With just one day left for the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala on Friday, the biggest question is whether the State will buck the national trend of low voter turnout.
The first phase of the elections in the country witnessed a fall of around 4% in voter turnout compared to the 2019 elections. Though a lack of enthusiasm among a section of voters and prevailing heat wave conditions were attributed to the low turnout, the political pundits in Kerala are hopeful of an enhanced voter participation this time.
G. Gopakumar, psephologist and former Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Kerala, told The Hindu that adverse weather conditions would always have a bearing on voter turnout in elections. However, it was unlikely that the the State would witness a low turnout. First, at least seven Parliament constituencies—Thiruvananthapuram, Attingal, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Palakkad and Kasaragod—have been witnessing three-cornered fights. In constituencies where the BJP was hopeful of a 25% vote share, the fight would be intense, necessitating the three fronts to bring as many voters as possible to the polling booths. Among these seven constituencies, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Attingal were poised to witness tough competition among the three fronts. In addition, although the fight was two-cornered, the Vadakara and Kannur constituencies were likely to witness a relatively higher turnout due to the high-voltage campaign in these constituencies, said Mr. Gopakumar.
