The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Record polling in State’s history

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Monday, Apr 27, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Record polling in State’s history

M. Malleswara Rao

Overall voter turnout put at 72.45 per cent in the just concluded polls

Upswing attributed to awareness created among the people about their voting right
Nearly 30 lakh eligible citizens were enrolled as voters under a special drive

HYDERABAD: The overall voter turnout in the just-concluded elections, at 72.45 per cent, is the highest in the 58-year electoral history of Andhra Pradesh.

Over 4.10 crore out of 5.78 crore voters exercised their franchise during the two phases of polling in 42 Parliamentary and 294 Assembly constituencies.

Figures at a glance

The figure is likely to go up to 73 to 75 per cent as voting under the re-poll at 63 polling stations on Sunday crossed 80 per cent on an average.

The State’s next best percentage of 70.43 was recorded during 1989 Lok Sabha elections when Congress suffered a crushing defeat and a new government was formed at the Centre with V. P. Singh as Prime Minister.

Voting pattern

The provisional 72.45 per cent itself is 27.75 per cent higher than that of 1951 (44.7 per cent) when the first elections were held in the country and 2.50 per cent more compared to the 2004 (69.95 per cent) elections.

A study of the voting pattern in Parliamentary constituencies of the State shows that the polling percentage fell by two per cent during the 1957 elections (42.99 per cent), suddenly rose by 22 per cent in 1962 (64.72 per cent) and again went up by two per cent in 1967 (66.97 per cent).

Sudden fall

But, it tumbled by 8 per cent in 1971 (59 per cent).

Each quantum of increase and decrease in the turnout led to a political upheaval at national level as Andhra Pradesh accounts for a sizeable number of 42 Lok Sabha seats, and also within the State because the Assembly elections, by and large, were held simultaneously.

Upward swing

The turnout took a sudden upward swing by 12 per cent in 1984, and reached 69 per cent from 57 per cent of the 1980 elections, with 2.31 crore out of 3.35 crore voters using their voting right.

After touching a peak of 70.43 per cent in 1989, the polling percentage plummeted to 61.42 registering a 9 per cent fall, but gradually picked up since then, reaching 69.95 in 2004 and 73 to 75 now.

Improved literacy

The upswing has been attributed to the awareness created among the people about their voting right and contemporary politics which have a bearing on their lives.

Improved literacy and the special drive undertaken by the present Chief Electoral Officer I. V. Subba Rao under which nearly 30 lakh eligible citizens were enrolled as voters, also added to the percentage by pushing up the strength of the electorate to a high of 5.78 crore, a little over 70 per cent of the State’s estimated population of 8 crore.

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