Amid the high-profile election campaign over the past month or more, the bigger story emerging after four phases of voting in Uttar Pradesh is that of the absent voter. Will the “silent no-show” by voters — that is, by not turning up to vote — actually change the outcome?
In the first two phases (Feb. 10 and 14), covering mostly western Uttar Pradesh, voter turnout declined from 64.6% and 65.5% respectively in 2017 to 62.5% and 64.7% this time. In the third and fourth phases, which covered the Etawah-Mainpuri potato-growing belt, the central districts, including the State capital of Lucknow and a major part of the Bundelkhand region, the turnout remained largely unchanged from last time — 62.3% and 62.6% respectively.
