Jammu facing huge gap in urban-rural voter turnout

Faced with a huge gap in urban-rural voter turnout, Jammu and Kashmir government is all set to launch a massive multi-front campaign by setting up camps in malls, cinema halls and appointing ambassadors in education institutions to convince the voters to poll.
As many as 10,37,191 eligible voters are registered for exercising their right of franchise in 11 Assembly Constituencies in Jammu district at 1,225 polling station in Jammu district on December 20.
"There is a huge gap in urban-rural voter turnout in previous elections, particularity during recently held Parliamentary elections," District Electoral Officer (DEO), Jammu, Ajeet Kumar Sahu told PTI here.

The state authorities is keen to bridge the gap this time by launching a massive multi-front campaign to reach out to the urban and rural voters, particularly women in Jammu.
In this regard we are setting up facilitation centers in malls, video clips will be shown in cinema halls, signature campaigns will be done in most of the public places, DEO said.
The process of appointing poll ambassadors for campaigns in educational institutions, particularly colleges, have been started, he said.

The Basic facilitation Centers, model polling stations are also being set up, toilets are being made, he said.
As per statistics, total turnout during the polls in Jammu district was 72.78 per cent in 2008 Assembly elections, followed by 50.05 in 2009 Parliamentary elections and 71.45 per cent in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Out of this, there was 62.29 per cent as least urban turnout and 74.92 per cent least rural turnout in 2014 LS polls followed by 63.76 percent as highest urban turnout and 79.62 percent as highest rural turnout.
Out of this, 62.29 per cent was the least urban turnout and 74.92 per cent was the least rural turnout in 2014 LS polls. The highest urban turnout recorded was 63.76 while highest rural turnout was 79.62 per cent.
Similar situation was seen in 2009 LS polls and 2008 Assembly polls.
Not only this, there is also a gap between rural-urban voters in male and female categories.

In urban Jammu, 64.10 per cent men and 61.09 per cent female turnout was reported followed by 76.41 and 77.03 per cent in rural Jammu in 2014 Lok sabha elections.
There has been no difference to this state in rural and urban voter turnout in 2008 Assembly elections and 2009 Lok sabha polls.