Low Turnout In Neighbouring Mathura Gives Jitters To BJP As Polling Date For Agra Approaches
Agra, April 29 (TNA) Bhartiya Janata Party poll managers are clearly worried as Agra and some other key constituencies go to polls in the third phase on May 7. The low voter turnout in neighbouring Mathura on April 26 from where cine star turned politician Hema Malini is on a hat trick trail, is giving jitters to Bhartiya Janata Party poll managers in Agra which goes to poll on May 7.
Poll observers are busy analysing which way the political wind could blow if the voting percentage did not show an upward trend in the third phase. They discount the role of hot weather that might have affected the turnout in Mathura.
In 2019 Mathura went to the polls on April 18 and the percentage was 61, while in 2014, the percentage was 64.10 on the April 24 poll. Even in 2009 when Mathura went to the polls on May 27, at the peak of summer the percentage was 54.15. "Then, why has the percentage gone down to under 50 now," they ask.
Interacting with several young voters, one could sense frustration and disenchantment with the sitting MP Hema Malini who they said had done precious little for the constituency. This led to voters staying away from polling. In more than a dozen villages of Maant and Goverdhan assembly segments, groups of voters boycotted the poll for a variety of reasons.
The BJP has fielded SP Singh Baghael and Raj Kumar Chahar for the second time. Locals had wanted to see a change in faces but the party strategists decided in favour of winnability. How this will play out on the voting day, one has to wait and watch.
Angry voters who abstained said candidates had not bothered to reach out to them. The campaigning was low key and one could sense deep complacency resulting from overconfidence. The percentage of women voters was very low, just 21.44 percent.
The infection of apathy and indifference is causing worry in BJP circles. Many privately confide that the prime minister's rally on April 25 was not well attended. Compared to earlier rallies, the number of people who thronged the Kothi Meena Bazar ground to listen to the prime minister's speech was smaller.
BJP poll managers have now held a series of meetings and drawn up plans to draw every single voter to the polling booth. "We can't take chances. The issue is not just victory but winning with a record margin," a grassroots worker Jugal Kishor said.
The BJP has fielded SP Singh Baghael and Raj Kumar Chahar for the second time. Locals had wanted to see a change in faces but the party strategists decided in favour of winnability. How this will play out on the voting day, one has to wait and watch.
The BJP's confidence stems from the fact that the opposition candidates from the Congress-SP and the BSP are novices with hardly any following. Agra has big chunks of Dalit and Muslim voters who in all probability will vote en bloc. If the BJP vote banks fail to turn up in good numbers, it could be anybody's game, fear the poll managers.