Punjab witnesses 62.80% polling; fails to meet 70% target

10 assembly segments crosses 70% figure mark

Despite ambitious targets set by the state election authorities, Punjab’s voter turnout fell short of the coveted 70-percent mark during the parliamentary polls on Saturday. However, a silver lining emerged as 10 assembly constituencies managed to surpass this threshold, signaling pockets of robust civic engagement amidst the electorate.

With a total of 2.14 crore eligible voters in the State, the turnout stood at 62.80 percent, marginally lower than the 65.96 percent recorded during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This slight dip underscored the challenges faced in mobilizing voters amidst the sweltering heat and backdrop of various socio-political dynamics.

Notably, Sardulgarh assembly segment, nestled within the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency, emerged as a beacon of voter enthusiasm with an impressive turnout of 73.72 percent, marking the highest participation rate across Punjab. Conversely, Bholath assembly segment, under the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat, reported the lowest turnout at 51.73 percent, reflecting variations in civic engagement across different regions.

Among the notable performers, Budhlada at 72.52 percent, Lambi at 71.95 percent, and Maur at 70.13 percent, also falling under the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency, witnessed turnout figures exceeding the 70-percent mark, underscoring the significance of local dynamics in driving voter participation.

In the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, Sujanpur (73.71 percent), Bhoa (71.21 percent), and Pathankot (70-16 percent) emerged as frontrunners with turnout rates ranging from 70 to 73 percent, indicative of robust civic engagement in these areas.

Similarly, Zira assembly constituency, nestled within the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha segment, recorded a turnout of 70.97 percent, emphasizing the diverse electoral landscape of Punjab.

The Election Commission (EC) revised the overall voter turnout figure for Punjab to 62.80 percent, up from the initial 55.65 percent reported on Saturday evening. Despite this revision, the turnout remains below the 2019 Lok Sabha polls’ figure, raising questions about the factors influencing voter participation in the current electoral climate.

While Bathinda emerged as the leader in voter turnout at 69.36 percent, Amritsar recorded the lowest participation rate at 56.06 percent. Noteworthy turnouts were also observed in Ferozepur (67.02 per cent), Gurdaspur (66.76 per cent), and Sangrur (64.63 per cent) constituencies. Besides, Khadoor Sahib recorded 62.55 per cent voter turnout while the figure stood at 59.70 per cent in Jalandhar, 58.86 per cent in Hoshiarpur, 61.98 per cent in Anandpur Sahib, 60.12 per cent in Ludhiana, 62.53 per cent in Fatehgarh Sahib, 63.34 per cent in Faridkot, and 63.63 per cent in Patiala.

However, despite concerted efforts to achieve a turnout exceeding 70 percent, the state fell short of this ambitious goal. Of the 2.14 crore eligible voters, 1.35 crore exercised their franchise, with 71.41 lakh men (63.27 percent) and 63.36 lakh women (62.28 percent) voted, along with 280 third-gender individuals.

All 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab went to the polls on June 1, with more than 2.14 crore voters sealing the fate of 328 candidates, including 26 women, in fray amid reports of electronic voting machines (EVMs) malfunctioning and minor clashes at a few places in sweltering heat. The results will be out on June 4.

Constituency-Wise Polling Percentage

Chandigarh logs impressive 67.90% turnout

Chandigarh: With a voter turnout of 67.90 per cent, the fate of 19 candidates, including main contenders Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate Sanjay Tandon and Congress’ candidate Manish Tewari, was sealed on Saturday.

Despite searing heat, a large number of voters turned up to elect their new representative in the Parliament. Chandigarh’s District Election Officer-cum-Returning Officer Vinay Partap Singh said that a total of 4,48,007 out of 6,59,805 eligible voters in the Chandigarh Parliamentary Constituency exercised their franchise.

These figures are provisional, as the Election Office is expected to release the final voter turnout after reconciliation of the data submitted by the polling parties. The overall voter turnout in Chandigarh stood at 67.90 per cent, he said in a statement. The polling process at all the polling booths was peaceful and uninterrupted, he added.

Long queues outside polling booths in colonies reflected a stark difference in voting behaviour between the rural and urban parts of Chandigarh. Colony voters once again came out in force, leaving their urban counterparts behind.

Even in 2019 Lok Sabha elections colony voters boasted a turnout of 74 per cent, compared to urban areas’ 68 per cent. This time, of the 6.59 lakh enrolled voters in Chandigarh, a staggering three lakh voters are residents of colonies. Housing nearly half of the constituency’s voter base, the 25 colonies in Chandigarh remained at the heart of campaigning for both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.