Amethi, Varanasi polling less than UP’s average

The Election Commission is updating final voter turnout.

The biggest and most expensive electoral exercise in the world, the Lok Sabha polls 2014, saw average turnout of voters hitting a high of 66.38 per cent, a record.

Several constituencies bucked the trend, including three constituencies in Jammu & Kashmir. High profile constituencies in UP including Varanasi and Amethi polled less than the national average, and even the UP average.

Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir saw the lowest, 25.70 per cent. The second and third lowest were also in J&K, 28.55 per cent in Anantnag and 38.9 per cent in Baramulla. The poor turnout was attributed to a poll boycott call by separatists. Among the lowest five were Kalyan in Maharashtra with 43.11 per cent followed by Patna Sahib in Bihar showing 45.37 per cent.

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The fiercely fought electoral battles in Varanasi and Amethi saw a turnout less than the UP average of 58.29 per cent. In Varanasi, where BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal and Congress’ Ajay Rai were locked in a bitter battle, 58.22 per cent voters exercised their franchise. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s constituency Amethi, where BJP’s Smriti Irani and AAP’s Kumar Vishwas contested, saw 52.44 per cent turnout.

“Those claiming voter behaviour is swayed by a wave in favour of a political party or a candidate or fierceness of the contest should look at Varanasi and Amethi. Despite improving performance since the last Lok Sabha polls, Uttar Pradesh still voted poorly when compared to the national average. But these two high-profile constituencies voted even below the state’s overall voting percentage,” an EC official said.

The Election Commission is updating final voter turnout. Provisional data suggests the lone constituency in Nagaland registered the highest of 88.53 per cent (where count went down during repolling in several booths). Dhubri in Assam (88.35 percent) and Tambluk (87.53 percent), Kanthi (86.87 percent) and Bishnupur (86.83 percent) in West Bengal were among high voting constituencies. West Bengal witnessed a high of 81.77 per cent.

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