Hotels reward Mumbai voters with discount on food, freebies

City-based restaurants and hotels today offered special discounts and freebies to the people, who showed the inked finger as proof of having exercised their franchise for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) president Adarsh Shetty said before the elections, the 7,000-members of the association had been appealed to offer freebies in their restaurants and bars to lure the customers to vote in maximum numbers and it showed the results.
"We had mooted this idea with the State Election Commissioner J S Saharia and he had enthusiastically accepted it. I would say that the idea clicked to some extent and one can see that the voting percentage went up this time," he said.

According to Shetty, apart from discount on food, freebies like extra idli, chutney or sambar, extra sweet or welcome drink, were offered to the voters, who showed their inked finger.
"All members gave discounts or freebies, who took part in today's electoral exercise and customers also felt privileged after casting their votes," he said adding that even his own family restaurant offered 15 per cent discount, while lounge bar offered free welcome drink and mocktail to customers on the special day.
Meanwhile, there were reports about many voters' names missing from the electoral rolls.

Actor Varun Dhawan and master chef Sanjeev Kapoor failed to find their names in the voters list and had to return home without exercising their right to vote

"Spent more than an hour trying to find my name on the voters list but no luck! Any suggestions? Still have 5 more hours. I don't give up," Kapoor tweeted around noon.
Although BJP leader Shaina NC faced some difficulties initially in finding her name, she said that as authorities helped her, she could cast her vote.
"I did vote, can't hold authorities responsible for technical error ,in fact they were most helpful. Thanks," she tweeted later.
Some of the actors, who were out of the town for work, appealed to the citizens to vote.
Actress Priyanka Chopra, who is in Los Angeles for shoot, tweeted, "To vote is our greatest right. If I was home I'd definitely be voting. Exercise your right! #VoteForMumbai #BMCPolls2017."

Voting for the 227 seats of the cash-rich Mumbai civic body was held today. Around 55 per cent voting was recorded, eclipsing the last poll percentage by almost 10 per cent. In the run up to the civic elections, the State Election Commission had launched a campaign to increase the voting percentage in the megapolis.