Despite heatwave, Karnataka logs highest polling percentage ever
BENGALURU: Despite heatwave conditions in most parts of Karnataka this year due to the El Nino effect and Bengaluru again pulling down the polling graph with a poor turnout, Karnataka recorded a voting percentage of 70.64, the highest since the polling process began in 1952.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, Venkatesh Kumar R, said this turnout, combining both Phases 2 and 3, is the highest ever the state has seen in the Lok Sabha elections. Voter turnout of 73.84% and 72.44% was recorded in 2023 and 2018 Assembly elections, respectively.
In the LS polls, there has been a 1.83% rise in the overall voter turnout as compared to 2019 (68.81%), which was the highest till now. Of the 5,47,25,675 total voters, 3,86,57,725 voted. Of them 1,94,64,075 are male and 1,91,92,574 female.
While a 3.19% rise in voting percentage was reported from the regions in North Karnataka that went to the polls on May 7 in Phase-3, a 0.6% rise was seen in southern parts that cast the vote on April 26 in Phase-2, as compared to 2019.
As per the Election Commission data, the highest voter turnout was recorded in Mandya at 81.67% and the lowest was in Bangalore South at 53.17%.
Higher than national average
For the second consecutive Lok Sabha election, voting in the state is higher than the national average of 67.40%.
Election officials said that though there has been a consistent rise in voter turnout and it is above the national average, it is still less.
An election official said, “During surveys and interactions with people, we came across many people expressing their unhappiness over political setups. Citizens had a grouse on various issues. Many communities and residents had also announced boycotting of elections. Now when the assessment is done, it will be interesting to know how many opted for NOTA (None Of The Above).”