took charge a month ago, said the idea of having a mascot and the band developed during discussions at her poll preparation meetings with her team of administration officials.
The sub-divisional officer said the average voter turnout in the 2011 Assembly elections in the two constituencies was 72 per cent and this time, the administration hoped to make it considerably higher.
They realised some interesting and attractive method was needed to implement the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation.
She said of the 2.37 lakh voters in both the constituencies, the administration hoped to have one lakh people cast their votes.
"We were thinking of various innovative ideas to draw attention of the electorate and urge them to come out on voting day. Our team liked the idea of having bhoni as a mascot. The team comprised election officer Damodar Burman, revenue circle officer (Titabar) Nandita Baruah, Mariani revenue circle officer Tarali Das, executive magistrate Raktim Borgohain and additional deputy commissioner Jayanta Goswami," Jalli said.
She said bhoni was an affectionate term in Assamese society, with people generally having a soft corner for sisters. Hence, the possibility of listening to bhoni was high, the sub-divisional officer said.
She added that hoardings, posters, pamphlets, stickers of bhoni (in traditional dress) and cutouts would be put up at important areas like daily and weekly markets, sports grounds, bus and railway stations vantage points in roads, tea gardens and villages.
The sub-divisional officer said stickers and posters of bhoni would be put up at banks, ATMs and on LPG cylinders to send out a message to the voters.
Jalli said those social and cultural organisations and self-help groups (having no political affiliations) would be involved in the awareness drives.
Burman said the administration and election department officials would also accompany the volunteers on vehicles. They will travel to all corners of the constituencies and organise awareness meetings on roadsides, at bazaars, open fields near tea estates and in villages. He said girls dressed like the mascot would accompany the groups and appeal to people and tie the bands with four knots to remember the polling date.
The official said video CDs of the Election Commission would be used in the meetings.
Jalli said the administration team, comprising three women officers, including her, and the new Titabar sub-divisional police officer, Gayatri Sonowal, will also try to accompany the publicity groups as much as possible to woo women voters.
Additional deputy commissioner Jayanta Goswami said badges with slogans urging the people to vote would also be distributed during the drives.
