Gurgaon seat sees dip in turnout from 2019; rural pockets lead in count

Among the nine assembly seats that make up the constituency, Bawal (SC) and Firozpur Jhirka recorded the highest provisional polling at 63% each

Gurugram: Polling in the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana was peaceful, and 54.18% of voters turned up to exercise their franchise on Saturday, according to provisional numbers shared by the Election Commission of India’s Turnout app at 10pm.

Rural areas in the constituency fared better when it came to turnouts (HT Photo/Sourced)

Barring minor glitches at some booths, such as EVMs not working or missing names on electoral rolls, the polling process across the constituency was smooth, said the Gurugram district administration.

Rural areas in the constituency fared better when it came to turnouts. Among the nine assembly seats that make up the constituency, Bawal (SC) and Firozpur Jhirka recorded the highest provisional polling at 63% each, followed by Nuh at 62.7%, Punhana (60%), Pataudi (56.3%), Rewari (51.26)%, Gurugram (51%) and Sohna (50%).

The worst performing assembly seat was Badshahpur at 45.5%, according to the provisional numbers shared by EC.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Gurgaon seat registered 67.3% polling. Maximum polling was logged in Bawal constituency at 74.25% and minimum in Gurugram at 61.16%.

Ripudaman Singh, a resident of Raheja Atharva in Sector 109, said that with only one EVM was available for more than 1,500 voters at Jahajgarh. “We had to wait for more than two hours to vote in the sweltering heat,” he said.

In order to facilitate the voting process, political parties, resident welfare associations (RWAs) as well as the administration made several arrangements. Extra-large coolers, which are mainly used in commercial activities, and pedestal fans were hired by people who could afford them or by political agents for voters queuing up to cast their votes.

However, despite making several arrangements for voters to exercise their franchise smoothly, many voters at Sector 69, Suncity Township, Sector 14, Sector 50, Sector 56 and Sector 48 complained that they returned without casting their votes as the EVMs failed to function. “I returned home after waiting for two hours at a booth in Sector 14... No one was aware of when the defunct EVMs will be replaced,” said Amrit Singh, a resident of Sector 14.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that he personally visited the booths, and problems that were being faced by people were immediately resolved. “A slowdown in voting occurred at some places due to glitches in VVPAT machines as these broke down due to high temperature in the day. We immediately replaced them and ensured smooth voting, and also extra personnel were also deployed at some places,” he said.

Political parties and their representatives, who have participated in the elections earlier, however, said that a polling percentage of around 55% was good as people came out to vote in large numbers despite the oppressive heat.

Gurugram district BJP president Kamal Yadav said that despite high temperature, a large number of voters came from across the constituency. “A large number of urban voters came out to vote unlike in the past,” he said.

The Congress, meanwhile, said that the significantly lower polling in Gurugram and Badshahpur and high polling in rural areas will ensure that the party races ahead in the elections. Party leader Sukhbir Kataria said, “Low voting in Gurugram has made us the frontrunner for this seat.”