Despite concerted efforts and extensive outreach initiatives by the Election Commission, no parliamentary constituency in Punjab met the ambitious goal of 70 per cent voter turnout in Lok Sabha elections 2024. Bathinda came closest with 69 per cent, but overall, Punjab's polling percentage stood at 62.80 per cent, which is way below the target. In a determined effort to bolster voter participation ahead of voting in all 13 constituencies in Punjab on June 1, the chief electoral officer of Punjab had set a formidable target of 70 per cent polling and coined the slogan “Iss baar 70 paar”. Punjab has 13 parliamentary constituencies and 117 Assembly segments. The low voter turnout in the elections has raised concerns about voter engagement and participation in the state. The final voting results showed that only 10 assembly segments (8.5 per cent) recorded a polling percentage of 70 per cent or higher, highlighting the difficulties in mobilising voters across Punjab. The difference between the expected voter turnout and the actual participation emphasises the importance of improving voter education, awareness campaigns, and logistical support to increase civic engagement. However, Punjab has made significant efforts under the Election Commission to address voter apathy. Polling in 13 constituencies of Punjab - Bathinda: 69.36 per cent - Ferozepur: 67.02 per cent - Gurdaspur: 66.67 per cent - Sangrur: 64.63 per cent - Patiala: 63.63 per cent - Faridkot: 63.34 per cent - Khadoor Sahib: 62.55 per cent - Fatehgarh Sahib: 62.53 per cent - Anandpur Sahib: 61.98 per cent - Ludhiana: 60.12 per cent - Jalandhar: 59.70 per cent - Hoshiarpur: 58.86 per cent - Amritsar: 56.06 per cent Only 10 assembly segments achieved polling of 70 per cent and above. The segments with high polling percentages included Sujanpur (73.71 per cent), Boha (71.21 per cent), and Pathankot (70.16 per cent) of the Gurdaspur Parliamentary constituency. Zira assembly segment in Khadur Sahib also recorded 70.97 per cent polling, while Guru Har Sahai and Fazilka recorded 71.30 per cent and 71.83 per cent, respectively, in the Ferozepur Parliamentary constituency. In the Bathinda Parliamentary constituency, Budhlada, Sardulgarh, Maur, and Lambi recorded 72.52 per cent, 73.72 per cent, 70.13 per cent, and 71.95 per cent polling, respectively. Apart from these ten Assembly segments, there are some that are very close to 70 per cent, and these are Bhucho mandi and Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda, where 69.64 per cent and 69.34 per cent polling were recorded, respectively. In the Sangrur parliamentary constituency, 69.76 per cent polling was recorded in the Malerkotla Assembly segment. In the Faridkot parliamentary constituency, 69.98 per cent polling was recorded in the Assembly segment. In the Ferozepur parliamentary constituency, the Jalalabad Assembly segment recorded 69.82 per cent polling. In the Fatehgarh parliamentary constituency, the Amloh Assembly segment recorded 69.65 per cent polling.
