The district administration in Gaya has finalized all preparations to ensure a peaceful and fair voting process on Tuesday, with a sharpened focus on a critical goal: significantly increasing voter turnout, particularly among women electors.
Rewarding Grassroots Efforts for Voter Awareness
District Magistrate-cum-District Election Officer, Shashank Shubhankar, announced a special incentive program to motivate the teams working under the Systematic Voter's Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) campaign. He revealed that the best-performing teams, which include JEEViKA didis and anganwadi sevikas, will be recognized and rewarded for their efforts.
The rewards will be distributed in three distinct categories: platinum, golden, and silver. These will be awarded to teams that achieve a voter turnout of more than 90%, 80%, and 70% respectively in their areas. The administration has set an ambitious target of achieving an overall 75% polling percentage across the entire Gaya district.
To reach this goal, intensive voter awareness campaigns have been conducted by SVEEP teams in each of the 10 assembly segments of the district, ensuring the message of voting reaches every corner.
Logistics and Security for Smooth Polling
Detailing the post-voting procedure, the DM stated that polling parties from Gaya town, Gurua, Tekari, and Belaganj will deposit their Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at the strongroom established at Gaya College. For the assembly segments of Sherghati, Atri, Imamganj, and Barachatti, a dedicated EVM receiving centre has been set up at the Bazaar Samiti.
To facilitate the smooth and secure transportation of these EVMs, specific traffic restrictions will be implemented. From 3 pm onwards on Tuesday, vehicular movement for the general public will be restricted on several key routes, with exemptions only for emergency services. The affected routes include the stretch from Sikaria Mor to Gewal Bigha Mor, and several other connecting roads across the town to ensure a clear passage for election officials.
On the security front, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anand Kumar assured robust arrangements. Apart from the adequate deployment of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), strict surveillance will be maintained through a network of CCTVs and drone cameras, leaving no room for untoward incidents. The police have also made special arrangements to assist female, elderly, and Persons with Disability (PWD) electors at the polling stations.
A High-Stakes Electoral Battle
The stage is set for a significant democratic exercise in Gaya. A total of 29,69,435 eligible voters will cast their ballots to decide the fate of the contestants. The voter roll comprises 15,63,126 male and 14,06,273 female electors.
They will choose from a crowded field of 125 candidates who are in the fray across the 10 assembly constituencies of the district. The Gaya Town segment is witnessing the most competitive race with 22 contestants, followed by Sherghati with 14 and Gurua with 13. With all systems in place, Gaya is ready for a decisive and participatory election day.
