Even we are surprised at low voter turnout: poll panel chief

With the election to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council concluding peacefully on Sunday, State Election Commissioner C.R. Chikkamath said that there was no need for re-polls in any of the 198 wards.

Speaking to presspersons here on Monday, he said counting of votes would be held as scheduled on April 5. It will be taken up Assembly constituency-wise at 27 centres across the city.

Of the 69.77 lakh voters in the city, only 30.72 lakh exercised their franchise. The voter turnout was 44.04 per cent. “Even we are surprised about the low voter turnout. Several reasons may be attributed; we will have to study them before coming to any conclusion,” he said.

A quirky record

However, Varthur ward coming under Mahadevapura Assembly constituency registered the highest voter turnout of 61.69 per cent, while the lowest (29.26 per cent) was registered at Belandur ward also coming under the same constituency.

According to the statistics provided by the SEC, the Urban District Election Office (DEO) registered the highest poll percentage of 47.38, followed by 44.90 by Central DEO, 42.54 by South DEO and 42.08 by North DEO.

During the Parliamentary elections held in May 2009, the voter turnout was 46.72 per cent in Bangalore North, 44.55 per cent in Bangalore South, 44.74 per cent in Bangalore Central and 57.92 per cent in Bangalore Rural.

The turnout during the Assembly elections held in 2008 was 46.88 per cent, while it was 44.32 per cent during the elections to the erstwhile Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (for 100 wards) in 2001, he said.

Missing names

About the missing names from the voter's list, Mr. Chikkamath said that the lists were sourced from theElection Commission of India.

After the third supplement, over three lakh names were added.

On the allegations that 3,000 names had gone missing in the Jayanagar list, he said he had asked the Returning Officer concerned to look into it and submit a report.

He later thanked the cooperation extended by the Police Department in ensuring that the polls were held peacefully and the teachers who attended poll duty though examinations were being held.