Karnataka records highest polling in 35 years at 71.29 percent
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 7: Contrary to public perception and negative media coverage about the apathy and indifference of Karnataka’s electorate to fulfill their democratic duty of participating in the elections, the voters have performed a feat of recording a polling percentage of 71.29 percent, which is the highest in the last 35 years.
The highest ever polling percentage of 71.90 percent was recorded in 1978.
The total polling as per the reports provided by the State Election Commission authorities in Sunday’s assembly elections in the State was 70.29 percent
The polling was 6.5 percent more than the polling in the assembly elections of 2008 (64.78 percent).
However, the turnout in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections was 58.88 percent.
The percentage of polling was 65.17, 67.65 and 68.59, respectively, in the assembly polls of 2004, 1999 and 1994.
The polling percentage in Bangalore Urban district comprising 28 constituencies was 57.38 percent against 49.87 percent in 2008 Assembly and 45.81 percent in 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
Highest polling was recorded in Chikballapur district at 83.50 percent.
Three more districts recorded more than 80 percent polling and they are Bangalore Rural (82.49), Kolar (81.47) and Ramanagaram (82.94).
The gender gap in voting has narrowed significantly in this election with 70.1 percent of female voters exercise franchise compared to 71.84 male voters.
The percentage of polling by male and female voters in 2008 Assembly elections was 66.33 and 63.23 percent respectively.
A total of 50.97 percent and 45.6 percent of male and female voters exercise their franchise in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.r
“We are very satisfied with the voter turn out in the polling. We started with a low base of 65 percent and crossed 70 percent,” Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha told reporters on Monday.
Nearly 10 percent of voters exercisede their franchise in the last one hour on account of various reasons, including summer hot condition.
“There are several reasons for high turnout during last hours of polling,” he said making it clear that there was nothing unusual about it,” the CEO said.
A total of 2,770 male and 170 female candidates have entered the electoral battle.
The counting will take place on May 8 and the results are expected around noon.