TIRUCHY: Despite the election commission’s efforts to improve voter turnout during the general election, the sultry weather on Friday is blamed for playing spoilsport and limiting the polling figure to 67.45%. Compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the figure is lower by 4.35%. Aiming 100% participation, the state election commission came up with various initiatives to boost voter turnout in the Lok Sabha election held on April 19. According to officials, the election commission organised 46 types of programmes across the state. As part of it, the district administration organised programmes like signature campaign, rallies and cultural programmes involving school and college students ever since the poll date was notified.
Despite these, the weather conditions that prevailed on polling day brought down the voter turnout in Tiruchy, rued District Collector M Pradeep Kumar on Saturday.
Addressing media persons after inspecting the strongroom at a private college, he further pointed out that the district recorded 71.80% in voter turnout during the 2019 election. Echoing him, neurologist and former faculty member at KAPV Government Medical College Dr MA Aleem said the high temperature recorded on Friday particularly discouraged elderly citizens from stepping out.
"The post-pandemic period has made people to be more concerned about their health. Several septuagenarians who were affected by Covid-19 during the pandemic still have health issues. As with the case of people aged above 85 years who were issued Form 12D, the election commission should have allowed people aged between 70 and 80 to vote from the convenience of their homes," he added. In the past, political parties themselves arranged for elderly voters’ transportation to the polling booths and back. They ensured that every voter exercised their franchise.
However, due to the election commission's restrictions, such practices have vanished, he said. He also called for options enabling people to cast their vote online. H Ubaidullah, a member of Tiruchy Intra-City Development Endeavors (TIDES), commented that high temperatures affect not only urban areas but rural ones too.
However, Srirangam, Pudukkottai and Gandharvakottai Assembly constituencies, which have several villages, recorded considerable voter turnout as compared to the other three segments located in the city, he said. "Villagers did not let the sun deter them. Unlike urban dwellers, rural residents celebrate elections as festivals. In the future, arrangements should be made to suspend the rights of non-voters to warn others of the importance of exercising their franchise," he added.