NOTA, a new weapon for voters: Bhanwar Lal

Urges youth to participate in polls and use the option properly

Hyderabad: Describing that NOTA (None of The Above) option, to be introduced in all elections hereafter, as a new weapon in the hands of the voters, Chief Election Officer Bhanwar Lal on Saturday asked everyone to make proper use of the norm. Speaking at a workshop on “Role of Youth in Nation Building” organised by BITS, here, he said “Every person shall keep in mind that the vote they cast shall be in the interest of the State and the nation. NOTA should be used very carefully.” Exhorting the youth to participate in voting in a big way, he asked the educated youth not to confine themselves to their home on the day of polling. He explained in detail about the current simplified process of the voter registration. He spoke about the availability of information related to the contesting candidates including their assets, criminal track record etc.

CBI joint director VV Lakshminarayana asked the youth to take Japan as example. “In Japan, they work hard to show their dissent and do not resort to strikes. The small nation rose to financial super power because of the grit and determination of its youth force” he said. He advised the youth to study more about Indian heritage and culture and explained how it imbibes the secrets of success.

JA Chaudhury emphasised that the success of nation depends on great leadership. Prof VS Rao, director of BITS observed that, “The 30 per cent population in India, which is in the age group of 18-30 years, could be the nation’s power if we could harness their potential.”

Senior IPS officer Firoz spoke about generating interest about voting process in the youth and using social media as a viable option.