A unique voter awareness campaign has been launched by the Election Commission of India for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.
The Commission will use 4 long distance trains outlining the importance of voting in a democracy. These trains will have messages urging people to vote besides providing details of voter helpline. Also on display, will be links to the National Voters’ Services Portal.
The trains have been selected on the longest North-South route and East-West route and cover 19 States in all. They are Kerala express, Himsagar express, Ahmedabad-Howrah Express and the Okha -Guwahati express.
Kerala Express from New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram is a daily train which covers 3035 Kms across 8 States in 51 hours 10 minute. It has 41 halts of which 20 such halts are of five-minute duration or more. Capitals covered by Kerala Express are Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram.
Himsagar Express is a weekly train between Kanyakumari and Janmuu Tawi covering 3714 Kms across 12 States in 71 hours with 69 halts. Of this 29 halts are of five minutes duration or more. State capitals covered are Thiruvananthapuram, Bhopal, Nizamuddin/New Delhi and Jammu Tawi.
Ahmedabad – Howrah Express is a daily train covering 2087
The fourth train selected is Okha – Guwahati Express, a weekly train covering 3237 kms across 7 states in 67 hours 40 min with 41 halts. Of this 23 halts are of atleast five minutes or more. It covers capitals cities of Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Patna and Guwahati.
The trains would be flagged off by the electoral officers of the respective states and districts through which the trains pass.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi along with the Director off SVEEP [Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation program] and DRM Delhi division Northern flagged off the Kerala Express at New Delhi Railway Station on Friday
Citizens have been encouraged to click pictures with the train and upload it on social media, for spreading the message further as the trains crisscross the country.