File photo of a person eating poha in Indore.
Indore: The proprietors of food shops in Madhya Pradesh's Indore have decided to offer poha, jalebis and ice-cream free of cost to those who cast their votes in the early hours of polling in the Lok Sabha polls next month.
Indore, the largest constituency in terms of number of voters in the state, will vote on May 13.
According to the shop owners, the decision to offer free food items was taken on Tuesday at a meeting of these commercial establishments chaired by District Magistrate Ashish Singh.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Singh said, "We want to make Indore Lok Sabha constituency number one in the country in terms of voting and for this, the help of commercial establishments is being taken."
Gunjan Sharma, president of the merchant association of the city's famous chaat-chowpatty food hub '56 shop', said that people who vote between 7 am and 9 am will be served free poha and jalebi at this most famous place in the city.
"Senior citizens casting their votes during this period and youth voting for the first time in their lives will be served free ice cream along with poha and jalebi at our chaat-chowpatty. For availing this offer, they have to show the indelible ink mark on their finger to the shopkeepers," he said.
Some other commercial establishments in the city have offered to serve delicacies like noodles and Manchurian free of cost to people who vote in the morning hours, officials said.
Indore Lok Sabha constituency had recorded 69 per cent voting in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the upcoming elections, 25.13 lakh people are eligible to vote in this area.