Ballot Blues: Why Bengaluru saw the lowest voter turnout in Karnataka?

In the 2019 LS elections, Bengaluru North,  Central, and South had recorded turnouts of 54.7, 54.3, and 53.7 percent, respectively, compared to the state average of 68.8 percent.

Voter turnout during the 2014 general elections was higher: Bangalore North, Central, and South constituencies had turnouts of 56.5, 55.6, and 55.7 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, the adjoining areas of Bengaluru Rural saw a record 68.3 percent turnout (66.4 percent in 2014 and 64.9 percent in 2019) and Chikkaballapur saw  77 percent voting (76.2 percent in 2014 and 76.7 percent in 2019).

Also, read: Bengaluru eatery provides free dosa, juice to 6,800 voters

To motivate  the 1 crore-plus voters in the tech capital, some restaurants and pubs offered dosa, beer, and app-based mobility aggregator Rapido offered  free taxi rides . In fact, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena had hoped for 72 percent turnout in Karnataka and at least 60 percent in Bengaluru.

Despite Bengalureans' reputation for being active and vocal online, particularly in raising civic issues, their voting numbers seem to present a different picture. While it is often seen as voter apathy, Moneycontrol looks at the multiple reasons behind this.

Also, read: MC Interview: QR codes in voter slips, online queue tracking, parking space to boost Bengaluru's voter turnout: Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer

Bloated voter rolls and migration

Experts say that one of the reasons for the low turnout is discrepancies in the electoral rolls, particularly in cosmopolitan cities like Bengaluru, which sees high levels of internal migration. There are also many cases of Bengaluru residents migrating to other countries for jobs and studies.

Many residents move within the city or to other parts of the country without updating their voter registration. Also, people alleged that one voter's name may appear in multiple polling booths in the city. Migration within the city is primarily driven by the desire to live close to one's office or school, lower rents near the metro's terminal stations (stations where trains originate / terminate) in the city's outskirts, or relocation to the city's outer reaches after purchasing an apartment.

Further, the presence of a sizeable floating population, many of whom prefer to vote in their hometown despite being included in the electoral rolls of Bengaluru, is one of the reasons for the  low turnout.

Also, read:  Will tech capital Bengaluru buck low voter turnout trend this election?

The failure to remove the names of deceased voters from the electoral rolls is another reason for the low turnout figures. On the other hand, there are complaints about names missing from the rolls. Some voters were unable to cast their votes on April 26 due to their names being deleted from the list. Though EC officials maintain that they have been cleaning up the electoral rolls, there's still a long way to go.

Polling day on Friday and heat wave

Post-Covid, a large number of office-goers in Bengaluru, particularly those in the tech sector, work from office from Tuesday to Thursday, and often leave Bengaluru on Fridays for their hometowns or weekend getaways.

In fact, many migrants who have the option of remote work have temporarily shifted to their home town due to water shortage in the city and school summer vacations.  While the EC had declared a paid holiday for all employees on polling day, some chose to combine it with their weekly offs and go off on a quick vacation.

But Meena said he doesn't believe that whether the polls are held on a Friday or Wednesday makes a difference. "In fact, during the last assembly election, voting took place on a Wednesday in Bengaluru, but there was no increase in the polling percentage. If someone wants to vote, they will," he said.

Further, the soaring heat in the city discouraged many from going out to polling stations to cast their votes. On April 26, the voting day, Bengaluru city recorded a maximum temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius, 3.3 degrees higher than normal.

Voter fatigue

Many voters are disillusioned with the selection of candidates by the political parties, as they often see the same  MPs or under-performers being fielded repeatedly.

Unlike previous LS elections, such as those in 2014 (anti-UPA sentiment) and 2019 (pro-Modi sentiment), there is no major 'political wave' in the current election, while there is a noticeable increase in voter fatigue. The major concerns of this election, according to voters,  are inflation, unemployment, decline in earnings after demonetisation, hasty GST implementation, and the impact of Covid.

Further, the attitude that  'one vote won't make a difference' among a section of the younger population, including first-time voters, is also contributing to urban apathy, in addition to voter fatigue stemming from issues such as corruption,  distribution of freebies, and a perceived lack of change in the political system.

Voters complain that only a few elected representatives push for policy interventions, union government approvals on sundry matters, or expedite crucial infrastructure projects like the Bengaluru metro and suburban rail.

MPs, on the other hand, argue that the allocated Rs 5 crore a year per constituency under the MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) scheme is inadequate in large, expensive cities like  Bengaluru, where voters have high expectations.

The absence of a personal connection between voters and local MPs, especially in urban areas, also contributes to a lack of motivation to participate in the electoral process.

The poor infrastructure in Bengaluru, increasing traffic congestion, drinking water crisis in summer, and flooding during the monsoon have not been effectively addressed by either the Congress or the BJP. This has led to frustration among taxpayers in the tech and startup hub.

Also, read: Battle for Bengaluru: BJP looks to keep up winning streak; Cong banks on guarantees for breakthrough

Elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru's civic body, have not been held since September 2020. Corporators are the ones who engage with citizens to address neighbourhood issues like broken roads, poorly-lit streets, poor drainage, and drinking water issues. With no ward-level elected representatives, citizens are often left in the lurch.

266 constituencies with low voter turnout 

On April 5, the EC held a meeting to address voter apathy and low turnout in 266 urban and rural parliamentary constituencies across the country, including those in Bengaluru.

According to the EC, during the recent assembly elections of 2023, Bommanahalli constituency in Bengaluru South recorded the lowest voter turnout of 47.5 percent, compared to the state's average polling percentage of 73.8 percent.

Polls for 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka are being held in two phases, with north Karnataka scheduled to vote on May 7.