BMC Elections 2017: Slums lord over posh localities in voting turnout

If queues outside polling booths are any indication of the voting turnout, slum-dwellers seem to have come out in larger numbers as compared to voters from posh areas in south Mumbai.

Early numbers on Tuesday suggested that ward number 227, which has been extended to include Geeta Nagar slums, Indira Dock and Mahatma Phule Market among others, a low voting turnout. At the close of the day, ward number 227 recorded a lowly 23.47 polling percentage, while ward number 224 recorded 37.09 per cent.

In ward number 226, which includes Cuffe Parade, the voting percentage in 2012 was 33.63 per cent. The numbers did not improve this year as well. However, the only noticeable change was that slum-dwellers came out in larger numbers to vote. Till 11 am on Tuesday in ward number 226, the voter turnout was about five per cent in some booths.

The localities clubbed with slum pockets like Ganesh Murti Nagar witnessed an 11 per cent voter turnout. "The slum pockets witnessed a steady flow of voters as compared to posh areas," said Akshay Gaikwad, zonal officer, who was stationed at GD Somani Memorial School that had 12 polling booths.

The D/Ward area, which has a sizeable population of middle- and upper-class people, including minorities like Parsis also witnessed a low voter turnout. In ward number 218 (Khotachiwadi), the voting turnout was around 20 per cent till 10 am. There were longer queues outside booths in Dharavi on Tuesday.