Chandigarh: Former cabinet minister and member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), Vijay Inder Singla, has urged Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab for a robust drive to register young voters during the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Singla highlighted that the timing of the revision, coming so close to the Assembly elections, often leads to a trust deficit between the Election Commission, political parties and the public. He stressed the necessity for the process to be conducted with absolute fairness and transparency to prevent the recurrence of issues previously seen in other states.Expressing deep concern over the low engagement of the younger generation, Singla pointed out that according to 2024 data, only about 40% of eligible youth in the 18-19 age group were enrolled as voters. He emphasised that the vision of a “New Punjab” can only be realised through the fresh ideas of young minds. He further noted that the state requires innovative policy approaches to tackle pressing issues such as crime, drug addiction, the agricultural crisis and unemployment, all of which demand the active participation of Punjabi youth in the democratic process.To address the existing enrolment gap, Singla suggested that the State Election Commission should launch targeted social media campaigns to reach out to the tech-savvy younger demographic. He also called for the sensitisation of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who will be tasked with door-to-door physical verification from June 25 to July 24, to ensure they actively enlist new voters. Closing his appeal, the former MP expressed his hope that the commission would treat this matter with the highest priority to ensure every eligible young voter is empowered to shape the future of Punjab. MSID: 131118061 413 |
