Solan: Reluctance to vote among urbanites worries officials

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, April 17

Lack of enthusiasm among urban voters has become a challenge for the election officials as their reluctance to vote was reflecting in successive elections.

Not only had the voters in the Solan Assembly segment registered the lowest 66.84 per cent turnout in the district in 2022 Assembly elections but the trend had remained unchanged in 2017 Assembly poll too.

In the 2017 Assembly poll, merely 66.65 per cent voters had cast votes and it had lagged behind other four segments in the district.

EC plan for enhanced voter participation

• The Election Commission of India is adopting a three-pronged strategy of facilitating the urban voters at the polling stations like queue management, shelter parking in congested areas
• Targeted outreach and communication and involvement of critical stakeholders like local icons and youth influencers to persuade people to come to the polling stations
• The urban civic bodies have also been directed to prepare a booth wise action plan for enhanced participation of voters

Solan had registered 18.41 per cent lower voting than Doon Assembly segment, which topped the district with 85.25 per cent in 2022.

It has been observed by the election officials that segments where the quantum of urban voters is more have lower turnover. Solan is one such segment where the city has registered the highest growth rate of 57 per cent in the state as per the 2011 census.

Terming it as a major issue of concern, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Manmohan Sharma said, “We will begin special campaign to reach out to the voters in Solan city. It is appalling to note that the voters were reluctant to cast their votes and shied away from fulfilling their duty.”

“People’s participation in major issues concerning the city is not only scant but they feel a political disconnect. Apart from the political representatives, the other residents have little interest in politics or their representatives,” opined Suresh Kumar, an old timer.

With a large chunk of the urban population in Solan comprising migrants from the nearby districts of Shimla and Sirmaur, they were indifferent to the local representatives.

He added that this mindset also stems from the fact that residents feel a sense of hopelessness vis-à-vis their key problems like lack of employment, price rise, lack of civic amenities, etc.

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