The high-temperature campaign and Election Commission of India (ECI) special efforts to improve voting percentage failed to bring Hyderabad voters to the polling booths. As usual, the votes polled in four Lok Sabha constituencies under Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) remained below 50 per cent.
Particularly, the contest of a political novice K Madhavi Latha as BJP candidate in Hyderabad constituency against well established AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has created media headlines even at national level. That failed to create enthusiasm among voters.
While Hyderabad Parliament Constituency saw the lowest polling percentage at 39.17 per cent, Secunderabad had a slightly higher 42.48 per cent with Malkajgiri recording 46.27 per cent. For the by-polls of the Secunderabad Cantonment assembly elections, 47.88 polling per cent was recorded.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the voter percentage was a mere 46.5 per cent for the Secunderabad parliamentary constituency, while the percentages for Hyderabad and Malkajgiri were 44.84 and 46.93 per cent only. In 2014 too, the voter turnout remained between 51 to 53 per cent for these seats. Similarly, at the recent 2023 assembly elections, the voter turnout in the Hyderabad district was just 47.88 per cent.
The low- voter percentage in the city was mainly attributed to the large number of voters migrating to their native places in Andhra Pradesh, as the YCP and TDP political battle turned more intense and prestigious. For the last four days thousands of vehicles were seen taking people to various destinations in AP. During the weekend, even after arranging a large number of additional RTC buses, they failed to meet passenger requirements.
It was also said to be due to seperation of Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. It is interesting to note that in 2014, when the last time simultaneous polls were conducted in the state, the polling percent was more than 7 per cent high.
