High turnout puzzles parties
An unexpectedly high turn out of over 62 per cent in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls may have put the major stake holders in a state of suspicion and uncertainty notwithstanding their external confidence, the common people and the political analyst see it as ‘decisive’ and feel the results could be ‘surprising’.
While a section of the experts say that high turn out of voters does not always mean a change of guard, whereas others feel that the voters wanted to give a clear-cut message and have signaled that they have risen above caste and religious factors.
“High turn out may not necessarily mean a change of the guard….the voting percentage was lowest at 45.95 in 20 years in the previous Assembly polls in UP yet the BSP secured absolute majority”, said an analyst here.
The analysts also pointed out that in 1991, the BJP had secured a majority even though the polling percentage was 48.51. “In 1993, the polling percentage was 57.13 yet no party could secure absolute majority,” they further pointed out.
Political analyst A K Verma says that the impressive turn out this time could throw up a “surprise result”. “Young voters came out in large numbers and exercised their franchise’’, he said.
“It seems people have risen above the caste and religious considerations and voted on the issue of development and corruption’’, feels prof S K Dwivedi of Lucknow University.
But experts’ opinions are divided regarding which party will benefit from the high turn out. While some say it may mean a gain for either the ruling BSP or the Samajwadi Party (SP), whereas others feel that Congress could be the gainer. Despite the differences in their opinions, the experts, in unison, agree that the trend could continue in the other phases of polling also.
The turn out of over 62 per cent surpassed all earlier records; there was a whopping 16 per cent increase than the previous Assembly elections in the state.
