In a rare initiative by Election Commission to encourage people to vote, it has asked the voters to sign an affidavit called, ‘Jash Pran’. It is aimed at creating awareness among people and encouraging them to come out and vote.
Jashpur is a tribal-dominated area and many people skip voting due to various reasons. The threat by the naxals and Maoists is one reason among those. District Election Officer of Jashpur Priyanka Shukla had said, “Jashpur is a tribal-dominated district so we have adopted a different approach to sensitize voters. We have named the entire voter awareness campaign as ‘Jash pran’ and have taken the help of various self-help groups and young voters”.
Around 2.10 lakh voters have signed the affidavit to turn up for voting. It is being said that this event is one of the largest event of its kind in the world.
The District Election Officer has also sent an application to The Guinness Book of World Records to get it registered.
A statement issued by the government said, “Over 2.10 lakh voters in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district signed an affidavit for turning up for voting and also ensuring 100 per cent vote count by encouraging others to vote”.