Hyderabad district’s eternal curse is voter apathy

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has started an inventive effort to encourage individuals to take part in the “Festival of Democracy” by raising voter awareness of the impending Lok Sabha elections of 2024.

But voters in Hyderabad district, which includes three Lok Sabha seats (Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and Malkajgiri, partially), and fifteen Assembly constituencies, are becoming less enthusiastic about casting ballots. The low polling percentage in elections since 2009 is one way to determine this. The Hyderabad district’s voting percentage has been steadily declining. With the exception of the 2018 Assembly elections, Hyderabad has seldom exceeded 54% of voters since 2009.

Despite implementing Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP), a program of multi-interventions through various modes and media intended to educate citizens, electors, and voters about the electoral process in order to increase their awareness and participation in the electoral processes, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has not received encouraging feedback from the electorate, with nearly 50% not casting a ballot.

Massive obstacle for election officials

The Lok Sabha elections in the Hyderabad area on May 13 will provide significant challenges for the election officials because of the hot, muggy weather that makes people afraid to leave their houses.

Hyderabad district included fifteen Assembly constituencies in the 2009 General Elections, with an aggregate percentage of 53.81%. The Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency included Bahadurpura, Chandrayangutta, Charminar, Goshamahal, Karwan, Malakpet, and Yakutpura.

The Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency includes Amberpet, Jubilee Hills, Khairatabad, Musheerabad, Nampally, Sanathnagar, and Secunderabad; the Secunderabad Cantonment is located in the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency.

2009 saw an average of 53.81% for the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat (54.92%), Hyderabad (52.49%), and Secunderabad Cantonment (54.32%).

Hyderabad district’s total voting percentage in the 2014 General Elections was 52.99% (Secunderabad LS 53.17%, Hyderabad LS 53.13%, and Secunderabad Cantonment 50.54%).

Hyderabad district recorded an overall 50.29% of votes cast in the 2018 Telangana Assembly elections. (Hyderabad LS 49.29%, Secunderabad Cantonment 49.11%), Secunderabad LS 51.29%.

Hyderabad district received 45.65% of the total votes cast in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections (Secunderabad LS 46.26%, Hyderabad LS 44.75%, and Secunderabad Cantonment 47.85%). Hyderabad district received 47.88% of the total votes cast in the 2023 Assembly elections (Secunderabad LS 50.54%, Hyderabad LS 45.43%, and Secunderabad Cantonment 49.36%).