Encouraging People to Vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: Bengal’s Animal Participants

District Elections Sections across the state of Bengal are using various mascots to attract voters to polling booths. Most of these mascots are animals. In Alipurduar district, the mascot ‘Gendu’ is inspired by the rhinoceros of Dooars, while in Coochbehar district, it is ‘Mohanbao’, a turtle guiding people at polling booths. The Bengal tiger ‘Baghu’ in South 24 Parganas district is urging people not to miss their chance to participate in the democratic process, and in the Darjeeling hills, a red panda is performing the same function.

According to the authorities, the use of these mascots is an attempt to reach out to voters in a more relatable way, rather than using formal language. They believe this approach will have a greater impact. For instance, in Jalpaiguri district, the election mascot is ‘Teesta’, a girl named after the region’s lifeline river. In the Kolkata Uttar constituency, ‘Tenida’, a fictional resident of the Potoldanga area, motivates first-time voters to exercise their franchise.

Nadia’s ‘Vote Gopal’ mascot is based on the immortal court jester Gopal Bhar of medieval Bengal, while the character of ‘Batul the Great’ is encouraging voters in Howrah, the birthplace of the creator Narayan Debnath. In Purba Medinipur, a character based on crabs is promoting voter turnout, and in Hooghly, the Jagannath Rath of Mahesh is joining the Election Commission’s messages in hoardings and posters. Bankura’s ‘Ghotoknath’ is based on the famed terracotta horses and is urging people to cast their votes, while also reminding them of the district’s cultural heritage. Anjana Brahma, a professor of Bengali at KK Das College in Kolkata, expressed that these initiatives not only raise awareness about elections but also about the area’s heritage, culture, and natural resources.

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