Youngsters' votes to tip Uttar Pradesh poll results

Dubai: Millions of youngsters who voted for the first time in India's recently held elections are expected to have delivered a decisive verdict in the country's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh where poll results will be announced on Tuesday.

Voters in this state created history when they registered the highest-ever turnout in the seven-phased elections that ended on March 3. Official figures show that a whopping 15 million more voters exercised their franchise this time in comparison to the 2007 state assembly polls. Also, a large number of first-time voters, who became eligible after reaching 18 years of age, contributed to the record-breaking turnout of 60 per cent in the state which has a population of over 200 million.

"People who turned 18 this time and those who were registered for the first time in the revised electoral rolls have voted in large numbers," Dr A.K. Singh, Director of Giri Institute of Development Studies, an autonomous think-tank based in Lucknow, told Gulf News.

The high turnout is being attributed to a unique mix of folk music and humour used in a high-pitch awareness campaign launched by the Election Commission. "The commission made a sustained effort to increase awareness among people and persuaded them to exercise their right to vote. They conducted pre-election surveys… media also played a role. Secondly, the first-time voters were keen to exercise their right. Thirdly, when the fight in election is sharp the voter turnout goes up," he explained. Three big parties - Samajwadi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress - are in the fray to dislodge incumbent chief minister Mayawati.

"The polling percentage in the current assembly elections is the highest in the history of UP. Voters awareness and facilities provided to them in registration of name in electoral roll and at polling booths have been key factors behind high turnout," Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha told Indian Express newspaper on Sunday.

The success in UP came after months of awareness drives through media and folk singers and dancers who performed in villages and slums. "Our first agenda was to encourage first-time voters to register and to obtain voter identity cards. We composed five songs and went to villages and performed on the streets. Today's results are the outcome of our campaign we launched in January 2011," folk singer Malini Awasthi, Election Commission's ‘brand ambassador' told Gulf News. As a result, over five million young voters were added to the electoral rolls this time.

Awasthi, who did not charge anything for this campaign, had a team of song writers and musicians who traveled extensively in UP where 403 legislators are elected by voters.

"We also focused on urban areas where voting was poor in the past elections," she said, adding that women voters this time exceeded men. "To target urban voters, we focused on educational institutions with catchy slogans like ‘voting is fashionable'," she said.

The long queues of poor and illiterate voters in Uttar Pradesh were in sharp contrast to the embarrassingly low turnout of voters in India's financial and entertainment capital Mumbai where municipal polls were held last month. Only 45 per cent of registered voters came out in Mumbai.

"Even in backward states like UP, the pattern is that poor and illiterate vote more in comparison to the educated class. The affluent class shows a general apathy towards the system and people in rural areas are proportionately casting more votes than in urban areas. In Europe and USA also the voter turnout is less than 50 per cent. That's why the poor in a country like India are more vocal of their rights. This time there has been desire to change the present government in Uttar Pradesh," Dr Singh added.

Also, high profile election campaign by young leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, tipped to be UP's next Chief Minister, attracted the young who were seen in long queues on election days, Dr Singh added.

The election results of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur states will be announced on Tuesday.