Mysore/Mysuru: The indispensable milk sachet found in every household is now serving as a daily reminder of th upcoming election dates in Karnataka: April 26 and May 7.

The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has taken the initiative to convey these crucial dates by printing messages on all Nandini milk and curd packets, urging people to exercise their right to vote.

This effort aims to emphasise the importance of voter participation and the civic duty associated with it. Even the Mysore Milk Union Limited (MYMUL), which caters to Mysuru and its surrounding areas, is actively contributing to voter awareness by including messages on its milk packets.

The KMF, through its numerous milk unions, spread across the State, distributes over 85 lakh litres of milk in plastic packets. Milk packets supplied to 14 districts in South Karnataka (Udupi, Chikkamagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysuru-Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru South, Chikkballapur and Kolar) will display the election date of Apr. 26, while the remaining districts (Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere, and Shivamogga) will feature the date of May 7.

This isn’t the first time KMF has undertaken such an initiative; they had previously done so during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It’s part of various governmental efforts to encourage public participation in elections.

MYMUL, distributing over 5 lakh milk packets daily through its parlours and outlets, is also actively participating in this initiative. Alongside the voting dates, the slogan ‘Chunavana Parva, Deshada Garva’ (Elections: the biggest Festival and Pride of the Nation) is printed on the milk and curd packets, further emphasising the significance of voting in the democratic process.

Officials have indicated that the district-level Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Committee has instructed both private and public organisations to actively participate in voter awareness campaigns. The goal is to increase voter turnout and support the endeavours of SVEEP.

MYMUL has aligned itself with SVEEP and is currently engaging in voter sensitisation efforts. As part of this collaboration, the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation Committee has requested the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to imprint the election date and slogan on milk and curd packets.

The KMF will continue to spearhead this voter awareness drive until the conclusion of the elections in Karnataka on May 7.