Lok Sabha elections 2024: Mumbai City collector calls for increasing voter participation

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Mumbai City district collector Sanjay Yadav on Wednesday stressed on the need to increase voter participation in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 and said authorities are targeting 70 per cent turnout when the metropolis votes on May 20, reported news agency PTI.

He said Mumbai City district has more than 24.59 lakh registered voters who can exercise their franchise at 2,509 booths, reported PTI.

The district consists of the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat and parts of the Mumbai South Central constituency.

Addressing a press conference at the collector's office in south Mumbai, Yadav appealed to citizens above 18 years of age to register themselves in the voting list if they haven't done so yet and cast their votes on the polling day.

The IAS officer said eligible citizens can register their names on the list through the voters.eci.gov.in website or a dedicated mobile app, and suggested reaching out to the helpline number 1950 for any help.

Highlighting that in 2019, Mumbai witnessed only 48 per cent voting, as compared to the national average of 67 per cent, due to "urban apathy" towards elections, Yadav said they aim to increase the turnout to 70 per cent this time around, reported PTI.

"To improve this percentage, we all need to make special efforts," he said, adding hoardings and advertisements on BEST (civic) buses are being used to create voter awareness, reported PTI.

Appeals are being made to voters through celebrities and sportspersons to encourage them to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise, said the senior bureaucrat, reported PTI.

In Mumbai, polling will take place in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on May 20, which is a Monday. Hence, Yadav appealed to citizens not to plan their holiday on the election day.

Yadav said of the 24,59,443 voters in Mumbai City district, 13,28,520 are males, 11,30,701 females and 222 transgender persons, reported PTI.

The district has 55,753 senior citizen voters, 5,810 differently-abled electors and 2,325 voters in the 18 to 19 age group, reported PTI.

Mumbai City district has 2,509 polling booths, including eight auxiliary ones. Of these, 89 booths have been identified as sensitive as per the Election Commission guidelines, said the collector, reported PTI.

Yadav said they have set up a media cell for the Lok Sabha polls and it is doing round the clock monitoring of news channels, social media and newspapers.

(With inputs from PTI)