'Disruptive Narratives Alienate Youth': CEC Advocates For Responsible Poll Campaigning Ahead Of National Voters' Day

He said a dangerous trend is emerging where baseless allegations are made against the electoral process that can damage the confidence of voters and the national fabric

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar urges for non-divisive poll campaigns, highlighting the threat of baseless narratives and misinformation.

Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI): Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday pushed for poll campaigns that are neither disruptive nor divisive and spoke against building unfounded narratives as it tends to disillusion and distance youngsters from the electoral process.

In his message on the eve of the 15th National Voters' Day, he said the world was witnessing "an era of polarised campaigns" during elections, possibilities of external interference, and growing challenges in cybersecurity.

National Voters' Day is being celebrated for the past 15 years to mark the inception of the Election Commission (EC) on January 25, 1950, a day before India became a republic.

"It is everyone's duty that election campaigns are not disruptive or divisive and, unfounded narratives are not built as it tends to disillusion and distance our youth from the electoral process," Kumar said.

He said misinformation and fake narratives spread instantaneously and with alarming speed.

A dangerous trend is emerging where baseless allegations are made against the electoral process that can damage the confidence of voters and the national fabric, he added.

Social media algorithms are designed in a way that content is aligned with whatever is viewed and, thus, viewpoints get hardened without adequate exposure to the other side of the argument, Kumar noted.

"Democracy belongs to all of us. Indian democracy is our shared heritage, nurtured and strengthened over the past 75 years -- a legacy in which voters rightfully take pride. This legacy is proudly shared by political parties that, after voters, are critical stakeholders in strengthening democracy," he said in his message.

He said the EC's achievements in securing high voter turnout in recent years was heartening, hitting the 65 per cent mark in the past three national elections.

"However, we still have a distance to cover. I call upon all eligible citizens to register as voters without fail and vote in each election. A special appeal to voters in towns and cities, and to the forward-looking community of the youth, to take sincere interest in electoral participation and come out to vote," Kumar said. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)