Lacklustre response to local body polls
Half of Coimbatore corporation’s residents kept off the listless mayoral by-polls
By : v. ashok kumar
Update: 2014-09-19 03:52 GMT
Coimbatore: In one of the lowest voter turn-outs and demonstrations of public apathy in Coimbatore, more than half of Coimbatore corporation’s residents kept off the listless mayoral by-polls on Thursday. The high-decibel political battle between the AIADMK and BJP could bring out only 46.53 per cent voters. Only 6,00,580 people out of a total of 12,90,652 voters from 100 wards voted. This is a staggering 13 per cent less than the votes polled in the last mayoral election.
Men fared slightly better with 47.5 per cent (3,10,042) turn out as against 45.55 per cent women (2,90,533) voters. Unenthusiastic voters, desolate booths, rampant charges of bogus voting and cash distribution to lure voters, marked the bypoll, caused by the sudden resignation of the sitting Mayor S.M.Velusamy.