Young Voters Stay Away In GVMC Election

Visakhapatnam: Polling for the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation elections gathered momentum on Sunday after a sluggish start, with voter turnout reaching a modest 39.72 per cent by 3 pm.

Confusion over polling locations, difficulty identifying designated booths, and delays in distributing voter slips affected the voting process at several centres.

Voting began in the morning across all 120 wards of the municipal corporation, but the initial response was subdued.

Turnout stood at just 3.34 per cent by 9 am.

While queues formed at some polling stations, many booths saw only a sparse turnout during the early hours.

Election officials attributed the confusion to the reorganisation of wards and the increase in their number.

Many voters struggled to identify their ward numbers and locate their designated polling stations.

At several centres, voters sought assistance after discovering that they had been assigned to polling stations different from those where they had voted in the 2024 assembly elections.

The problem was particularly evident in the South constituency, where residents complained of difficulties in obtaining voter slips.

Several voters said they had visited ward secretariats the previous day but could not get clear information about their polling locations.

Although officials maintained that nearly 85 per cent of the voter slips had been distributed, many residents of apartments and gated communities said they had not received theirs.

The uncertainty prompted voters to make repeated visits to ward secretariats and seek clarification from polling staff.

Despite these difficulties, participation increased steadily as the day progressed.

By 11 am, the turnout had climbed to 13.34 per cent, marking a substantial rise from the early-morning figure, before reaching 39.72 per cent by mid-afternoon.

Holding the election on a Sunday appeared to have had mixed results.

Although a holiday generally gives voters more time to participate, younger voters showed relatively little enthusiasm during the first half of the day.

Senior citizens, by contrast, turned out in encouraging numbers.

Several polling centres reported long queues of elderly voters, including many aged over 80, who waited patiently to cast their ballots.

Women, too, participated in strong numbers, contributing significantly to the steady increase in turnout through the afternoon.

The election has become one of the most closely watched local body contests in Andhra Pradesh, mainly because this is the first major urban election since the three-party alliance assumed power.

Political observers regard the outcome as an important indicator of public sentiment in North Andhra, giving the municipal contest significance beyond the city.

The electoral battle has largely been framed as a direct contest between the alliance and the YSRC, with particular attention focused on the mayor’s post.

The TD has fielded Mukka Sravani as its mayoral candidate, while the YSRC has nominated MLC Varudu Kalyani.

Both camps expressed confidence in securing victory and remained actively engaged in mobilising their supporters throughout polling day.

In all, 15 candidates are contesting for the mayor’s post, while 573 candidates are in the fray for corporator positions across the municipal corporation’s 120 wards.