Are Independent Candidates Being Assigned Symbols Similar to Opposition Parties?
Are Independent Candidates Being Assigned Symbols Similar to Opposition Parties?
Opposition leaders have alleged that the Pune administration is deliberately assigning symbols that are similar to opposition parties to confuse voters.
9 May 2024
By Khushi Maheshwari
The opposition parties, particularly in Baramati — where an Independent candidate was given a trumpet symbol, which is similar in name to the symbol of NCP (SP) candidate Supriya Sule — have been accusing the district administration of working under the pressure of the NDA government and purposely attempting to confuse voters in key constituencies.
So far there have been no instances of Sule voters confusing the two symbols. However, a video of a BJP voter asking why there is not a “lotus symbol” on the voting machine is becoming viral on social media.
In the video, Vishnu Patil, a resident of the Baramati parliamentary constituency’s Dhayari Phata, expresses his dismay over the lack of the lotus emblem on the voting machines. He didn’t appear to be aware that the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP are in an alliance, and that Sunetra Pawar, a NCP candidate, is one of the candidates from the partnership.
Campaigns to enthuse eligible voters by the PMC
- Reel making competition:
With “voters’ awareness” as the central theme, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has organised a “reel-making competition.” Everyone listed on the electoral roll is eligible to compete. Each contestant may only submit a single reel, which must meet the following requirements: file size (less than 50 MB), runtime (between 15 and 90 seconds) and video format (MP4). Reels must adhere to electoral codes of conduct and refrain from using copyrighted content.
The entries will be evaluated based on their production quality, inventiveness, relevance to theme and message effectiveness. The PMCCare app will be required to be used to submit the entry. Participants can contact [email protected] via email or WhatsApp at 9146383383 for additional information.
- First Time Voters:
The district election officer gave certificates to more than 1,000 new voters for taking part in the ongoing My First Vote program. The district authorities set up selfie booths and encouraged voters to share their photographs on social media platforms in an effort to persuade first-time voters to cast their ballots. More than 2,000 of these selfies were taken at Tuesday’s Baramati polling, and 1,000 voters received certificates.
3. Awareness Activities Held In Housing Societies And Other Establishments : Various activities were also being held to create awareness activities among voters to persuade them to vote.
