Voter turnout plunges in Patidardominated areas
Experts say the trend indicates the influential community’s disillusion with ruling BJP but does not show their willingness to support rival Congress either
AHMEDABAD: There was a 4.70 percentage point dip in voter turnout in 2017 as compared to 2012, with the largest fall witnessed in the Patidar-dominated Saurashtra region having 48 of the 89 seats for which polling took place on Saturday, the final figures released by the Election Commission on Sunday showed.
The first phase of polling took place in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions, while north and central Gujarat will go to polls on December 14.
As per the final figures released by the EC, voter turnout recorded in the first phase was 66.75% — down from 71.35% in the same constituencies in 2012.
The tribal district of Narmada recorded the highest turnout of 79.15%, while Devbhumi Dwarka, which has a significant OBC population, registered the lowest at 59.39%.
The maximum fall ranging from five to 12 percentage points, however, was reported from the rural constituencies dominated by the Patidar community, which has been demanding reservation under the OBC category.
The segments that witnesses the maximum fall were Gondal (11.75), Palitana (11.5), Gariyadhar (9.8), Dhoraji (8.4), Jamnagar Rural (6.7), Dhari (7.71), Savarkundla (6.09), Visavadar(4.7) and Keshod (5.45).
In the urban pockets dominated by Patidars such as Morbi, Rajkot East, Jetpur, Jamnagar North, Surat North and Katargam, the dip in voter turnout as compared to the last assembly elections was much less than the rural segments. The only exception was Rajkot West, from where chief minister Vinay Rupani is contesting — the voting went up by 4.07 percentage points.
Experts say lesser turnout in Patidar-dominated segments indicates the community’s disillusion with the ruling BJP but does not show their willingness to support rival Congress either.
The Patidars, who constitute 12% of the population and have influence in about 60 assembly seats, have traditionally been BJP supporters. Agitation by the otherwise well-to-do Patidars, seeking reservation benefits in government jobs and colleges, made the BJP nervous for the first time in three decades about
their unflinching support. The Congress got a shot in the arm when Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) pledged support to last month.
In 2015, when PAAS had declared support to local bodies elections, the Congress had made inroads in the countryside, uprooting the BJP for the first time from taluka and gram panchayats since 1990. Region-wise, the EC data shows that Saurashtra witnessed the maximum dip of six percentage points, followed by Kutch (3.63) and south Gujarat (3.22). All south Gujarat districts barring Surat reported a turnout of over 70%, while the Saurashtra-Kutch region reported an overall polling of 64.21%.
Experts said the voting trend reflected the apathy of the rural electorates. “The trend indicates lack of enthusiasm in the rural voters, compared to 2012. But we should also not forget that 2012 saw a higher turnout as it was pitched as the last election of PM Narendra Modi before he made a leap for Delhi,’’ said political analyst Jwalant Chhaya.