CEC Rajiv Kumar laments urban apathy on polling days

New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday lamented that voters in cities continue to avoid turning up at polling stations on election days while those in Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-affected areas come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

He also credited the nearly 1.5 crore polling personnel with ensuring the smooth conduct of elections in the country.

Polling booth officers were on Friday awarded NDTV's 'Indian of the Year' award.

Speaking on the occasion, Kumar said while Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Naxal-affected areas have witnessed high turnout, "people in cities do not vote".

He said despite the poll body's efforts, voters in Bengaluru in Karnataka and Gurugram in Haryana did not turn up in large numbers at the polling stations.

Colaba in Mumbai, Maharashtra, he said, registered the lowest turnout in the just-held state Assembly polls.

The EC has been flagging the issue of low polling in urban centres.

In the past, it has been seen that urban voters tend to club weekends with the polling day holiday for getaways and skip voting.

"But I am sure, urban apathy and youth apathy will also be taken care of in times to come," Kumar said.

He said the Indian voter is very mature and issues in the country will continue to be settled by ballot, not bullet.