EC adds star value to Bengal elections

To get people to come out and vote in the six-phased assembly elections in West Bengal, the election commission (EC) has decided to rope in celebrities, including former cricketer Sourav Ganguly, to urge voters to cast their ballot fearlessly.

On Monday a film was shot with Ganguly, urging five crore sixty lakh voters in Bengal to use their franchise.

Sources in the office of chief electoral officer told DNA that more such Bengal celebrities would be seen in the awareness campaign.

When asked if EC had fears about a fall in percentage of voters, chief electoral officer Sunil Kumar Gupta said, “We have no such apprehension, but we want people to come out and vote fearlessly.”

Sources said the next celebrity could be Leander Paes.

Meanwhile, Gupta said EC had sent a detailed note on documents which could be used by voters, in case they did not have their voters’ identity card. These are pan card, passport, driving license and government-sanctioned documents with photographs.