Maximum polling reported from colonies

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 7: The city slums and labour colonies recorded the highest voting percentage in the elections held on Sunday, while voti...

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 7: The city slums and labour colonies recorded the highest voting percentage in the elections held on Sunday, while voting in the rural and urban areas of the city remained low.

Though there was a general decline in the voting percentage all over the city, according to available data with the UT Election Department, the voting recorded in colonies was 52.44 per cent, against 56 per cent recorded during the last polls held in 1998.

Similarly, the voter turnout in rural areas was the lowest at 41.13 per cent, against 49 per cent recorded last time, while that in the urban areas was also lower at 48.52 per cent, against 54 per cent polling in the last polls.

Though, the labour colonies witnessed the usual hustle and bustle in where enthusiastic voters and supporters kept the atmosphere alive by evincing keen interest in the election process, This enthusiasm was, however, lacking in the urban areas where polling was a lacklustre affair.

Of the total about 1.56 lakh population living in colonies, a total of 81,918 turned up to vote, but only 37,810 voters in rural areas out of a total of 91,938 voters exercised their franchise.

In the urban areas too, where at least 3.36 lakh voters reside, the percentage of polling was low, with only about 1.62 lakh voters coming out to poll. The reason for the lower turnout was the general lack of interest and rainy weather, coupled with the long holidays.

Interestingly, the rural areas recorded the highest and lowest voter turnout 8211; with Maloya recording the highest polling of 75 per cent and Kajheri recording the lowest of 19.88 per cent.

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With the city recording a total polling of 48.40 per cent, it turned out to be the lowest-ever in the history of Chandigarh. Only 2,82,654 voters exercised their franchise out of a total of 5,83,936 voters listed in the Lok Sabha constituency.

The city voting percentage has shown a consistent decline over the last three polls, with polling dropping from 58.41 per cent in the 1996 general elections to 53.68 per cent achieved during the last Lok Sabha elections in 1998. In the past, the voting percentage in the city has touched a high of over 68 per cent also.

However there were many instances of voters not being able to exercise their franchise as their names did not exist in the electoral rolls even though they had obtained their voter photo-identity cards. Many voters were also not allowed to vote as there were discrepancies in their names and addresses. The election staff could not solve these problems and many voters had to go without voting.