The Election Commission of India has decided to further strengthen its various initatives at all levels to ensure maximum turnout in the next General Election due for 2014.

Briefing reporters in New Delhi, the Director General of the Election Commission Mr. Akshay Rout said that Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation – SVEEP programme which was started two years back has shown good results in the Assembly Election of 5 states of Manipur, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Uttar Pradesh.

He said, in these states a historic record turnout was registered except Manipur due to some other reasons. Mr. Rout said that in these states the Commission focussed towards three main things like sharing informations, motivation for votings and facilitaion of voters.

Replying to a question on making mandatory for voters to caste their votes, Mr. Rout reiterated the stand of the Commission that it is not in favour of making it mandatory.