Karnataka Polls: Bangalore Registers Lowest Voter Turnout at 52.83%

The 2013 Karnataka Assembly elections saw Bangalore city registering a 52.83 percent voter turnout on Sunday - a 5 percent increase from the 2008 poll turnout, yet the lowest among all other districts in the state.

The poll figure of Bangalore, although showed a slight increase, remained low when compared to the state average of 70.23 percent. The increase in votes is attributed to various initiatives taken by the Election Commission (EC) to raise public awareness about the elections.

According to reports, nearly half the people in various constituencies have refused to exercise their franchise. Some believe that the scorching heat across the state deterred many from casting their votes, while others viewed the lower turnout as a protest against political apathy.

"Voters are miffed that no elected representatives, including their civic ward corporators visited them or provided amenities such as bitumen roads, water connection and regular power in their localities. As they were betrayed by the political class and officials, they staged demos outside the polling stations holding their voters' identity cards but refused to vote," a presiding officer told India Today..

In the 2008 assembly polls, the turnout was around 45 percent. This year's polls saw a higher number of votes coming from rural regions, unlike the urban areas of the city which registered a weak turnout.  

Even as the polls on Sunday was mostly peaceful, the EC detected 42 cases of "paid news" from 76 suspected cases that came under review. Officials had seized a total of ₹21 crore in cash and liquor worth ₹7.79 crore during the elections.