Kerala local body polls: Migration, disillusionment drag voter turnout to 20-year low
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Keralas local body election delivered a sobering statistic. The state logged its lowest voter turnout in two decades, slipping to 73.69%, down 2.26 percentage points from the previous poll in 2020 -- which was held nine months after the Covid outbreak was declared a global pandemic. In line with long-standing trends, the seven northern districts once again outperformed the south, drawing over five percentage points more voters to polling booths from Thrissur to Kasaragod. An indication of the poor voter participation across the state was evident when the first phase of polling was completed in districts from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam. Only a little over 70% of voters chose to exercise their franchise in the southern districts, compared with over 75% in the north. The first phase saw Ernakualam and Alappuzha clocking the best turnout figures of 74.57% and 73.82% respectively. Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram were at the tail end of the pack with turnouts of 66.78% and 67.47% respectively. In the second phase, Wayanad and Malappuram were the top performers in terms of voter participation at 78.29% and 77.37% respectively. Voter apathy in the north was evident in Thrissur and Kasaragod that registered turnouts of 72.48% and 74.89% respectively. Across the state, the credibility of mainstream political parties and their leadership are under scrutiny, observed Prof G Gopakumar, political scientist and psephologist. A sizeable section of Keralas electorate is disillusioned. Even when voters wish to register an anti-incumbency sentiment, they are unsure about handing the reins to an inactive opposition or to the so-called third alternative, he noted. In the previous assembly election, nearly one lakh voters opted for none of the above (NOTA) option on EVMs. With no NOTA provision in local body polls, many disillusioned voters simply prefer to stay home, Gopakumar said. He added that political parties must undertake serious introspection on rising voter apathy, despite having mounted high-octane campaigns. S Irudaya Rajan, chair of the International Institute of Migration and Development, stressed that the effect of Keralas population shift on voter turnout should not be overlooked. In fact, migration is the major contributor for the decline in voter turnout. This includes inter-district, inter-state and international migration, he elaborated. Interestingly, a sizeable share of the missing voters are those who are registered in one district but reside in another for work. Many of them are unlikely to travel back just to vote in a civic poll, he explained. Also to be noted is a large chunk of young voters who have migrated overseas for higher studies. In districts such as Pathanamthitta and Kottayam, the overseas migration of entire families, coupled with a steady population decline, has pushed turnout figures sharply lower, he added. Irudaya also linked the higher turnout in northern districts to migration patterns. In north Kerala, migration is mostly to Gulf countries and usually limited to the familys breadwinner. In the south and central regions, migration to Europe and the United States often leads to whole families relocating. That disparity is reflected in voter participation region-wise, he said. Meanwhile, State Election Commissioner A Shajahan noted that this years local body polls saw the highest-ever number of voters at booths. Nearly 74,000 more votes were cast this time compared to the previous election, he said. However, it is notable that the 2020 election had 2.76 crore voters on the electoral roll compared with 2.86 crore this time.
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