SHILLONG: Urban apathy seems to have become a major challenge for the State Election as the voters’ turnout in the urban constituencies of Shillong city in the just-concluded Assembly polls was once again not impressive.
The voters turn out in Mawlai constituency in the 2018 Assembly polls stood at 78.52 percent whereas the turnout in the 2013 Assembly polls was 80.50, adding the turn out in Pynthorumkhrah constituency this year was 76.56 in comparison to 81.41 in the last election.
As per the figures provided by the Election department, the turn out in East Shillong was 69.13 this year while the figure in the last Assembly poll was 73.63. Similarly, the turn out in North Shillong this time stood at 60.79 while the turn out in the last election was 71.45
In West Shillong constituency, the voting percentage this time was 73.02 whereas voting in the year 2013 was 78.35 while the turn out in South Shillong this year stood at 64.16, the turn out in the last assembly session was 74.79
Even Nongthymmai constituency saw a decline in voters turn out as the turn out this year was 69.96 while the turn out in last election was 71. 66
Responding to queries, Chief Electoral Officer, FR Kharkogor however said that constituencies in Shillong traditionally and historically have low turnouts and the same constituencies in the previous elections had accounted for low turnouts
“Urban apathy may not be true for all urban constituencies but traditionally these constituencies have not registered high turnouts,” he told reporters.
According to Kharkongor, there were some voting pockets which had low turnouts but voting in those pockets have gone up even as he added that the East Khasi Hills district as a whole has gone up to 79.28 percent which shows the district is doing well.
He said that the road shows and awareness programmes were not organsied for Shillong city alone and the “department concentrated generally while organizing awareness programme in traditional markets.
“We will have a study which will be carried out in these pockets,” he told reporters while denying that there is any threat to the voters in the urban areas.