Bihar wants Kalam to popularise right to vote

In an effort to increase voter turnout in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, the state government has recommended the name of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to the Election Commission (EC) to popularise the right to vote.

‘Kalam is set to be the brand ambassador for the EC in Bihar to publicise about exercising voting rights,’ an official said.

Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Qureshi during his recent visit to the state said that the commission has planned to rope in a popular personality to publicise voting rights as Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni had done for Jharkhand.

In the last assembly polls in 2005 in February and in November, voting percentages in Bihar were only 46 percent and 46.5 percent.

The assembly polls are scheduled to be held in October-November.