Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): There are discussions across the state over the reasons for low turnout of voters in 12 constituencies that went to polls in the first two phases of the ongoing general election.
It is true that the percentage of voting was less than that of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Yet, in a few seats, the voter turnout increased more than it happened in the 2014 election.
Out of 12 seats, the percentage of polling in nine seats was higher than it was in 2014. In the ongoing election, the polling percentage was higher in Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat, Hosangabad and Chhindwara constituencies than it was in 2014.
On the other hand, Sidhi and Satna recorded almost the same polling percentage as these seats did in 2014. Rewa is the only constituency where polling percentage was really low.
The Tikamgarh constituency registered 50.15% of voting in 2014, and, in 2024, it was 60%. In Damoh, the voter turnout was 55.30% in 2014, but it went up to 56.48%.
Likewise, the voting percentage in Khajuraho shot up from 51.36% in 2014 to 56.96% in 2024. In Shahdol, it increased from 62.20% to 64.68%. Similarly, from 58.53%, the polling percentage went up to 61% in Jabalpur.
Mandla saw a rise in the voter turnout from 66.71% to 72.84%. The polling percentage in Balaghat shot up from 68.21% to 73.45%. In Chhindwara, it increased from 79.05% to 79.83%, and, in Hoshangabad, the voter turnout went up from 65.76% to 67.21%.
In Sidhi, the voter turnout was 56.8% in 2014, but it was 56.5% in 2024. Similarly, Satna registered 62.6% of voter turnout in 2014, whereas it recorded 61.9% of polling in this election.
The Rewa constituency, however, registered less voter turnout than it did in 2014, when it was 53.84%, but it has declined to 49.42% in the ongoing election. Despite low turnout of voters, the Congress was brought down a peg in the 2014 election. Out of 29 seats, the party
