The Jhabua district administration in Madhya Pradesh had a unique idea to create voter awareness. They distributed stickers to liquor stores to be pasted on bottles to motivate people to exercise their franchise in the state elections. However, just a few days after they began the drive, they have rolled back the idea.
The Jhabua district administration had distributed stickers to local alcohol shopkeepers with a message to cast their vote. "Stickers were provided by the excise department, we had put that on bottles and asked people to vote," shopkeepers said.
However, the shopkeepers have now been asked to return the stickers. "The decision was taken by the district administration under voter awareness program. But after assessing its pros and cons the idea was rolled back. We've asked shopkeepers to return stickers," said Abhishek Tiwari, Assistant Excise Commissioner.
The initiative was put in place under the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) plan to increase voters percentage in the elections.
Madhya Pradesh will go to polls in a single phase on November 28 and counting of votes will take place on December 11.
