GHMC elections: Resident welfare associations urge people to vote

A social media campaign with a theme ‘Vote Hyderabad Vote. Your vote means better roads and water supply and better city for me to grow up” was also launched.

Hyderabad: A day after high-voltage campaign for GHMC elections came to an end, several residential welfare associations here on Monday sensitized people on the importance of casting their vote on December 1 for the development of their localities. A social media campaign with a theme ‘Vote Hyderabad Vote. Your vote means better roads and water supply and better city for me to grow up” was also launched.

As many as 4,300 colony associations under the aegis of the United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (U-FERWAS) shared information with all the members through WhatsApp groups highlighting the crucial role to be played by each voter in selecting the right candidate in the polls.

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The associations forwarded the same message to flat owners associations and other colony welfare associations in twin cities to reach information to every voter. “After announcement of the election schedule, we have started a series of programmes to educate people about importance of every vote,” said B T Srinivasan of U-FERWAS.

The sensitisation programme was intensified since Saturday. Every voter’s details along with the location of polling station were shared in WhatsApp groups to avoid confusion.

According to Srinivasan, poor polling percentage in the previous GHMC elections was a cause for concern for both the Telangana State Election Commission (SEC). The previous two municipal corporation elections in 2009 and 2016 saw poor polling percentage.

In 2009, the polling percentage was 42.04 while it was 45.29 percent in 2016. The prevailing Covid-19 pandemic might cast a shadow on voting since voters might want to avoid crowd at the polling station. “We are leaving no stone unturned to increase the polling percentage this time,” Srinivasan said.

He exuded confidence that the voting percentage might cross 50 this time and added that focus was mainly laid on encouraging the first time voters.

 

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