GHMC elections: Voter turnout lowest among metro cities

HYDERABAD: With the percentage of polling in the GHMC elections touching one of the all-time-lowest of about 45.7 per cent, the city witnessed the lowest voter turnout compared to the respective Corporation elections in other metro cities across the country. When compared to the voter turnouts in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Kolkata, in their most recent Corporation elections, Hyderabad fared worst.

The most recent comparison can be made with the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in Mumbai, when the city managed to clock up a voter turnout of 55.28 per cent. In the same year, the Delhi Municipal Corporation witnessed a turnout of 53.58 per cent.

Bengaluru, on the other hand, had conducted the polls to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in 2015 last, and the voter turnout then was 45 percentage. Similarly, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation clocked a 68.5 per cent voter turnout in the last Corporation elections held in 2015.

While the Covid pandemic is a major altering factor, which could have impacted voter turnout, it is to be seen if the voter turnout was poor across the city or only in certain pockets as seen in the Old City, which was affected badly by floods.