Mysore/Mysuru: Despite the extensive efforts of the District Administration and  District Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Committee to boost up the voting percentage in the district, the voters of three Assembly segments in Mysuru city have continued to show their apathy resulting in nullifying the well intentioned efforts of the District Administration.

The percentage of voting in KR Constituency is the lowest in the district. The voter turnout this time is 59.55 percentage a mere 0.69 percentage higher than last time (58.86 percentage).

In Chamaraja, present voting stood at 61.05 percentage as against last time’s 59.18 percentage recording an increase of 1.87 percentage.

NR Constituency recorded a voting percentage of 61.43 percentage as against 61.05 percentage, last time.

Noting that voting percentage in urban areas was less in previous elections, the District SVEEP Committee had organised many voting awareness programmes.

Installation  of hoardings depicting the importance of voting, painting exhibitions, three wheelers rally by specially abled, vintage car rally, human chain formation, colourful  rangoli, variety of jathas were part of the awareness programmes to propagate the importance of voting.

Former cricketer Javagal Srinath and yoga exponent H. Khushi, as the District SVEEP Ambassador and District SVEEP Icon respectively, led the voter awareness campaign in city.

Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra had repeatedly urged voters to participate in the Festival of Democracy. Many voting booths were specially decorated to attract voters. But despite all these sincere efforts by the District Administration, the voting percentage didn’t improve to the desired extent. The reasons of urban voters’ apathy need to be ascertained and more effective steps has to be taken to increase the voting percentage in future.