The voter turnout in Bengaluru fell short once again during the Lok Sabha polls that were conducted on Friday and four constituencies of the tech capital recorded less than 55% of polling percentage. Though the experts say reasons like unfavorable weather conditions, not scrapping the votes of the deceased and long weekend escape, dual Voter registration is expected to be a primary reason for lower voter turnout.
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In an X post, the co-founder of Citizens for Bengaluru, Srinivas Alavilli said that many voters who have their vote in Bengaluru travelled to their hometowns as they were also registered to vote in the second place. He wrote, “If you are wondering why voting % in Bengaluru is significantly lower than Karnataka. Many residents go home to vote just like they go home for festivals. Many of them have two voter IDs for other purposes. Voter apathy exists, but this is also a contributing factor.”
Alavilli also argued that many voters in Bengaluru have their vote registered in neighbouring states depending on their native places, and they prefer voting there. “They have vote in both places. Not just other parts of Karnataka but all neighbouring states also. Read comments on my earlier tweets on this topic many have validated this theory though no one can say what percentage,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Alavilli also argued that many voters in Bengaluru have their vote registered in neighbouring states depending on their native places, and they prefer voting there. “They have vote in both places. Not just other parts of Karnataka but all neighbouring states also. Read comments on my earlier tweets on this topic many have validated this theory though no one can say what percentage,” he added.
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In Bengaluru, Bengaluru Central recorded a turnout of 53.33%, Bengaluru South 52.94%, and Bengaluru North 53.66%, according to the data released by the Election Commission (EC).
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the three constituencies in Bengaluru recorded an overall voting percentage of 55%, while the state’s average stood at 65%. Bengaluru Central registered a voting percentage of 54.3%, Bengaluru South recorded 53.64%, and Bengaluru North saw a 54.73% turnout. However, this year, Bengaluru Central exhibited a decline to lower figure of 53.33% voting