Gujarat targets 13,000 polling stations to boost female participation

Ahmedabad, Apr 8: The Gujarat election authorities are set to dispatch over 20.3 million invitation letters to approximately 13,000 polling stations. This initiative, spearheaded by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, P. Bharti, aims to bridge the gender gap in voter turnout observed during the previous elections, officials shared.

The state's electoral body has identified polling stations where the voter turnout disparity between men and women exceeded 10%, and the overall turnout was below 50% in the last assembly elections. To address this, a comprehensive Turnout Implementation Plan (TIP) has been implemented, with designated nodal officers at both the village and city levels working to ensure increased female voter engagement.

As part of this initiative, 'election schools' will be established across the state to deliberate on the causes of low voter turnout and to pledge for greater participation in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These sessions, led by community leaders and social activists, aim to inspire families to vote collectively.