Saturday 27 / April / 2024
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday expressed concern over the "abuse" of money and muscle power in elections, contending these malpractices "subvert" the spirit of democracy.
He also urged the Election Commission to reach out to young voters who do not have access to digital and social media platforms.
"The abuse of money and muscle power to influence voters remains a cause of concern. The spirit of democracy will be subverted if these malpractices are not checked," Mukherjee said addressing the sixth National Voters' Day celebrations by the EC here.
The day is celebrated to mark the foundation of the Election Commission on January 25, 1950 and is observed with much fanfare by the poll panel and its associate agencies across the country with an aim to increase voter participation.
The President also lauded the poll body for undertaking "innovative" ways to reach out to the electorate, particularly youth, so they exercise their right to vote in a free and fair manner as soon as they are eligible.
He said while social media has raised awareness amongst the youth about the elections process, special attention has to be paid to those who are "outside the ambit of the digital opportunities".
"It is commendable the way EC has taken up initiatives for informed and ethical voting," he said, adding India takes pride in being the "largest functional democracy" in the world where more than 84 crore people participate in elections.
Mukherjee said elections in India were not merely a festival of democracy but also a "gigantic administrative exercise", a task, which the EC and its officials have rendered with "perfect impartiality and fearlessness."
Mukherjee, while calling himself a former "practising political activist", said world leaders and thinkers did not appreciate India, with its low literacy, high poverty and backwardness, becoming a Republic.
A personal friend of former prime minster Jawaharlal Nehru, he said, wrote to him that "your idealism will be frustrated on ground of reality" but he himself later on admitted that India "graduated with distinction" after the first general elections were held successfully.
He called EC's new initiatives as "exemplary", including the innovation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) as they drastically shortened the time taken for counting of votes and declaring results.
India has about 85 crore registered voters, with 1.8 crore new electors added to the electoral rolls in the recent past, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi on Monday said.
"I am very happy to inform the gathering that 1.8 crore or 18 million new voters have been registered in our electoral rolls as on January 1 and ahead of the National Voters' Day (NVD).
With this addition, the total number of voters in the country has touched about 85 crore or 850 million mark which is equal to population of some continents on stand alone basis or in combination," the CEC said at an event to mark the 6th NVD here.
President Pranab Mukherjee was present at the function as chief guest.
Zaidi said the poll body has made good progress in adding new voters, in the age group of 18-19 years.
In India, a citizen can vote after attaining the age of 18 years.
"Enrollment of 18-19 year age group has always been a matter of concern. Commission is pleased to inform that 50 per cent of total voters of this age group have now been enrolled which is a remarkable progress compared with earlier 10 to 15 per cent a few years ago," he said.
"It (NVD) is an unparalleled operation of its own kind anywhere in the world and we are very proud of it," Zaidi said.
To mark the event this time, the President handed over new Electoral Voter Identity Cards (EPICs) to six chosen youngsters who will be voting for the first time after they attained the age of 18 recently.
