Chief Election Commissioner Inaugurated the 'Voting Festival Exhibition, Symbol of Democracy'

• 28 Aug 2023

Why in News?

On August 25, 2023, the Chief Election Commissioner of the Election Commission of India, Rajeev Kumar, along with Election Commission commissioners Anoop Chandra Pandey and Arun Goyal, inaugurated the 'Voting Festival Exhibition, Symbol of Democracy' by cutting the ribbon at the Budhapara Talab complex in the capital Raipur.

Key Points:

• Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar visited various stalls in the exhibition. Stalls have been set up here by different districts of the state, especially those belonging to tribal-dominated areas. In these stalls, glimpses of voting held in the past years through photographs and campaigns conducted for voter awareness in different districts are also shown.
• Stalls have been set up by districts like Bilaspur, Raipur, Bastar, Sukma, Janjgir-Champa, Balrampur, Kabirdham, Sarangarh, Balod in the exhibition.
• Voter awareness campaign along with photo exhibition has been displayed in the stalls put up by Raipur, Bilaspur, Kabirdham, Sarangarh and Balod.
• Bilaspur has illustrated slogans like 100% polling, Bilaspur's campaign, the basis of democracy, no vote should be wasted.
• Similarly, in Sarangarh district, a rakhi with the slogan 'Mor Bhaiya Vote Devaiya' is attracting people while Balod has also showcased the election campaigns being run in the district with 'E Dari Manabo Raksha Sang Matdaan Ke Bandhan'.
• In the stall of the photo exhibition here, a picture of the elections held in 1967 in Orchha, a remote area of Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, is displayed, in which an elderly woman is seen exercising her right to vote and putting the ballot slip on the ballot box.
• While in the stall of tribal dialect exhibition, there is a pictorial display of election slogans in dialects like Gondi, Sadri, Birhor, Baiga, Kamari, voter songs in local Halbi dialect are also displayed here.
• Various stalls in the exhibition prominently displayed the election campaign carried out in different districts. Similarly, a stall focusing on the grand event of newly married bride felicitation ceremony has also been put up in the exhibition. In this campaign, under the Second Special Brief Revision Program 2023 of Voter List, 1771 newly married brides were felicitated in 1281 Anganwadis of all child development projects of the district on a single day in Janjgir-Champa district.
• The election campaigns 'Matveer' and 'Sankalp Vriksha' run here have been prominently displayed in the stall put up by District Balrampur, the aim of which is to increase the voting interest of all categories of voters like youth, women, disabled, senior citizens etc. and to make them understand the importance of voting.
• Satrangi Raigarh, a stall put up by Raigarh District, focuses on development from heritage, in which the works of voter awareness have been displayed through programs such as resolution of the election campaign heritage, growing hand with oath, respect for the elderly, Shubh Kadam Swagatam, Kartavya pe Badhe Chalen. It has glimpses from the Birhor tribe to the industries of Raigarh.
• In the stall put up by Sukma district have displayed election campaigns under the SVEEP, a voter awareness campaign in the most naxal-affected areas, voter awareness campaign, voter awareness programme, voter oath programme, voter awareness and EVM chariot demonstration, debates, painting & slogan writing competition, human chain, newly married felicitation program, voter awareness rally, rangoli painting.