CUDDALORE: The Cuddalore Assembly constituency registered a voter turnout of 72.57 per cent for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections held on Friday, with the polling percentage well on a downward trend, marking a 3.92 per cent decrease compared to the 2019 elections and a 6.37 per cent dip from the 78.94 per cent registered in the 2014 elections. Notably, the highest polling percentage in the constituency was 99.26%, recorded during the 1951 elections.
Kurinjipadi recorded 77.09 per cent, the highest across the six Assembly segments, followed by 74.48 in Panruti, 72.19 per cent in Virudachalam, 71.87 per cent in Neyveli, 71.11 per cent in Thittakudi, and 68.33 per cent in Cuddalore.
On Friday, an average temperature of 36 degree Celsius was recorded in the constituency and the scorching heat was cited as the cause for the dip in polling percentage. The voter turnout dropped during the afternoon, said the poll duty officials, despite arrangements such as pandals and drinking water facilities being in place. "We observed a surge in voter turnout in the evening," said the agent of a candidate, "however, many were unable to cast their votes as the booths closed after 6 pm."
A DMK functionary, confident about the party's prospects, said that the decline in polling percentage will not impact the party's streak in the constituency, which some from the opposition refuted, attributing the dip to anti-incumbency.