Less number of coimbatore residents turn up for voting for mayoral polls
Women showing their voters id
Coimbatore: Coimbatore residents scripted yet another tale of urban apathy on Thursday. Even the widespread distribution of cash to woo voters and high decibel electioneering failed to bring the voters to the polling booths causing a dip in voting for mayoral polls in Coimbatore.It was urban disdain yet again as many polling booths were empty in the morning. A booth in Rajalakshmi Mills higher secondary school in the east zone turned out to be a telling example of the low turnout of voters. It had polled just 10.1 per cent even four hours after the start of polls, around 11 am.
Several booths in Peelamedu, Cheran Maa Nagar, Sai Baba Colony, K.K. Pudur and other areas too remained empty in the forenoon.
Though elderly and middle-aged people came out enthusiastically, it was the youngsters who were conspicuously missing. As holiday was announced only for educational institutions and offices in corporation limits, several of those studying and working on the city outskirts and neighbouring districts could not turn up to vote.
"I could not exercise my franchise in the mayoral polls as I left for Tirupur by train at 7 am for work. And it was late in the evening when I returned home. Hence, I had to give a miss to this polls," said V. Ramya, a bank professional and a resident of Cheran Maa Nagar in Peelamedu.Residents staying in Chennai and faraway places also could not turn up for elections, which subsequently led to a drop in the voting percentage.
BJP candidate R. Nandakumar, however, said the low turnout means that the public had boycotted the by-polls to express their discontent with the ruling AIADMK." The boycott by public is itself a victory for BJP and we will accept the verdict, whatever it may be, humbly and with respect," he said.
CPM candidate C. Padmanaban said the unethical campaign strategy of distributing cash among voters had led the people boycotting the elections. "Also several offices functioned even in the city limits without declaring a holiday, which led to decline in voting percentage. The absence of DMK and Congress parties also turned out to be a reason for low turnout of voters," he said.
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