A pink election booth for women.
DH PHOTO/Kishor Kumar Bolar
Bengaluru: From raising awareness about the need to save water to emphasizing the importance of Ayurveda, many theme-based polling stations have been set up across the city. While these stations are primarily intended to attract voters, they also convey important messages to the public. ‘
‘Every constituency has at least one such theme-based polling booth. These attract voters, especially first-time voters, who tend to click selfies at these installations,’ a senior official from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) explained. Many other polling stations were decked with Yakshagana installations and depictions of forests and wildlife in the state. To showcase the historical and cultural aspects of one of the city’s oldest festivals, the Bengaluru Karaga, a booth at the Dasappa Maternity Hospital premises featured Karaga depictions.
The Election Commission has also established 140 women-only, or ‘Sakhi’, polling stations managed entirely by women.
Additionally, 29 booths have been announced as disabled-friendly, equipped with ramps and other facilities to aid voters with disabilities. Another 29 stations are designated as youth-managed booths and are entirely run by young people.
Approximately 1.1 crore voters are expected to participate.