BENGALURU: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is trying all means to increase the voting percentage in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
According to ECI data for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the voting percentage in 86 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka was below the national average of 67.40%. In only six segments—Chikkodi-Sadalga, Hangal, Shivamogga Rural, Tirthahalli, and Shikaripura—the voting percentage was above 80%. The highest voting percentage in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was in Sorab, in Shivamogga Parliamentary Constituency, at 82.59%.
Also, only four Parliamentary constituencies saw their voting percentage above the national average- Chikkodi, Uttara Kannada, Shivamoga, and Haveri.
It was a dismal show by Bengaluru, with all three constituencies in the city—Bangalore North, Central, and South—recording the lowest voting percentage, much below the national average. While the figure was 54.26% in Bangalore Central, Bangalore North saw 54.35%, and South 53.7%. Also, in the three Assembly constituencies of Raichur, the voting percentage was similar to that of Bengaluru (Manvi- 55.50%, Raichur- 55.54%, and Yadgir- 56.20%). Similar was the situation in Gulbarga Uttar (56.89%). In 51 Assembly constituencies, the voting percentage was 70% or above (located mostly in Gulbarga, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere, Haveri, Chikkodi, and Bagalkot).
As per ECI records, the overall polling percentage in Karnataka in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was 68.81%. While the male voting percentage was 69.55%, it was 67.65% for women, just above the national average.
Across India, in 10 states and union territories, the polling percentage was less than the national average- Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 65.12%, Gujarat- 64.51%, Jammu and Kashmir- 44.97%, Jharkhand-66.8%, Maharashtra-61.02%, Mizoram-63.14%, Punjab- 65.94%, Rajasthan- 66.34%, Telangana- 62.77%, and Uttar Pradesh- 59.21%.