Bhubaneswar, April 4: The municipal corporation has decided to rope in residents’ welfare associations to ensure higher voter participation during the April 17 election.

The city has a history of very less people exercising their franchise.

Municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar has directed officials to organise a formal meeting of the residents’ welfare associations on April 7. There are 110 residents’ welfare associations who are in touch with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.

Kumar said: “During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the city’s polling percentage was much below that of the state average. So, we have taken several measures to make more people aware of their voting rights and exercise it on the polling day.”

In 2009 Assembly elections, while the state’s polling percentage was 65.30, the three Assembly constituencies in the city had polled below 40 per cent. While the Bhubaneswar-Ekamra had recorded 37.21 per cent polling, Bhubaneswar (North) and Bhubaneswar (Central) recorded 35.09 and 33.78 per cent respectively.

In the January civic polls, the poll percentage was 43.29. Of 6.90 lakh voters, only 2.98 lakh had exercised their franchise. Corporation secretary Debashish Mohanty said: “We have invited all residents’ welfare associations… We will convince the office-bearers of these associations to tell voters to exercise their right.”

EVM demonstration

A team of corporation officials, led by deputy-secretary of the civic body Subhranshu Mishra, organised two demonstrations of the electronic voting machine at two prominent shopping malls on Wednesday. Yesterday, two more demonstrations were organised near the state secretariat and a mall.

“The emphasis was on how to use the ‘none of the above’ (Nota) button on the ballot,” Mishra said.

The civic body has put up 110 hoardings and banners all over the city to make people aware of voting. There is also a plan to use the various tax collection points within the corporation area to educate the voters. Banners and posters with the message “Vote Bhubaneswar vote” have also been put up on the rear of buses asking the people to vote on April 17. All the 125 city buses will sport the posters.

“We have named the campaign Vote Bhubaneswar Vote and hope it yields good results,” said Mishra.