Urban Ghaziabad votes for development, farmer issues resonate with rural voters

The voters in the five assembly seats of Ghaziabad district on Thursday exercised their franchise on wide ranging issues that largely included local concerns such as traffic congestion, safety and security, pollution and metro rail connectivity

The voters in the five assembly seats of Ghaziabad district on Thursday exercised their franchise on wide ranging issues that largely included local concerns such as traffic congestion, safety and security, pollution and metro rail connectivity.

People queue up to cast their vote in the assembly elections, at Usman Colony in Ghaziabad on Thursday. (Sakib Ali /HT)

Rural voters of the district also said they voted for development and also on farmers’ issues, which were highlighted during the yearlong protest against the now-defunct farm laws.

The voters in urban segments said their issues ranged from development of roads, high pollution levels, traffic congestion, need for better metro connectivity, safety and security to provision of local infrastructure projects. “There has been a need for a government hospital in trans-Hindon for over a decade now. Ghaziabad also figures prominently among cities having high pollution levels. Our issues also include proper solid waste disposal and repair of bad roads, besides a metro link which is yet to materialise,” said Archana Kumar, resident of Ahinsa Khand-2.

Some of the elderly voters said their issues were related to getting pension on time while high inflation in food prices was also a matter of serious concern.

“Voters are more aware due to the high pitch campaigning by political parties and their presence on social media. Many youngsters have voted for development, while the issue of safety was foremost for women voters. The other issues include unemployment, especially in the light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic,” said Akanksha Srivastava, a resident of Sahibabad.

The day’s trend indicates that the rural segments in the district have fared better when it comes to voter turnout. The three rural constituencies of Loni, Muradnagar and Modinagar recorded a polling percentage of 57.6%, 57.30% and 63.53%, respectively, till 5pm.

In the 2017 assembly election, Loni, Muradngar and Modinagar recorded a turnout of 60.12%, 60.48% and 64.76% respectively.

These segments also fall in western Uttar Pradesh, where the farmer agitation was widespread. A high voter turnout also indicates more participation by farmers.

“This time, farmers have come out in large numbers to vote. It is because their issues have dominated the agenda of major political parties. This is mainly due to the farmers’ protest against the three farm laws. Our voting pattern will surely play a decisive role,” said Rajbir Singh, a farmer from Sadarpur village, which is part of the Muradnagar assembly constituency.

The experts said high turnout in rural segments was seen during past elections as well.

“The farmers’ issues strike a chord with rural voters while local issues make more sense to urban voters. Issues of safety and security, besides development, also resonated with voters. The anti-incumbency factor may have also affected the voting pattern,” said Sanjay Mishra, associate professor (political science), MMG Degree College, Ghaziabad.