At 61%, lowest voter turnout since 2009 in Punjab

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, June 1

Punjab has recorded the lowest voter turnout out in the Lok Sabha poll this time since the 2009 LS elections.

According to the figures from the Election Commission of India, the voter turnout recorded in the state as on midnight was 61.32 per cent. Though the polling percentage is expected to improve, it is expected to be lower than 65.94 per cent voter turnout recorded in 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Sibin C, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, told The Tribune that the voter turnout would remain less than last LS poll, though the data was still being compiled.

The low voter turnout, though a result of the ongoing heatwave, could mean a status quo in the present political hierarchy in the state.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had scored eight wins, Akali Dal was restricted to two, BJP two and AAP one. Even the exit polls have predicted an upswing for the Congress, BJP and AAP, while two exit polls have predicted that the SAD would be pushed to the brink.

Political analyst Dr Parmod Kumar said some of the seats have witnessed a keen contest like in Bathinda, Sangrur and Khadoor Sahib, but since vote percentage has not gone up since 2019, it means that people do not want to change their representatives. “Though there may be some anti-incumbency, it has not dominated the political narrative to a level where it could add momentum to the voting patterns,” he said.