Budget 2022: Venkaiah Naidu to hold virtual meeting with Rajya Sabha leaders

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu called for increasing the turnout to at least 75% in the next Lok Sabha elections. In his message at an event on the occasion of 12th National Voters’ Day, he said that as a nation we should think of holding simultaneous elections for all the three levels of the federal structure and reach a consensus and better focus by Government should move. All round development of our people.

Naidu was the chief guest at the event but could not attend the function as he is in home isolation in Hyderabad after testing positive for COVID-19. “In the 75th year of our independence, let us pledge not to leave any voter behind and aim to increase the voting percentage to at least 75 per cent in the next general elections. Let everyone feel that the vote is not just one There is a right but also a responsibility,” he said. His message was read out in Hindi and in English.

The Vice President said that the country has come a long way since the first general elections in 1952, when only 44.87 per cent of eligible voters turned up to vote. He said that in the last general elections in 2019, 67.40 per cent or more than two-thirds of eligible voters had exercised their franchise. “It is heartening to learn that today, we are among the highest voter turnout countries in the world with a substantial increase in voter turnout of 50 percent in 70 years.

The Election Commission came into existence on 25 January 1950, a day before India became a republic. For the last 12 years, this day is celebrated as National Voters’ Day. He said that voter turnout has increased from 58.21 per cent in 2009 to 66.44 per cent in 2014 due to initiatives like Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SWEP).

“I am happy that in the last general election of 2019 and for the first time, women voters turned out to be 0.17 per cent more than men,” Naidu said.

The event was also attended by Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and representatives of recognized political parties including Trinamool Congress, BSP, BJP, CPI, Congress and National People’s Party.