Karnal municipal elections see low voter turnout at 48.8 per cent

The State Election Commission has released the final voter turnout data for the civic body elections held on Sunday, revealing a concerning trend of low voter participation, which has caused anxiety among candidates.

The Karnal Municipal Corporation (MC) elections recorded a turnout of just 48.8 per cent, with 1,47,211 voters casting their ballots out of 3,01,918 eligible voters.

The Assandh by-election for the chairperson’s post saw an even lower turnout of 33.2%, with only 7,399 voters participating out of 22,314.

In contrast, the Nilokheri MC elections reported a better turnout of 67.4%, with 10,224 voters out of 15,180 casting their votes.

In Taraori MC, where voting took place for one councillor, the turnout was 76.4%, with 869 out of 1,138 eligible voters participating.

In comparison, neighboring Kaithal district saw a higher level of voter enthusiasm. The Kalayat MC recorded a turnout of 78.8%, with 11,480 voters out of 14,577 casting their ballots, while the Pundri MC witnessed a turnout of 74.1%, with 11,595 out of 15,639 voters exercising their voting rights.

Siwan MC had the highest turnout in the region, with 79.8%, as 11,881 out of 14,886 voters came to the polling booths.