Lower turn-out so far sign of apathy

There seems to be no theme to enthuse voters as there were in 2014, 2019

When the Lok Sabha elections are at the halfway stage, there is discussion, and some concern and disquiet, over the low polling percentages in most states so far. Phase 3 on May 7 recorded 64.6% polling, which is 1.7% lower than in 2019 in these constituencies. Phase 1 and 2 had also seen a fall in turn-out of 3-4%. The Election Commission had expressed its disappointment over the decline in turn-out after the first two phases. While the overall turn-out has declined, it has varied from state to state. Three states -- Karnataka, Goa and Chhattisgarh -- have actually registered an increase in turn-out compared to 2019. Much of the decline in the turn-out was caused by the fall in the Hindi heartland states, particularly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Gujarat and Maharashtra have also shown some slackness. 

Political parties and candidates have given different interpretations to the voting figures. The conventional argument that low voting percentages would favour the ruling party has not held true all the time. Ruling parties have both won and lost when the turn-out declined in the past. Even when there is one national election with its own themes, there are separate issues also at work in different states. Every state has a specific electoral situation which influences polling. One factor being cited is that the election this year does not have a compelling idea like the last two elections. There was a sentiment against the UPA government  in 2014 and a national security theme in 2019. It is argued that no such persuasive idea moves the campaign this time, and that may be the reason for the low enthusiasm of the voters. 

The hotter-than-usual weather in most parts of the country so far has been cited as one reason for the low turnout. This may be true, especially because the summer is very harsh this year, and this should be taken into consideration when elections are scheduled in future. Even when such reasons relating to weather and political, electoral or local factors have some value in explaining the low turn-out, it cannot be denied that it is a sign of voter apathy, which is not good for democracy. This is more seen in urban areas, and the Election Commission has called it “rigid levels of apathy.” Voting is both a citizen’s right and a duty, and key to the working of democracy. So, a low or falling voter turn-out is a matter of concern. How it affects the fate of political parties is their concern. The real concern should be over how it affects our democracy.