“If you don’t vote you have no business to crib on formation of government,” Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi said on Tuesday while terming as “shameful” the low turnout of urban voters in the country.
Voicing serious concern over apathy of urban voters and youths towards exercising their right to franchise, the CEC said the issue needs to be addressed urgently.
“Youth and urban voters don’t turn out for casting their votes... but if you (voter) don’t vote you have no business to crib on formation of government,” Mr. Quraishi told reporters after meeting representatives different political parties of Punjab here.
He said that it “was embarrassing and shameful that urban voters don’t turn up for voting in large numbers.”
He said that the EC would start a campaign for ethical voting during elections.
He urged voters to file complaints with the commission if they are bribed by any political party to cast vote in its favour.
Expressing concern over paid news, he said that the commission had set up district and state level monitoring committees to keep a watch on them and if it finds such a case notice is served to the candidate.
“In Bihar polls, 100 such notices on paid news were served to candidates,” he said.
He said that around 95 per cent people of media are upset with the concept of paid news. “Journalists are against paid news, if not owners,” he added.
He was averse to online voting system saying that in such a case hacking is possible.
Earlier, the commission had meeting with five political parties of Punjab besides, top administrative and police brass on the election preparedness in the State.
