Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeExclusivePandemic and ballot paper may cast a shadow over poll percentage again

Pandemic and ballot paper may cast a shadow over poll percentage again

With all in all 21 parties are seeking mandate from 150 wards under GHMC limits, this election may turn a backbreaking test even for the electors too as the overall time of exercising the vote may exceed than the usual time it takes when EVM machines are on the play.

For a whopping 74,04,286 voters of total 150 wards under the GHMC jurisdiction – according to the official statistics, the state election commission has set up total 9235 polling stations to elicit peoples mandate on 4th December next month for which the polling is scheduled to be held on 1st December.

For the third GHMC election in the line, there are a total 74,04,286 voters to franchise their right to vote out of which the male electors accounts for 38,56,770, females are 35,46,847 while the other 669 are transgender.

Superseding the popular trend of voting through EVM machines, the public this time will franchise their right to vote through ‘Ballot Paper’ that surely consume more time than usual.

Out of total 1122 candidates that are contesting in the foray from all the 150 wards, a significant number of them are under graduates and businessmen making this election completely a business affair with occupation shown largely as Businessman besides  housewives and private employee.

People as usual may not turn to the polling stations early morning and most likely they steps in the booths only after noon as the prevailing winter season would not allow them to take bold out of the chilling weather after dawn. Moreover, they avoid juggling around long queues fearing the prevailing coronavirus pandemic.

This may resulted into low polling percentage this time too and no political party would like it as already the last GHMC elections witnessed a significant drop with only 46 percent turned out.

There is an element of plausibility in the diminishing polling percentage as all the GHMC wards still carrying many issues presumably similar to that existed ever since the corporation formed.