In order to increase voter turnout during the assembly elections on November 20, retailers, cinemas, and restaurants have announced discounts and offers to citizens who exercise their vote. Retailers will also put up banners encouraging citizens to vote.
The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), an association of retailers, announced the initiative on Monday. FRTWA said that Association of Hotels and Restaurants (AHAR), and two multiplex chains have joined the campaign.
Viren Shah, President of FRTWA, said a letter has been sent to the Nodal Officer, Vidhan Sabha 2024, Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation, informing them about the scheme. In a statement, FRTWA said: 'As per the meeting held last week at BMC head office under the leadership of BMC Commissioner
Mr Gagrani (Bhushan), we hereby give our consent to spread the awareness of voting in Mumbai we have sent message to our members to pass on voluntary whatever discount offer to the Mumbaikar voters who have voted on 20 November and offer to be given to voters for one or two days once they show they have voted in the Maharashtra election.This message will go to directly indirectly to lakhs of shopkeepers of Mumbai to spread the awareness campaign.'
In the 2019 Vidhan Sabha poll, 50.6% of voters in the 26 assembly constituencies in Mumbai Suburban district participated in the election process. In Mumbai district, which has 10 seats, including Malabar Hill and Colaba, the participation from voters was 47%, one of the lowest in the state. Across Maharashtra, the voter turnout was 61.4%.
Representatives from major retail and multiplex chains attended the meeting with BMC officials. Vinay Adhye, Vice-president, Reliance Retail, who attended the meeting, said, "We have not decided yet on what we will do. We will decide in a day or two," said Adhye.
Kumar Rajagopalan, Chief Executive Officer of the Retailers Association of India, said the Municipal Commissioner reached out to retailers for support in getting citizens to vote. "We have urged our members to put up signage asking our customers to vote. We represent all retailers and 95 per cent of high street and malls. We will do what we can to increase voter participation. We could give offers," said Rajagopalan who added that voter turnout should be hopefully better this time as the elections are being conducted on a weekday in relatively better weather conditions unlike the Lok Sabha polls held in summer during weekends when families decided to go on a holiday.
