The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Call to increase awareness among voters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 13, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Call to increase awareness among voters

Staff Reporter

``State Election Commission is fully prepared to conduct elections to local bodies''

TAMBARAM : State Election Commissioner D. Chandrasekaran has urged youth, particularly college students, to help in increasing awareness among the people of the importance of exercising their franchise during elections.

Speaking after inaugurating the Association of Political Science at the Department of Political Science in Madras Christian College here on Tuesday, he noted that in rural areas the voter turnout was around 80 per cent and even illiterate people waited in long queues to cast their votes.

But in urban areas, the percentage was hovering between 35 and 40 per cent. Students, especially those pursuing political science, could initiate awareness programmes to increase voter turnout, Mr. Chandrasekaran said.

The State Election Commission was fully prepared to conduct elections to local bodies in the State in a free and fair manner. Elections would be held to a total of 1.31 lakh posts of elected representatives all over the State. Of this 90,000 ward members would be elected in 4,618 panchayats, 8,825 ward councillors in 561 town panchayats, 3,382 councillors in 152 municipalities and 474 councillors in six Corporations.

One-third of the seats was earmarked for women and certain reservations were also made for those belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Tribes.

Mr. Chandrasekaran reminded students that democracy was an ideal form of governance and the educated section should understand and realise their rights and duties.

J. Ramesh Sundar, Head, Department of Political Science, was also present.

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