Lok Sabha polls: EC readies plan to increase voter turnout in 10 UP seats

The Election Commission has devised a plan to encourage voters in Uttar Pradesh, which recorded a tepid turnout of 59.11 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, to exercise their franchise in the upcoming general elections.

As part of its 'Turnout Implementation Plan' (TIP), the poll body has shortlisted 10 of the state's 80 Lok Sabha constituencies where the voter turnout was lower than the state's polling percentage.

These parliamentary constituencies are Phulpur (48.57 per cent), Kanpur (51.39 per cent), Allahabad (51.75 per cent), Shravasti (52.05 per cent), Gonda (52.11 per cent), Domariyaganj (52.26 per cent), Pratapgarh (53.36 per cent), Bhadohi (53.45 per cent), Amethi (54.05 per cent) and Sant Kabir Nagar (54.15 per cent).

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 elections was quite low at 59.11 per cent, even though the state has the highest number of voters.

"So, efforts are being made with utmost attention and in a concentrated manner... (to ensure) that more and more people are enrolled (as voters) ...and then subsequently, they cast their votes. We call this 'roll to poll'," he said.

"This time, a Turnout Implementation Plan has been made and constituencies and booths where polling has been low have been shortlisted.

"Now, why the voting has been less there, the (district) collectors will personally go there and see. They will try to convince, appeal and request them (voters) to participate in democracy (elections)," he said.

An overall voter turnout of 67 per cent was recorded in the country in the last Lok Sabha elections, according to the EC.

As part of TIP, Kumar flagged off three voter awareness express vans on Saturday that will go to 22 districts which saw a low voter turnout in the 2019 polls, the EC said in a statement.

It said these voter awareness express vans will go to Kanpur, Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharthnagar, Pratapgarh, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Ambedkar Nagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ghazipur, Ballia, Bahraich, Lucknow, Kaushambi, Azamgarh, Deoria, Jaunpur, Varanasi and Gorakhpur.

According to EC data, there are approximately 15.29 crore voters in Uttar Pradesh (as on January 23). This includes 8.14 crore male voters, 7.15 crore female voters and 7,705 transgender voters.

The number of first-time voters (18-19 age group) is nearly 20.41 lakh.

There are 1,62,012 polling stations in Uttar Pradesh and 38,959 of these are in urban areas. There are 1,23,053 polling stations in rural areas, according to the EC data.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) won 64 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress bagged one, the Bahujan Samaj Party 10 and the Samajwadi Party five.