Hisar: Low voter turnout baffles BJP, Congress

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, May 27

Booth number 54 where BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, his MLA son Bhavya and other family members voted on May 25 has recorded 62 per cent polling. There are 1,146 voters at this booth, of which 712 votes were polled. Adampur Assembly segment’s poll percentage was 68.23 per cent.

Haryana Health Minister Kamal Gupta cast his vote at booth number 86, where the overall polling was around 70 per cent. Out of 1,107 votes, 771 were polled at this booth of Hisar Assembly segment, which witnessed 61.17 per cent polling.

Booth number 80 in Nalwa Assembly segment where Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa exercised his franchise has registered 68 per cent polling. Nalwa segment has registered 65.59 per cent polling. In Narnaund Assembly segment’s booth number 177, out of 955 registered voters, 522 cast their votes. The poll percentage is 55 per cent, even though the average poll percentage was 65.03 in Narnaund.

These are some of the booths where prominent political persons of Hisar Lok Sabha constituencies have cast their votes. Though the election office refused to divulge the official data of the booth-wise voting, the poll agents of the political parties came out with the figures about polling at the booth of the BJP leaders.

ML Goyal, a retired professor of political science from Government College, Hisar, said the booth-wise polling percentage often indicates the booth management by the local unit of the parties. “Booth management is usually done by the local leaders.”

The candidates and party workers are keeping their fingers crossed as the turnout of voters has baffled both the BJP and the Congress party leaders. The final data of the polling released by the district administration is 65.27 per cent in all nine Assembly constituencies of Hisar Lok Sabha seat. Out of 17,90,722, as many as 11,68,784 electors have exercised their franchise.

There was a direct contest between BJP’s Ranjit Singh and Congress candidate Jai Prakash. JJP’s Naina Chatuala and INLD’s Sunaina Chautala remained fringe players. They could cost them dearly as a thin margin of victory is expected.