The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) appears to have bungled the Backward Classes (BC) voters’ enumeration. There is a discrepancy in the numbers while comparing the 2012 and 2013 voters’ lists.
If the data provided by the VMC is to be believed, there is a gross decline in the number of voters in the city though the population has crossed 10-lakh mark. While there were 6,78,707 voters in 2012, the number surprisingly slipped to 6,30,435 in 2013. As many as 48,272 voters are unlikely to find their names in the new list if these figures are correct. There is a decline of 7.11 per cent in total number of voters compared to 2012.
The number of BC voters also appears to have declined by 7,589. Surprisingly, there is a decline of BC voters in majority of divisions in the city. The number of BC voters has declined by 3.60 per cent compared to 2012. On the contrary, the total number of BC voters in all the divisions put together has increased by 1.25 per cent. Compared to 2012 figure of 32.09 per cent BCs it has increased to 33.34 per cent of total electorate.
The total number of women voters has decreased by 25,048 and the number of women BC voters has also fallen by 4,174. The number of total male voters has come down by 23,248 and BC male voters by 3,415.
The VMC officials, however, say that there is a decline in the number of voters as some families had been provided housing at Jakkampudi (beyond VMC limits). Their claims do not seem to hold water as the population of Jakkampudi housing complex is just 6,000. The 39th division has the lowest BC voter population with 7.76 per cent and the 34th division has the highest number 77.03 per cent.
