Urban apathy concerns: Poll machinery steps up drive to boost voter turnout in Maha

Mumbai, Oct 17 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) and the officer of the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) have expressed concerns over urban apathy in the wake of low voting percentages in 60 assembly constituencies comprising 36 in Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban districts, 18 in Thane and 6 in the tribal-dominated Palghar district.

They have also cited that educating voters about the changed location of polling stations especially in societies and high-rise buildings is a major challenge. As per the ECI’s directives, the office of the state CEO and state election machinery has stepped up efforts to increase the voting percentage.

This apart, the ECI and the office of the state CEO are also worried over the lowest gender ratio of 859 in the Mumbai district and the second lowest Gender Ratio of 871 in the Mumbai Suburban district.

The Mumbai District consists of 10 assembly constituencies with coastal boundaries from three sides while there are 26 Assembly constituencies in the Mumbai Suburban District.

These 60 constituencies, which are the part of buzzing Mumbai Metropolitan Region, are quite crucial for both MahaYuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi at a time when the MMR's economy can grow to $300 billion by 2030 from the present level of $140 billion. These districts comprise India's richest civic body, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation which is currently under the administrator's rule.

According to the internal presentation by the state CEO’s office: “There is a major Urban Apathy in Mumbai District and poll percentage of Assembly constituencies is very low compared to state and national poll percentage. During the 2019 Assembly election, it was 48.15 per cent against the state average of 61.24 per cent and national average of 66.1 per cent in the Lok Sabha elections.”

Accordingly in the case of the Mumbai Suburban District during the 2019 Assembly election, the voting percentage was 51.25 per cent against the state average of 61.24 per cent and national average of 66.1 per cent in the general elections.

In the case of the adjoining Thane district with 18 assembly constituencies, which is Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s home district, the situation is not different from Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban Districts as due to the ‘urban apathy’ there is a very low percentage of voting compared to state poll percentage.

During the 2019 Assembly election, it recorded 48.02 per cent voting against the state average of 61.24 per cent and the national average of 66.1 per cent in the general elections.

Moreover, Thane district has the third lowest Gender Ratio of 874 in the state.

In the tribal-dominated Palghar district, the voting percentage during the 2019 Assembly elections was 48.02 per cent against the state average of 61.24 per cent and the national average of 66.1 per cent in general elections. It has the second lowest electoral population ratio of 68.92 per cent in the state.

The officer of the state CEO has further stated that the working population from the Mumbai Suburban District in particular tends to go on holidays during summer and Diwali vacation and on long weekends.

In addition, the voting percentage may be low due to a large number of absentee, shifted and dead (ASD) voters due to the shifting of population and slum rehabilitation schemes in Mumbai. Further, the shortage of polling staff will be another constraint in conducting the polling exercise in these districts.

The state CEO said that efforts are made to increase voter turnout in these districts through multiple ways including launching awareness campaigns through media, social media and oral publicity.

“Door-to-door campaign is being carried out through distribution of voter awareness pamphlets, voter guide manuals, interactive activities by secretaries and presidents of cooperative housing societies and local administration,’’ he added.

He said that physically disabled voters can find information relating to the nearest polling station and the availability of wheelchairs and other amenities through the Saksham App.

In addition, the celebrity and election icons are being engaged with the help of the Mumbai Police and Municipal Corporation. Chockalingam said that 1,181 polling stations will be set up in high-rise buildings and cooperative societies and another 210 in slum areas of Greater Mumbai.