Disappointed with apathy of voters in metros: Poll panel on turnout in Phase 2
Disappointed with apathy of voters in metros: Poll panel on turnout in Phase 2
ACKNOWLEDGING THE dip in voter turnout in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission (EC) Friday expressed disappointment about the polling percentage in some metropolitan cities in the second phase, attributing it to “rigid levels of apathy” in urban seats.
The Commission’s statement comes against the backdrop of a drop of just under 4 percentage points for the first phase of elections and under 3 percentage points for the second phase compared to the 2019 elections. Voting percentage for the 102 seats that went to poll in the first phase on April 19 was 66.14% and for the second phase on April 26, in which 88 seats voted, was 66.71%.
In the first two phases, urban seats, which have traditionally registered low turnouts in the fifties, did not move the needle even this time. In fact, the voting percentage decreased further. Among them was Ghaziabad, which experienced a decrease of 6 percentage points from 55.88% in 2019 to 49.88% this time. Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded 53.63%, down from 60.4% in 2019.
Additionally, Bangalore Central and Bangalore South, which also voted on April 26, saw turnouts of 54.06% and 53.17% respectively, compared to 54.31% and 53.69% in the last election.
According to EC sources, the Commission was disappointed that the city voters did not exercise their franchise despite efforts and campaigns by the poll watchdog targeting urban seats this time. The EC’s Friday’s statement also alluded to this.
It said, “Commission is disappointed with the turnout level in some metropolitan cities in
phase 2 polls, a pointer to the rigid levels of apathy in India’s high-tech city. Cities in NCR have fared no better. ECI last month assembled many metro Commissioners in Delhi to work out a strategy to fight urban apathy. An exclusive action plan has been taken up. The Commission hopes that urban centres going to polls in next phases turn the tide. Commission will constantly follow up with concerned city administrations.”
The EC further said that it remains committed to “take up all interventions possible to boost voter turnout in the next 5 phases”.
The Commission, although obliquely, also responded to the controversy over release of final turnout figures in which it was criticised by the Opposition parties for the delay in releasing final voting data.
The final voting data for the first phase on April 19 was released after 11 days and for the second phase after four days.
Saying that it “attaches due importance to timely release of voter turnout figures”, the EC listed out the statutory requirements it fulfils in terms of calculating and disclosing voting data. “Disclosures and transparency are standard practices in ECI’s work. As per statutory requirements, voter turnout is to be recorded at every polling station in absolute numbers in Form 17C. As a strong measure of transparency, the copies of Form 17C, duly signed by Presiding Officer and all present polling agents, are shared with all present polling agents. Thus, leave alone constituency, even booth wise data of actual number of votes polled is available with the candidates, which is a statutory requirement,” said the statement.
The poll watchdog said that it is “committed to provide voter turnout figures timely that is useful for media and other stakeholders in the coming phases”.
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