ULB polls: Low voter turnout in MCC

The apathy of urban voters continued in the elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) held on Friday. The elections were held to four ULBs – Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), T Narasipur, Periyapatna and H D Kote Town Municipal Councils in the district.

Compared to the TMCs, the MCC registered the lowest voter turnout with 50.01%. While Periyapatna TMC registered 79.48%, T Narasipur and H D Kote TMCs recorded 73.24% and 77.40% turnout respectively. The MCC had recorded 59.76% voter turnout in the 2013 elections.

The elections to the MCC began as per schedule in all 65 wards. There was a low voter turnout in the morning at all polling stations. The officials had set up 815 polling booths for 65 wards. As many as 393 candidates were in the fray. MCC had registered 14.49% polling turnout by 11 am. By the time, T Narasipur, Periyapatna and H D Kote TMCs had registered 25.71%, 27% and 11% voter turnout respectively.

According to sources, a large number of youths in the city did not cast their votes. The participation of elderly people and middle-aged people was better. Except for a few incidents, the election in the city was largely peaceful.

The election to Periyapatna TMC was peaceful. The elections were held for 23 wards. Ward 2 recorded the highest turnout with 93.04% and Ward 5 recorded the least with 68.38% turnout. MLA K Mahadev visited all the polling booths. The MLA and his family members cast their vote at Ward 18. Similarly, former MLAs K Venkatesh and H C Basavaraj too visited the wards.

The election to T Narasipur TMC recorded a turnout of 73.24%.

The elections to 23 wards was largely peaceful. Out of a total of 26,355 voters, 19,302 voters cast their vote. While Ward 13, with 83.84% recorded the highest turnout, the lowest was in Ward 8 with 62.31%. As many as 111 candidates contested the elections.

HD Kote TMC, which witnessed the election for the first time after it was upgraded to TMC, registered 77.40% voters turnout and the polls were largely peaceful. The elections were held for 23 wards from 7 am to 5 pm.

A few people, who shifted to nearby places recently too, cast their votes. 105-year-old Lakshmamma cast her vote at ward 13. Former minister and BJP district president M Shivanna cast his vote at Government PU College in the town.

VIPs such as Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, MLAs Tanveer Sait, S A Ramdas, L Nagendra, and historian P V Nanjaraj Urs cast their votes in Mysuru.