In a bid to bolster voter participation in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Delhi's market association and hotels have introduced discounts for voters, officials announced on Friday.
Concerns have arisen about potential low turnout in the national capital's elections, as polling day falls on a Saturday, followed by a Sunday, creating an extended weekend. To address this, more than 5,000 members of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) have pledged to offer discounts at their stores, according to Subhash Khandelwal, CTI's president.
With Delhi's polling slated for May 25 during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections, efforts are underway to incentivize voting. Delhi's business organizations and markets have devised special discounts and offers for May 25 and 26 to encourage voter participation, Khandelwal explained.
Among the incentives, voters will enjoy a 10 per cent discount on computers and laptops at Nehru Place Market, as announced by Khandelwal. Similarly, Kamla Nagar Market's president, Nitin Gupta, declared a 15 per cent discount for voters on May 26.
Other associations have also joined the initiative. The Dariba Jewellers Association in Chandni Chowk announced discounts of up to 5-10 per cent, while the Old Delhi Hotel Association, represented by Deepak Mehta, disclosed discounts of up to 25 per cent at hotels around Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, and Delhi Gate.
The Delhi Hotel Association sweetened the deal by offering an extra 20 per cent discount on bookings at hotels and guesthouses in Paharganj and Karol Bagh for all voters. Earlier, hotels in the Karol Bagh and Najafgarh zones had announced a 20 per cent discount offer for eligible voters.
Deputy Commissioner of Karol Bagh Zone, Abhishek Mishra, highlighted that the initiative aims to encourage citizens to actively engage in the democratic process and fulfill their civic duties. By providing tangible benefits to voters, the market and hotel associations aim to elevate voter turnout and foster civic engagement in the Karol Bagh and Najafgarh areas, he emphasized. Additionally, Mishra noted that the public health department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is exploring the possibility of extending similar offers to voters in the Karol Bagh area.
