Transgender named Maharashtra Election Icon

For a second time since 2014, a transgender activist - Gauri Sawant - has been appointed one of Maharashtra's 12 'Election Icons' for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, an official said here on Tuesday.

In the previous Lok Sabha, another LGBT activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi had been appointed in a similar position to create awareness among the voters, goad them to go and cast their votes to increase the voter turnout, said the official, declining to be identified.

Besides Gauri Sawant, the other Election Icons are: nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar, sportspersons Rahi Sarnobat, Smriti Mandhana, Lalit Babar and Virdhawal Khade, litteratteur Madhu M. Karnik, showbiz personalities like Mrinal Kulkarni, Usha Jadhav, Prashant Damle and Nishigandha Waad and activist for the rights of the disabled Nilesh Singit.

Maharashtra has a little more than 2,000 transgenders as registered voters, more than double since the 2014 elections, though there were none before 2012.

The official added that similar Election Icons are appointed in all states and even by the Election Commission of India.

The state notched one of the highest average voting percentage of 60.30 percent in 2014, compared with 50.70 percent in 2009, and the aim is to increase it even further, the official said.

Sawant and the women Election Icons shall specially reach out to the female voters to go out along with their families and exercise their franchise.

Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls in three phases on April 10, 17 and 24 - all mid-week or Wednesdays.

--IANS

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