SHILLONG, Jan 25: The value of votes found several mentions in the words of different speakers who took the dais at the Soso Tham Auditorium here where the state commemorated the 14th National Voters’ Day on Thursday as part of the country-wide exercise to spread awareness about the importance of voting.
The morning started with a ‘Run for Democracy’ in which voters from all sections and strata of society participated, and the crowd culminated in the Soso Tham Auditorium.
The culmination at the auditorium saw the presence of Governor Phagu Chauhan, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) BDR Tiwari, Chief Secretary DP Wahlang, former CEO and present Commissioner Secretary, Department of Arts and Culture, FR Kharkongor, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, RM Kurbah, representatives of the National People’s Party, and the United Democratic Party, among other dignitaries.
The Governor, in his address, called upon all citizens to exercise their voting rights, emphasizing it as the constitutional responsibility of every Indian. He reiterated the importance of exercising our voting rights.
With approximately 100 crore voters, India is the largest democracy in the world, and the Lok Sabha elections, which will be held in our country this year, is the biggest single event in the world to date, he added. A photo exhibition, tracing the history of the electoral process in the state, was also showcased.
Chief Secretary DP Wahlang, stressing on the power of a young voter, stated that the youth hold the power of deciding the future of the country, and all eligible voters should exercise their franchise. The dignitaries also distributed rewards to the winners of the marathon in various categories and several other competitions held across the city to commemorate the occasion.
CEO BDR Tiwari, speaking to a section of the media on the sidelines of the function, said that the total number of voters stands at 22.17 lakh, and there has been a 1.42 per cent increase in the number of voters, making the number 30,949, an increase of voters in the state. He added, “In Meghalaya, 51 percent of voters are female voters, and the ratio of women to men voters stands at 1025 women voters in comparison to 1000 male voters this year.”
During the day, the Chief Guest and other dignitaries distributed epic cards to a chosen few first-time voters and also gave away prizes to the winners of the Democracy Run held earlier in the day. Prizes were also distributed to winners of different youth-centric competitions organized by the Model United Nations (MUN) and to the 3 best-performing Block Level Officers (BLOs).
An information book on General Elections to Meghalaya Legislative Assembly 2023 and KAP Endline Survey Report for Citizens of Meghalaya were also released by the Chief Guest on the occasion. Earlier, the Governor administered the National Voter’s Day pledge to mark the occasion.
