Lucknow municipal corporation elections: Step out for your home, each vote matters today

LUCKNOW: Will the city of Nawabs shed the tag of 'laidback attitude' and come out in large numbers to vote in the LMC elections on Thursday?
The question assumes significance because urban local bodies elections are about 'Bijli-Sadak-Pani' that affect daily lives of all.
Still, the turnout in these polls in Lucknow has always been low in comparison to assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

For instance, the residents of the state capital registered 44.70 % turnout in 2007, which fell by 10 % in 2012 and the total voter turnout in municipal corporation limits was 34.10 %.
Five years later, the turnout saw only 4.5 % increase-and total turnout was 38.60%.
On the contrary, the participation of voters in five constituencies under LMC limits during 2022 state assembly polls was 55.8 %, while in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Lucknow constituency registered 54.7 % voter turnout.
According to officials, "The biggest factor of low voter turnout in civic body polls is less campaigning by political big-wigs. For Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls, political parties rope in national leaders and hold more than dozen public rallies in a single day, while in the civic body only the candidate and local leaders hold public gatherings. This time the state CM and former CM did hold public rallies, but it was only in the last few days."
"The other factor includes the notion that MP and MLA are strong leaders in comparison to mayor, corporators, Nagar Palika chairperson and member," added an official.
According to the state election commission (SEC), back in 2017, zone 4 of LMC which comprise Nishatganj, Gomtinagar, Arjunganj, Ahmamau, Papermill colony, Polytechnic, Huseria, Patrakarpuram, Chinhat, Matiyari, Malesemau and Kamta, registered lowest turnout of 35.43 %.
It was followed by zone 1 areas such as Hazratganj, Charbagh, Aminabad, Lalbagh, Kaiserganj, Golaganj, Bansmandi and Naka which recorded 36.83 % turnout.
Zone 5 areas including Alambagh, Chandernagar, Mawaiya, Suryanagar, Devpur Para, Talkatora road, Jai Prakash Nagar and Harihar Prasad Nagar registered 36.84 % voter turnout.
The highest turnout of 41.62% was recorded in zone 2 area of Aishbagh, Mill road, Railway Colony, Shastri Nagar, Goodshed road, and in zone 6 (40.04%) areas of Chowk, Ambarganj, Husainabad, Daultaganj, Balaganj, Sadatganj, Alamnagar and Haiderganj. Apparently, areas in zone 2 and 6 are densely populated with poor civic amenities.
This year SEC has claimed that 29.24 lakh voters have been registered in city limits, including 13.67 lakh female voters. A total of 2,510 polling booths have been installed in 110 wards. To promote women participation, the SEC has installed one pink booth at Municipal Nursery school near Mall Avenue.
According to the SEC, there are 760 sensitive polling booths in city limits.