Watch the full video (above) of the panel discussion on ‘Bringing Voters to the Polling Booth: What can we learn from the Banda Model?’ featuring S Y Quraishi, Heera Lal, Rama Lakshmi, and moderated by Rahul Verma.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Banda’s District Magistrate (DM), Heera Lal, IAS, conceptualised a massive voter mobilisation drive to increase the turnout by over 90%. He undertook various initiatives, coordinated with stakeholders, encouraged his team to share ideas, and applauded team members at every stage. The district administration’s efforts paid rich dividends and the increase in voter turnout in Banda district was substantial, one of the highest in Uttar Pradesh and perhaps in the country, if one accounts for state-level factors.

In this panel discussion, the district magistrate presented details of the measures his administration undertook to increase voter participation.

S Y Quraishi is the former Chief Election Commissioner of India. Heera Lal is IAS and District Magistrate, Banda, Uttar Pradesh. Rama Lakshmi is Opinion Editor of ThePrint. Rahul Verma is a Fellow at CPR.