NEW DELHI: Over 49 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Ghaziabad constituency of Uttar Pradesh during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday, the Election Commission of India data showed.
The voting percentage was lowest compared to 55.8 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 56.9 per cent in the 2014 general elections. Of these, Dholana geographically comes in adjoining Hapur district.
The polling was, by and large, peaceful, with no untoward incident.
According to the ECI data, at 9 am, around 11 per cent of voting was recorded in all five assembly segments—Loni, Muradnagar, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad and Dhaulana.
Till 11 am, total turnout was nearly 24 per cent, and reached 35 per cent at 1 pm and 42.4 per cent at 3 pm. When going to print, the figure was 49.8 per cent.
Among the assemblies, highest 59.3 per cent was registered in Dhaulan while lowest of 42.8 per cent in Sahibabad.
This time, the district administration arranged polling booths in high-rise societies to increase voter turnout. Despite the efforts, the voting percentage could have been more impressive. Somesh Dhar, a housing society Crossings Republik resident, said in view of the long weekend, many of his neighbours have already left for vacation.
Several complained that they were disappointed as no candidate contacted them to hear their grievances during the campaign.
“There is a common perception that no one come to address the issues related to them. It has been 10 years since urban voters have been waiting for the redressal of their problems,” another resident said.
A total of 14 candidates are in the fray for the Ghaziabad seat, with over 29 lakh eligible voters.
Known as the BJP bastion, the constituency witnessed a triangular contest with the saffron party fielding Ghaziabad legislator Atul Garg, the Congress — contesting the polls as the INDIA bloc constituent — picking Dolly Sharma, and the BSP nominating Nandkishor Pundhir. In 2019, BJP’s Gen (retired) V K Singh won from Ghaziabad.
The constituency had 3,092 polling stations, of which, 608 categorised as ‘critical’ and 37 as ‘vulnerable’. Official had said web casting will be done from 1,549 polling stations. A total of 1,127 polling stations, the maximum, lie in the Sahibabad, followed by 530 in Loni.
Booths inside high-rise societies
This time, the district administration arranged polling booths in high-rise societies to increase voter turnout. Despite the efforts, the voting percentage could have been more impressive.