Parties are concerned about the dismal UP vote despite the intense campaign

Almost 42% of eligible voters in Uttar Pradesh did not cast a ballot in the state’s fourth round of voting, marking yet another poor turnout. Uttar Pradesh, the state with the most Lok Sabha constituencies (eighty), has finished polling for thirty-six of the eighty seats.

The nation’s most populous state has seen a tight struggle between the NDA and the INDIA alliance, but voting turnout has not above 60%, which worries both sides. According to polling data made public by the Election Commission (EC), voter excitement in Uttar Pradesh has steadily decreased since the first phase, when turnout reached its greatest point at 61.11%. The statistics painted a bleak picture of low voter involvement. The second phase’s turnout dropped to 55.19%, while the third phase’s turnout dropped to 57.55%. Monday’s fourth phase, which saw voting for 13 LS seats, had a turnout of 58.22%, which was less than 10% of the 68.17% national average.

The average voter participation was flat in numerous UP seats where competition was fierce, perplexing contestants, pollsters, and even EC authorities.

Experts have offered a number of explanations, such as the current hot weather and the congestion at voting booths brought on by voting equipment malfunctions. Reports from the ground, however, suggest that the high number of citizens moving to other states in pursuit of work prospects is also a factor in the low participation.

The 2011 Census found that there were an astounding 4.14 crore interstate migrant workers in India. This statistic was heavily influenced by the state of Uttar Pradesh, when 31.56 lakh people left the state in pursuit of work.

According to a 2020–21 poll, the state was one of the top states in the nation for migrant outflow, with 12.32 million out-of-state migrants and an astounding 52 million domestic migrants. According to the e-shram site, Uttar Pradesh has the most number of registered laborers in the nation, at over 8.34 crore.

worker rights campaigner Vijay Walia, headquartered in Patiala, stated, “Not only did many migrate to other states, but the electoral participation of the entire labour class also remains a complex issue as most of them are reluctant to prioritise voting over their daily wages.”