Coimbatore: Coimbatore recorded the lowest turnout in entire western Tamil Nadu with all other districts crossing 70 per cent. Voter indifference in urban Coimbatore came to the fore once again on the polling day on Monday as the turn-out dipped by 6.57 per cent in Coimbatore district compared to the last Assembly election. As the polling came to a close at 6 pm on Monday, the overall voter turnout in Coimbatore district stood at a modest 68.61 per cent - a significant plunge from the 75.18 polling per centage in the 2011 Assembly election. And the urban-rural divide in voter enthusiasm was clear.
The Election Commission's relentless campaign for 100 per cent polling had failed to stir the apathetic urban voters in Coimbatore district as the turnout in the urban constituencies in Coimbatore remained below 70 per cent. Remarkably, the rustic voters beat the sophisticated urbanite in performing their democratic duty. The polling in the rural constituencies of Sulur, Pollachi, Valparai and Mettupalayam crossed 70 per cent. While Pollachi polled the highest with 77 per cent, next came Sulur with 75.22 per cent, Mettupala-yam 74.87 per cent and Val-parai registered 72.61 per cent turnout.
The urban Singanallur, Coimbatore South and Coimbatore north constituencies recorded the lowest turn-out in the district. Just 61.91 per cent of the voters turned up in Coimbatore south, which has a large educated population. Coimbatore North was even worse with 61.72 per cent. And Singanallur polled lowest of 61.20 per cent of votes.
While officials attributed it to rains and slushy roads in urban constituencies, the opposition parties alleged that cash distribution was rampant in rural constituencies, which prompted the rural voters to turn up in huge numbers. "The rural voters, who are economically weak, were paid Rs.200 per vote. Their poverty was exploited by the ruling party. This is the reason for the better turn-out in rural areas," says Meena Logu, DMK candidate for north Coimbatore.
Curiously, though women voters outnumber men in Coimbatore, far less
women turn up at the polling booths this election. About 69.4 per cent of male voters voted while 66.9 per cent of women voters showed up.
