Karnataka sees highest voter turnout of 72.13%
BENGALURU: The state witnessed the highest voter turnout since 1957 with the voting percentage reaching 72.13%, according to the latest data shared by the Election Commission. Provisional data released on Saturday of voting till 6pm pegged the number at 67%.
According to the latest data, Hosakote in the outskirts of the state capital once again recorded the highest turnout at 89.97%, a minor decline from the 90.97% recorded in 2013.
The lowest voting percentage was seen at Dasarahalli in Bengaluru city, which recorded a 48.03% turnout. Bangalore urban district was once again the worst in terms of turnout, recording 54.76%, which was lower than the 57% recorded in 2013.
As many as 24 of the 30 districts in the state recorded over 70% polling as against 21 in 2013. Nine of these districts had a turnout over 80%, compared with four previously.
More men and women voted in this election as well, with the polling percentage increasing for both. While 73% men voted this time, as against 72.40% in 2013, 71.42% women voted, compared with 70.47% in 2013.
Political analyst Narayana A, faculty at the Azim Premji University, said three conclusions could be drawn from this increase. “First, the efforts of the Election Commission and various organisations seem to be paying dividends ...” he said.
Second, Narayana said, the figures also indicated the increasing dependence of voters on local legislators. “This has seen a significant increase because all the facilities, utilities and any other help people require seems to be dependent on the local legislator,” he said.
“Third, and most significant, is the increasing role of money in politics. It is clearly one of the reasons for the increase in turnouts,” Narayana said.
“Politicians use the networks they rely on to deliver people the money to ensure electors cast their votes. But, their network can only get the voters to the booth and not ensure they vote for the candidate,” he said. There had been frenzied campaigning in the state with the stakes high for the BJP, JD(S) and the Congress.
In a profession like politics where fortune is fickle, politicians seeking the aid of astrologers to divine the future is not uncommon. Recently, a ‘noted’ astrologer who claims an impressive clientele approached your diarist asking if his predictions could be carried. When informed in the negative, he said ‘if opinion and exit polls which have lower strike rate than my predictions, can be carried, I see no reason why the bias against astrology.’ He claims his astrology is more ‘scientific and accurate’ than the methodology used by pollsters. For the record, his prediction is the same as most exit polls, that no party will get a majority but where it gets interesting is ‘only Kumaraswamy, the JD(S) leader, has ‘Guru Bala’ (strength of guru) right now and thus he will be the next CM.’
WAs everybody knows, voting days are dry days with liquor not being allowed to be sold anywhere.
For the confirmed Bacchalian Bengalureans who couldn’t stay away from their choice of drink, the countermanding of elections in two city constituencies of Jayanagara and Raja Rajeshwarinagar came as a boon.
In Jayanagara, elections had been postponed due to the death on the campaign trail of the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vijay Kumar, who was seeking re-election from the seat.
Meanwhile, i n Raja Rajeshwarinagar constituency, elections had been deferred after allegations of electoral malpractices had earlier surfaced following the seizure of a number of voter identification (ID) cards. For those who had forgotten to store up with alcohol in advance, these two constituencies, which had no restrictions and the sale of liquor continued as usual, proved to be a boon in disguise. hile Electronic Voting Machines (EVMS) are all under lock and key, being guarded round the clock till counting starts on Tuesday morning, the whole electoral process was not without its share of hiccups.
In a south Bengaluru constituency, polling scheduled to start at 7am began nearly an hour and a half late as polling officials deputed to conduct the exercise got lost on their way to the station and were delayed. Not uncommon as polling officials are non-locals to ensure that there is no bias. A few other polling stations of the 58,000-plus stations across the length and breadth of the state saw some EVMS malfunctioning, leading to frayed tempers and eventually the machine either being fixed or replaced.
Polling in Mahadevapura in Bengaluru was stopped for nearly an hour as a snake had sneaked into the station. Locals along with security personnel had a harrowing time, till they managed to scare away the snake, and voting resumed.