GVMC Polls: Why Nearly Half of Vizag Didn’t Vote

Vizag went to the GVMC polls on Sunday, and a little over half the city showed up, with 9,45,915 of 18,37,901 registered voters casting a ballot on November 1, which works out to 51.47% and leaves about 8.9 lakh people who stayed home. Turnout was also lower than in 2021, even though the voters’ list is now longer.

GVMC Polls: Why Nearly Half of Vizag Didn’t Vote

The numbers differed sharply from one part of the city to another. Bheemili led with 65.90%, followed by Anakapalli (65.54%), Gajuwaka (54.10%), the South Zone (51.24%) and the West Zone (51.21%). Pendurthi recorded 48.93%, while the North Zone was lowest at 44.24%. 

Vizag residents want their next mayor and corporators to fix the basics: underground cabling, safer and wider roads, pothole repairs, drains that don’t overflow, working street lights and better traffic control. They also want cleaner streets, better garbage disposal, less pollution, food safety checks, mandatory rainwater harvesting for new buildings, and representatives who are accountable and quick to resolve complaints.

Yet nearly half the city did not vote. Many never received a voter slip or didn’t know where to vote, especially with wards rising from 98 to 120, and manifestos were hard to find. Polling moved from October 28 to November 1, and Cyclone Arnab halted door-to-door campaigning in the final stretch. 

Sridhar, an IT professional from MVP Colony, skipped voting because no slip reached him and he didn’t know his booth. Lakshman, who works in Bengaluru, couldn’t get leave to come home for the local elections, while Kranthi, an administrative executive residing in Gopalapatnam, felt the state makes the big decisions and saw little point.

When counting begins on November 3, attention will go to which candidates and parties won, but the 48.53% of registered voters who stayed away deserve equal notice. Vizag’s civic body handles the roads, drains, water, and garbage that residents deal with every day, and a low turnout in the GVMC polls weakens the pressure on the winners to deliver. Practical steps include timely voter slips, clear polling station details, and easy-to-find manifestos, though much will also depend on whether residents believe their vote counts. 

Also read: Vizag to Host International Partnership Summit in November

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