Private school students across Rajasthan to sign pledge asking parents to vote in assembly elections

State chief electoral officer Anand Kumar has asked district electoral officers (DEOs) to get letters of pledge signed by the students, especially of private schools in cities and towns, so that the voting percentage increases in urban areas.

Students of private English-medium schools across Rajasthan will take a pledge to persuade their parents, guardians and family members to vote in the state assembly elections scheduled for December 7.

Students of private schools in Rajasthan will sign pledge to persuade their parents and other family members to vote to increase the polling percentage in the upcoming state assembly elections. (HT File Photo)

State chief electoral officer Anand Kumar has asked district electoral officers (DEOs) to get letters of pledge signed by the students, especially of private schools in cities and towns, so that the voting percentage increases in urban areas.

In the last polls, government school students were asked to fill in the letters of pledge, which led to an increase in voting percentage. For the present assembly polls, Kumar wrote to DEOs last month to involve private school students in the exercise organised under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, an election commission initiative.

In what is called urban apathy, many city people enrolled in the voters’ list do not go to booths to exercise their franchise. Students of private schools will be roped in to nudge their parents and family members to vote, poll officials said.

“Last time more than 65 lakh letters of pledge were filled in the state. This time the letters of pledge will be filled in from November 12 and submitted to district electoral officers by November 21,” Kumar said in his letter.

In the 2008 assembly elections the polling percentage was 66.49%, which increased to 75.67% in 2013 in Rajasthan.

District electoral officers will appoint district education officers as nodal officers for the work, who will coordinate with SVEEP committees and schools, the letter said.

Though district education officers do not have direct control over private educational institutions, electoral officers will coordinate with English-medium schools to get the letters of pledge filled in.

“An orientation programme can also be organised at the private schools for the students, so that they can understand the action plan and get inspired to get the letters of pledge filled,” the letter said.