An activist from Andhra Pradesh today began a three-day hunger strike here, demanding that the government should enact a law to ensure compulsory voting.
Demanding that the government should take necessary steps to ensure 100 per cent voting, activist Pothugunta Vijaya Babu said, "People are negligent that is why they don't cast their votes. This movement is to convey the message that every individual should exercise their fundamental right to vote which is the main pillar for the development of a nation in democracy."
Babu had held the 'Movement for Compulsory voting' in Andhra Pradesh last October and this time he has brought it here in the capital.
Asserting that the survival of political parties depends on voting, B Rama Rao, ex-MLA of Jagapathi constituency of Andhra Pradesh said, "Government should take action against people who do not vote."
He said those who vote should be given priority in welfare schemes, subsidies, positions and promotions.
The campaign, however, is not getting enough support from the government and other parties.
"We are not getting much support either from the Congress or the BJP. We have given our memorandum last December to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi but we are yet to get a response," said another supporter Lokesh Chowdhury.
"We got excellent response in Andhra Pradesh and we expect almost 99 per cent of turnout in the next year's Assembly elections. But we want the entire nation to vote, not just Andhra Pradesh only," he said.
"We will take the campaign to Andhra Pradesh again in July, Tamil Nadu in September and Kerala in December," said Vijaya Babu.
Quizzed on whether the campaign is restricted to South India only, Rao said, "We will go to north India too after we finish campaigning in South Indian states.
