Winner Is Coming: The Game Of Numbers

It took 57 years for four states to break voter turnout records set in 1962. Among them is Andhra Pradesh, where five seats—Eluru, Amalapuram, Narsapuram, Rajahmundry and Machilipatnam—registered above 80 per cent turnout. The former four gained more than 20 per cent voters compared to 2014. Four constituencies from Madhya Pradesh saw the next highest increase. Sidhi registered a 12 per cent jump from 2014, and the predominantly tribal constituencies of Shahdol, Mandla and Balaghat also experienced similar surges. Local familial politics and enthused cadres probably explain the massive spike in Mandla. Pathanamthitta, much in the news, has also seen an unusual increase of over eight per cent. Did you think Sabarimala was just a buzzword?

Three constituencies from Uttar Pradesh have registered jarring drops from their 2014 figures. Agra stands out with a 22 per cent decline compared to 2014. Kairana and Firozabad, both with large Muslim populations, haven’t voted with as much gusto—turnout decreased by five and seven per cent respectively. While Mumbai set records, the predominantly urban constituencies of Pune, Kalyan and Thane registered drops of around four per cent. The worst, however, was Anantnag. Calls for boycott and violence led to a meagre 8.76 per cent turnout, the second lowest for an LS seat in the state since the rise of militancy. Shopian and Pulwama recorded a dismal 2.88 and 2.14 per cent turnout.

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