Voters in Varanasi have received a special invitation letter from the district election officials for exercising their franchise that remained a hot topic of discussion among locals after it became viral on social media on Sunday afternoon.
This invitation letter 'Amantran Patra Loktantra ka Mahaparva' with the logo of Election Commission of India as well as systematic voters' education and electoral participation (SWEEP), has been issued by the district election office in Varanasi.
The Amantran Patra reads, ‘Bhej rahe hai sneha nimantran, matdata tumhe bulane ko, 7 March ko bhool na jana, vote dalne aaney ko’ (sending a humble invitation to invite you, voters, don't forget to come and vote on March 7 to make it attractive for voters).
The date and timing of voting are also mentioned while the venue is mentioned as 'your polling centre'.
The district election officer Kaushal Raj Sharma also made it clear that tea and food kiosks and vending will be allowed till 4 p.m. on Monday to ensure that policemen and others on duty do not face inconvenience. However, sitting inside kiosks and food outlets will not be permitted on the polling day.
Voting for the seventh and last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 54 seats began on a dull note on Monday, with only 8.5 per cent of voters exercising their right in the first two hours. Campaigning in this phase reached its crescendo with Prime Minister Modi leading the BJP's poll blitzkrieg in Varanasi and its adjoining districts. The districts where polls are underway in this phase are Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra.
The state has 403 Assembly seats and the results of the elections will be declared on March 10.
(with inputs from agencies)
