Voting does not interest most voters in Chandigarh

Statistics show a sharp decline in the polling percentage of Chandigarh, from 68.1 per cent in 1984 to to 48.35 per cent in the 1999.

Voters in Chandigarh seem to have better things to do than caste the ballot. Statistics show a sharp decline in the polling percentage of the Union territory, from 68.1 per cent in 1984 to to 48.35 per cent in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections.

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From 1991, more and more city voters have shown a lack of interest in casting their ballot in the subsequent four Lok Sabha polls.

In 1991, poll percentage was 57.3 while in 1998 only 53.69 voters cast their vote out of total registered voters of over five lakh, according to the figures available with the Election Department.

Two-time MP and BJP candidate from Chandigarh Satya Pal Jain attributes the declining interest among people to lack of strong issues.

"People over the years have been losing faith in the political system, which has been restored during the last five years now. Also, since Emergency period there has not been really any strong issue which would act as a great motivator," he said.

Congress candidate and former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal though believes it is a reflection of the general trend prevailing all over the country.

Admitting that a declining interest among the voters was a reflection on politicians too, he favoured that people should also be given the option of "none of the above", that is if they did not want to cast their vote for any candidate in the fray.