Ghaziabad: Women voters’ turnout dips by 6.53% in LS Polls

Data for the 2024 and 2019 elections in Ghaziabad indicates that women’s participation reduced by 6.53% while men’s participation dropped by 5.4%

The final voter turnout in the Ghaziabad parliamentary constituency was 49.88%, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI), which is much lower than the 55.19% polling recorded for Uttar Pradesh’s eight seats which went to Lok Sabha polls in phase 2.

According to figures released by the administration on Saturday, the constituency had 2,945,487 electors and only 1,468,872 of these turned out to vote at the polling booths. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Data for the 2024 and 2019 elections in Ghaziabad indicates that women’s participation reduced by 6.53% while men’s participation dropped by 5.4%.

“...it is likely that many people who voted in 2019 did not find reasons to come out and vote this time. Further, the opposition was also able to spread word about their issues. So, many voters may be in a dilemma about whom to vote for,” said KK Sharma, associate professor from CCS University, Meerut.

According to figures released by the administration on Saturday, the constituency had 2,945,487 electors and only 1,468,872 of these turned out to vote at the polling booths. Data released by the district administration on Saturday recorded turnout at 49.87%.

These comprised of 50.92% men (826,667), 48.58% women (642,189), and 9.04% transgenders (16) came out to vote.

“We are analysing the reasons for the low turnout across the constituency. This will be determined in the next two to three days with the help of our ground-level workers. But I am of view that I will win by a margin of about 600,000 votes,” said Atul Garg, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate.

According to official figures, the constituency in 2014 recorded a turnout of 56.82% and 55.78% in 2019. The participation of men and women voters was 58.81% and 54.73%, respectively, in 2014, while it was 56.32% and 55.11%, respectively, in 2019.

“There has been a considerable dip in turnout and we are analysing the turnout figures,” said Kamlesh Pandey, media in-charge of Congress candidate Dolly Sharma.

Officials said that there has been a considerable reduction in voter turnout.

“It is more in urban segments. It could be due to summer heat and also that the polling day was scheduled on Friday with two days of weekend. So, people may have planned holidays. After the polling process ended, we have deployed 24-hour security at Govindpuram Anaj Mandi where EVMs have been stored,” said Ran Vijay Singh, additional district magistrate.