Elections 2019: Women to operate 26 polling stations in Mumbai suburbs

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It has been decided that only women will operate 26 polling stations in the suburbs, as a symbolic gesture towards empowering more women. The district Collector's Office, whose initiative this is, has said that right from the presiding officer to the peon, only women will handle the stations.

The Collector's office came up with this idea on the lines of female employees managing railway stations, and will take up various initiatives around it. There will be around five female government employees at every station called Sakhi polling station.

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There are over 7,000 polling stations in the suburbs. Through another initiative, several self help groups and aanganwadi employees will be involved to encourage women voters to vote on April 29.

An official from the Collector's office, said, "This is the first time such initiatives have been taken up by the district collector's office in the city. It will be a regular polling station for voters, where every voter irrespective of gender will be allowed inside.

However, it is a symbolic move from us for women empowerment and while everyone says handling election activities is difficult, it will send a message that women are very capable of handling even election proceedings." The Suburban Collector's office will distribute sanitary napkins to female voters who come to cast their vote at these 26 stations.

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