Efforts to nudge citizens to vote prove futile as Hyd records lowest turnout

Hyderabad: Voters’ apathy marked polling in Greater Hyderabad as Hyderabad and Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituencies recorded the lowest turnout in Telangana in that order. Hyderabad district recorded 48.48% and Secunderabad recorded 49.04%. The figures are all provisional as the final numbers will be released by the election authorities on Tuesday.

Despite the efforts by the election authorities, the urban voters remained indifferent during the polls held on Monday. Even during the campaigns, the political parties and candidates had also urged people to participate in the polling in large numbers. However, these appeals had little impact on the urban voters and their turnout was the lowest in the state.

As per the final numbers released on Tuesday, it has been observed that the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency recorded the lowest polling at 48.48%, marking a slight increase of 4 per cent compared to the 2019 elections. The Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency recorded the second lowest polling at 49.04%, a 3 per cent increase compared to 2019 polls.

The low turnout which is less than 50 per cent was despite pleasant weather, as recent rains and clouds considerably brought down the maximum temperature. While polling centres in some segments saw queues from early in the morning, the booths were deserted in the majority of the segments.

Local leaders of the different political parties attributed the low presence of voters until 4 pm at polling stations to summer. After 4 pm, people started lining up at the polling stations and the polling continued in a few areas until 6 pm.

Since 2009, when the recent delimitation was implemented in 2009, the voter turnout in Hyderabad has remained low, always between 44 and 54 per cent. The highest turnout was in 2014 at 53.30 percent, the lowest was in 2019 at 44.84 per cent and in 2014 it was 52.47 per cent. In Monday’s poll in Hyderabad, the voter turnout was 48.48 per cent.

In Secunderabad, the highest turnout was in 2009 at 54.93 per cent, the lowest was in 2019 with 46.50 per cent and in 2014, it was 53.01 per cent. On Monday’s poll in Secunderabad recorded 49.04 per cent.

In Hyderabad, with a total 22,17,094 electors only 10,74,827 cast their votes in 1,944 polling stations. Secunderabad has a total 21,20,401 electors and only 10,39,834 voted.

Among the Assembly segments in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, Malakpet recorded lowest polling at 42.76 per cent, followed by Yakutpura 43.34 per cent and Charminar recorded 48.53 per cent turnout, while Goshamahal witnessed the highest with 54.72 per cent followed by Karwan at 51.23 per cent, Bahadurpura 50.7 per cent and Chandrayangutta 49.15 per cent voting.

Jubilee Hills, a part of Secunderabad, recorded only 45.59 per cent turnout. The polling percentage in Nampally was 46.59 per cent, Musheerabad 49.09 per cent, Sanath Nagar 49.45 per cent, Khairtabad 50.28 per cent, Amberpet 51.65 per cent and Secunderabad recorded the highest with 52.48 per cent.