Guwahati, March 24 Special initiatives, ranging from recruiting a popular vlogger and a para-cyclist as campaign icons to organizing street plays and rangoli competitions, have been launched across Assam to encourage maximum voter participation in the assembly elections.
These initiatives are being carried out under the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program, as directed by the Election Commission, an official statement said.
"With the objective of increasing voter turnout and spreading awareness about citizens' fundamental democratic rights and responsibilities, a wide range of activities are being organized across the state under the supervision of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)," it said.
As part of the campaign, authorities are organizing street plays, drawing and rangoli competitions, slogan-writing contests, digital poster-making events, wall-writing drives, news presentation competitions, and workshops, among other creative awareness programs.
Several districts have also introduced unique mascots and enlisted popular local personalities as SVEEP icons to connect with voters more effectively.
Among the mascots introduced are 'Bakhar' in Lakhimpur, 'Ganabandhu' in Sonitpur, 'Jolou' in Jorhat, 'Chameli' in Golaghat, and 'Dwimlu' and 'Sikhiri' in Kokrajhar.
To reach out to younger voters, Jorhat district has enlisted popular Northeast vlogger Abhinav Borah, known by his social media handle 'LazyGuy', as a campaign face. In Lakhimpur, actor Rajiv Duwari has been designated as an SVEEP icon.
Rakesh Banik, regarded as the first international para-cyclist from the Northeast, will also promote voter awareness through various outreach programs across districts, the statement said.
Expressing optimism about a higher turnout, CEO Anurag Goel appealed to all voters in the state to exercise their democratic right.
Polling for the 126-member assembly will be held on April 9, while the votes will be counted on May 4.