Mysuru:  This is not only the holiday season but also the election season and Apr. 18 is the polling day followed by holidays. The trend during this season for most of the voters is to skip voting and proceed on holidays to various tourist destinations.

However, putting a spoke in the plans of the holiday crowd, Mysore Travel Association (MTA) has come out with a plan to buck this trend by refusing tourist vehicles to those who want to go on holidays without casting their votes.

Addressing a press conference at the Patrakarthara Bhavan here this morning MTA President B.S. Prashanth said that every time if the polling date is followed by holidays like it has happened this time that after Apr.18 the next day is Good Friday followed by Saturday and Sunday, most of those working in IT (Information Technology) sector and other companies just leave their places and go on holidays without bothering to exercise their franchise.

Hence, the MTA is following the slogans like ‘Nation First, Vacation Next’ and also Vote Before You Go on Holiday and No Voting No Booking’ which is widely circulated on social media by the leaders of all political parties and will refuse to book vehicles, he said.

The voters will be allowed to book the vehicles only when they show Voter ID cards and proof of voting with ink mark on their finger. There are 1,500 tourist vehicles in the city and in each vehicle a minimum of four to five people travel, and then there will be so many voters who will miss voting, he said.

In order to curb this practice and increase voter turnout, MTA members have come together to educate the voters about the importance of voting. It does not matter to which party they vote, but they must compulsorily vote is our purpose in this move of not giving vehicles to those who skip voting, said Prashanth.

Vice-President H. Shivalingaiah, Secretary A.C. Ravi, Mysore Travel Mart Chairman C.A. Jayakumar and member Nagesh were present at the press meet.