Students show inked finger, avail discounts after polls

After political parties and social organisations, it is now time for restaurants, theatres and leading brands across the city to do their bit by rewarding those who voted with lucrative deals.

After political parties and social organisations, it is now time for restaurants, theatres and leading brands across the city to do their bit by rewarding those who voted with lucrative deals.

Students and other young voters responded tremendously to the deals offered by various outlets and were seen flaunting their inked fingers at the counters of movie theatres and restaurants.“It is a great initiative that these brands have come up with to encourage youngsters to vote in large numbers,” said Saurabh Sahai, a student of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University.

Certain outlets have promised that their offers will last for a month. It is the first such initiative by private retailers in any city. Students gathered in huge numbers outside their favourite outlets, especially in student-dominated areas such as Satya Niketan, South Extension and North Campus to avail these deals.

Domino’s, a leading pizza delivery chain, offered a 20% discount for voters who showed their inked finger on delivery. “Through this initiative, we are doing our bit to increase the voter turnout in the city. An encouragement like this often works with youngsters and it is done for the first time ever in any elections that we attempted such a thing,” said a senior manager of Domino’s, Anand Niketan.

The Chief Electoral Office had come up with an initiative called SVEEP (Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation), to increase the voter turnout on the day of polls.