BENGALURU: The meeting with traders, hoteliers, mall and multiplex owners to give discounts to those who vote in the assembly elections was cancelled at the last minute as this popular move could be exploited by political parties to garner votes for their parties. BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad, who is also the district election officer, was supposed to preside over the meeting scheduled for Saturday.
The move was aimed at attracting Bengalureans, who generally go out of town during weekends, to cast their franchise, as the voting date for the Assembly election this time falls on a Saturday. Voting percentage has generally been low in the city as compared to other parts of the state, and during the last Assembly elections, despite wide publicity, total voting percentage was a mere 52.
Aiming to increase the voting percentage, Mr Prasad was in discussion with traders, hoteliers, malls and multiplex owners to give discounts to voters. As per the preliminary discussion Mr Prasad had with traders, people
who have voted can show the proof of voting, that is ink-stained finger, and avail of the discounts.
But it was rumoured that the meeting was cancelled as it was realised that this popular measure to woo urban voters to come out of their homes and vote could be exploited by political parties as there is a possibility that the voter will be given specific benefits if he/she votes for a particular political party. This move also comes on the backdrop of majority of malls, hotels and multiplexes being owned by politicians and their relatives.
But Mr Prasad said that the meeting was cancelled only temporarily due to the other emergency work he had related to elections. “We will have the meeting soon. Voter cannot be lured by political parties by offering discounts as the voter would have already cast his vote and can only show his inked finger,” he said.
He argued that the voter cannot prove which political party he has voted for. “To improve the
voting percentage, traders, hoteliers and mall owners should voluntarily offer discounts as it would be a win-win situation for both the trader and voter,” he said.
