Pune, Nov 9 (PTI) Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar flagged off a bicycle rally in Maharashtra's Pune city on Wednesday to create awareness about voter registration as part of the national level launch of a special summary revision of the voters' list.

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The Election Commission of India's (ECI) initiative is aimed at increasing the electoral rolls in urban areas.

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Explaining the robustness of the Indian electoral rolls, Kumar said there are 2.49 lakh voters who are more than 100 years old.

"The summary revision takes place every year. But this year we are doing a very focused activity and starting it all over the country from Pune today," he said.

"What does it mean? Everywhere in the country and the farthest possible states, be it hills, coastal lines, everywhere, inaccessible terrains, deserts, everywhere every single citizen gets enlisted as a voter and strengthens the democracy by not only getting registered but also casting his/her vote," the CEC said while flagging off the bicycle rally at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune's Balewadi area.

He said the special summary revision has been started from Pune with a specific purpose to increase the participation of citizens from urban areas.

"We want to request all voters in the urban areas, all the youth to come participate, get registered and vote. It is only through your voting that the democratic traditions become absolutely robust and strong," Kumar said.

Explaining the beauty and cohorts of India voters, he said the country has voters from the highest peaks of Himalayas, from the 6,000-km coastline in south, from deserts in the west and regions from the east.

"You will be happy to know we have more than 2.49 lakhs voters in our rolls who are (aged) 100 plus and what a relief and ecstasy it gives when you interact with them and find that they have been voting all through their lives," Kumar said.

He said India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi, who recently died, was 106 years old and voted through postal ballot just three days before his death. "That is the spirit," Kumar said.

"Some of the cities, I am not naming them, do not really do that kind of voting and there is a whole lot of ground which we have to cover in urban areas, that is why this rally was organised to create awareness," he said.

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