Dhoni batting for EC in Jharkhand

RANCHI: Concerned over the not-so-impressive voter turnout during the first phase of the Jharkhand assembly polls, especially in the urban pockets, the Election Commission has decided to turn to Indian cricket team captain and ‘son of the soil’ M S Dhoni for motivating people to come out and vote in the subsequent phases.

Audio-visual CD ‘My Vote My Future’, containing Dhoni’s appeal to cast vote, is being aired repeatedly on Doordarshan and other private news channels though he himself failed to vote in Ranchi on November 25 as he was busy with the Kanpur Test match. Officials hope the move will work in the next four rounds of elections scheduled on December 2, 8, 12 and 18.

State deputy chief electoral officer A K Sinha told ET that since Dhoni is an youth icon, his support has been taken to motive voters, especially youths. He said Dhoni’s appeal was aired even during the first phase, but, in the coming phases, it will be done in a much bigger way. The first phase was a disappointment to the authorities.

Though the total average percentage in 26 constituencies was 52%, it was quite low in urban pockets like Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad. In fact, Ranchi, with 32.9%, registered the lowest turnout among all the constituencies. Dhanbad and Jamshedpur West recorded 42%.