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Leaders, observers hail heavy polling in the Union Territory

S. Nadarajan

Out of 6,59,058 voters, 5,60,804 exercised their franchise Summary revision of voters' list, distribution of identity cards with photos and rigid code of conduct cited as reasons

Pondicherry: Poll analysts, political party leaders, officials and impartial observers have welcomed the highest poll percentage the Union Territory recorded in the recent Assembly polls.

The State polling percentage is 85.09 for the whole Union Territory having 30 constituencies spread over Pondicherry (21 segments), Karaikal (six), Mahe (two) and Yanam (one). The greater enthusiasm the electorate in the Union Territory of Pondicherry have evinced in exercising their franchise in two-phased poll held on May 3 and 8 is also epoch making.

Prolonged effort

The Election Department is specifically pleased to see that all its efforts for months together to `cleanse the electoral rolls' to ensure almost a genuine list of voters has borne fruit and has resulted in record percentage of polling.

Of the total voters of 6,59,058 contained in all the four regions as many as 5,60,804 voters exercised their franchise. According to chart available from the Department of elections on Tuesday the Raj Bhavan constituency in the town limits of Pondicherry, which is the smallest segment with a voters strength of 5,119 recorded the minimum percentage of polling (75.93) in the whole Union Territory.

Yanam region has registered the highest percentage of polling of 96.44.

The massive percentage of voting seen for first time ever now was attributed to several reasons.

Revision of voter list

The General Secretary of Pondicherry Pradesh Congress Committee A. Gandhiraj told The Hindu on Tuesday that the summary revision of voters' list and also distribution of identity cards with photos of the voters and rigid electoral code of conduct had been also among the important factors responsible for larger turnout of voters.

He ,however, felt that there should be single window system of processing applications received from voters seeking inclusion of their names in the rolls of the constituency where they have shifted their residence.

No controversy

The overall relief was that poll went off peacefully and without room for any controversy. Now the stage is shifted to the counting centres. Votes polled in the four regions would be counted in the respective regions` headquarters simultaneously on Thursday (May 11).

Political destiny of the 218 contestants in the fray, which includes 76 Independents, would be decided on that day.

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