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RWAs mobilise voters with campaigns, on-site polling booths
The Gurugram district administration has set up 52 polling stations inside condominiums and within the confines of plotted colonies for the Lok Sabha polls.
Gurugram: The resident welfare associations (RWAs) in Gurugram are actively approaching voters and going door-to-door to ensure that people step out to vote on Saturday and do not plan short trips during the weekend.
More than 55,000 urban voters in Gurugram, Badshahpur and Sohna will be able to cast their votes from the comfort of their residential societies. The district administration has set up 52 polling stations inside condominiums and within the confines of plotted colonies for the Lok Sabha polls. Officials said the move aimed at increasing urban voter turnout significantly.
Nilesh Tandon, president, Resident Welfare Association, Fresco Apartments in Sector 50 said that a group of volunteers, led by Senior Citizens, visited people door-to-door and urged the residents to cast their vote. “We are actively encouraging residents to cast their votes and repeated reminders have been sent. The voter cards have been personally handed over to the first-time voters and their attendance will be marked. The entry and exit of voters will be monitored. People are free to plan a getaway but only after they are inked,” he said.
Dinesh Vashisht, president of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) for sectors 3, 5, and 6, stated that they have successfully persuaded at least 15 families to postpone their vacation plans to Dehradun, Mussoorie, and Dubai in order to ensure they cast their votes. These families have rescheduled their trips and will now leave after voting. Additionally, five families cancelled their trips altogether and have joined the RWA’s efforts to volunteer at polling booths,” he said.
Bhim Singh Yadav, president of the Sector 22B Resident Welfare Association, said that they have taken proactive measures to encourage residents to participate in the voting process. “We have utilised various communication channels such as sending messages to each resident and organising meetings in parks to emphasize the importance of voting and selecting the right candidate. While residents have the freedom to choose any candidate or opt for NOTA (None of the Above), it is mandatory for them to exercise their voting rights to receive support from the association in future,” he said.
According to the district administration, Gurugram will have 16 such polling stations for 18,185 voters, Badshahpur will have 35 stations for 37,905 voters and Sohna will have one station for 1,451 voters.
Condominiums and plotted societies where polling stations will be set up include Heritage City, Vipul Greens, Sare Homes, Sahara Grace, Valley View Apartments, Essel Towers, Vatika City, Sushant Estate, Kendriya Vihar and Jalvayu Towers, among others, which are located along the Golf Course Road, Sohna Road, MG Road, Southern Peripheral Road and Dwarka Expressway.
Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav said that they have launched over 20 initiatives to encourage voters to cast their vote. “From offering discounts to health facilities we have come up with new ways to attract voters. This is the first time so many plans have been introduced and companies were also roped in. We have set up polling stations very close to the residents and this is likely to significantly improve the voting percentage,” he said.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gurugram and Badshahpur, which host the majority of urban voters, witnessed the lowest turnouts, at 61.6% and 63.78%, respectively. Political watchers said that the voting percentage among condominium residents was even less as a large number of people who had voted lived in urban villages and colonies.
Yadav said that several meetings were held with RWAs on the issue in the run-up to the polls.
The district administration has also introduced pick and drop facilities for the elderly, and assistance at polling stations to enable them to vote.
