Doing everything to maximise turn-out in polls: Maha EC

Saying that coming election to Mumbai civic body holds much importance, Maharashtra State Election commissioner J S Saharia said the poll body was doing everything including harnessing modern communication tools to ensure maximum voter education and participation.
Twenty-six Zilla Parishads and eleven Municipal Corporations in the state will go to polls on February 21.
During a five year-period, 28,000 local bodies in the state go to polls, electing around two and a half lakh representatives.
"To enable such a challenging decision-making, the State Election Commission is leaving no stone unturned to ensure maximum voter education and participation by use of modern technology, social media, mobile apps, massive publicity drives in institutions, banks, corporate houses, NGOs and (through) rallies," Saharia said.

He was speaking at a seminar on 'Mumbai Rise, Mumbai Vote' last evening, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and University of Mumbai.
The aim of the seminar was to increase awareness among citizens, especially the youth, about exercising franchise.

The seminar focused on how the potential voters can be made to feel that their vote will make a difference.
Saharia said the voter turn-out in rural areas in the state (in recent times) was above 70 per cent, while that in urban areas was low. In Mumbai, it was a mere 44-45 per cent while (on an average) in all the Municipal Corporations was around 55-56 per cent.

Therefore such forums to increase awareness among Mumbai citizens about the need to vote were needed, he said.