Hyderabad: Party cadre, voters both unconcerned

Hyderabad: Poll percentage in Hyderabad Parliament constituency dropped drastically and reached its lowest levels ever recorded. It was only 39.5 per cent.

From the beginning, turnout was very sluggish in the Old City and this continued till the end. In Hyderabad poll percentage was 69.15 per cent in 1999, 55.73 per cent in 2004, 52.47 per cent in 2009 and 53.29 per cent in 2014.

Hyderabad Parliament constituency, a bastion of the MIM since 1984 was once famous for the highest poll percentage but has declined in recent years.

People who joined the rallies of three-time winner AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, did not come to the polling booths to vote.

Unlike in the Assembly elections, this time party workers of the major political parties in Hyderabad did not show enthusiasm except in Goshamahal where BJP workers were active in mobilising voters.

The low turnout is an intriguing factor for poll analysts.

This time it was observed that educated dwellers in Old City utilised their right to vote, while poor and uneducated voters could not walk to the polling booths. Many voters did not know about the exact location of their polling booths.

When asked about the reasons for not voting, many complained that they did not receive voters’ slips this time. One of the major factors for low turnout is heat.

The continuous victory of the AIMIM president with a thumping majority and apparently weak candidates fielded by opposition parties, provided room for MIM workers to become inert this time. MIM leaders complained that MLAs of the party did not show interest and failed to activate local workers.  

Of the seven Assembly constituencies in Hyderabad, the highest poll percentage was recorded in Goshamahal where 49.54 per cent voters turned out, while the lowest turnout in term of percentage was recorded in Yakutpura Assembly constituency which witnessed only 31.1 per cent polling. In Hyderabad out of 19,57,772 voters only 7,73,036 voters voted.

Meanwhile, The MIM complained that the defeated Congress MLA from Chandrayangutta Esa Misri and his son attacked its former corporator Samad bin Abdad at Rising Sun School in Bandlaguda.