As one more national voter’s day passes without fanfare, and as one more election greets the city in a few months, the question to ask is if the city is keen to get itself entangled in the democratic process?
Hebbal – the gateway to the core area of the city when coming from the airport – goes to the polls in the second week of February, necessitated by the death of BJP MLA Jagadish Kumar. This marks the fourth time that the area has gone to the polls in the past two years – a process that started in the 2013 Assembly elections, then the parliamentary elections a year later and a council election a few months ago.
In the 2013 elections, the turnout was nearly 55 per cent, but fell to 49.3 per cent in the recently-concluded BBMP council elections. “There have been too many back-to-back elections. This may deter people from coming out,” says D.S. Rajashekhar, a resident as well as President of Citizens Action Forum, which has been playing a role in increasing electoral awareness. Even though the election was for a tenure of two years, CAF is attempting to rope in Residents’ Welfare Associations to drive home the point that even this short tenure can see major changes in the constituency.
The constituency, in some ways, represents the microcosm of the city. Harbouring some of the most affluent localities, including Dollar’s Colony, to areas that were bypassed during the city’s rapid developments – pockets of Geddalahalli and Nagawara.
Hebbal sees major fluctuations in voting patterns. The difference in turnout between the relatively-well-to-do Sanjaynagar and the relatively-economically-backward Jayachamrajnagar ward is 15 per cent. “Definitely, the upper and upper-middle classes play spoilsport in the electoral process. There is a belief that their vote will not matter,” says Mr. Rajashekhar.
While the Election Commission of India does not undertake voter awareness campaigns for by-elections, Anil Kumar Jha, Chief Electoral Officer (Karnataka), believes that a high-intensity campaign by candidates can result in a better voter turnout.
Total voters in Bengaluru: 74 lakh
55 per cent males registered
Bengaluru at the polls
Year | Turnout | Total eligible voters (lakhs) |
Assembly elections (Bangalore Urban district) | ||
2008 | 47.3 | 66 |
2013 | 52.8 | 70.3 |
Lok Sabha elections (Bengaluru Rural and Urban districts) | ||
2009 | 58.81 | 79.8 |
2014 | 55.94 | 85.19 |
BBMP council elections | ||
2010 | 44.04 | 69.7 |
2015 | 49.31 | 73.88 |
72 per cent of voters are registered. We believe this is a satisfactory figure
— Anil Kumar Jha, Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka
