What will be the voters' turn out in Thursday's elections to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)? |
That is the million dollar question which is being asked in Mumbai's political circles. |
While BJP-Sena is hoping that history will repeat itself like 2002 and voting percentage will remain in forties. The Congress is hoping voters will turn out in large numbers and express their anger against decade long 'misrule' of Saffron combine. |
Technically around 83 lakh voters can exercise their franchise in elections to India's largest municipal corporation which has a budget of over Rs 12,000 crore, more than the budget of eight states. But unlike Lok Sabha and assembly elections, voters' turn out has remained low in civic elections in Mumbai. |
During the last elections to BMC, despite the polling day was Sunday voting percentage was barely around 42 per cent and this time polling day is Thursday, a working day. |
And majority of the establishments in private sector will be carrying out their business as usual. This will result in low voters' turn out and this situation is favourable to us, claimed a senior BJP leader from Mumbai. |
The thumb rule is that, lower voter turn out favours incumbent party but when there is high voting percentage majority of the times, voter comes out in large number to express their anger against ruling party, he added. |
He further said, "In such situations cadre-based parties, who have committed voters like Sena-BJP, which can use cadres to their advantage. And bring out its committed voter to polling booth". |
Admitting that during 2002 elections to BMC a low voter turn out was major reason behind Congress defeat, Mumbai Congress president and MP Gurudas Kamat said, "Voters of Mumbai should not commit the same mistake which they committed five years ago and suffer the misrule of BJP-Sena for next five years". |
"We are confident about victory and that's why we are making appeal to voters to come out in large numbers", he added. |