‘Four requests for democracy’: PM tags personalities for higher voter turnout

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tagged top politicians, celebrities and other prominent personalities on Twitter urging them to “encourage” people to vote in record numbers in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Modi’s first appeal went to the political spectrum – including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and MK Stalin.

In his next tweet, he tagged Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy, urging them to "work towards bringing maximum Indians to the polling booths in the upcoming elections. May voter awareness efforts be strengthened across the length and breadth of India."

Tagging Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan and Pawan Chamling, he wrote: "Soliciting your support and active participation in improving voting across the country in the coming elections. Let us strive to create an atmosphere where maximum voting can take place."

He has also tagged filmstars like Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal and Deepika Padukone, sports stars, business leaders in a series of tweets.

"Many youngsters admire you. It is time to tell them: Apna Time Aa Gaya Hai and that it is time to turn up with high Josh to a voting centre near you," he tweeted tagging Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal, using wildly popular catchphrases from their blockbuster movies "Gully Boy" and "Uri".

Modi also tagged actors Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh and Varun Dhawan among others saying, “I am sure their message will have a positive impact on our citizens.”

He also named industry leaders Ratan Tata and Anand Mahindra in his posts on the micro-blogging site for “ensuring maximum participation in voting.”

“Dear @srikidambi, @Pvsindhu1 & @NSaina, The core of badminton is the court and the core of democracy is the vote. Just like you smash records, do also inspire a record-breaking voter turnout. I request you to increase voter awareness & motivate youth to vote in large numbers,” reads another tweet of PM Modi.

Tagging all these leaders, PM Modi said he appealed to them to "encourage increased voter participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. A high turnout augurs well for our democratic fabric."

PM Modi reached out prominent personalities from a wide spectrum of society soon after posting a blog in which he made “four requests for democracy”.

The “four requests”, as put out by PM Modi, are for the eligible voters to get themselves registered, make sure their names figure in the list of electoral rolls, plan their voting schedule to make sure they use franchise and to mobilise friends and families to vote in large numbers.

This comes weeks ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha election.