In India’s largest Parliamentary constituency, Malkajgiri, there was a low voter turnout during the Lok Sabha elections, causing concern for the main candidates from Congress, BRS, and BJP. The initial voter turnout was reported at 47 percent, with expectations to reach 50 percent after all the votes were counted. In the 2019 general election, the total turnout was 49.63 percent.
The Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, viewed these elections as prestigious since he was elected MP from Malkajgiri in the last elections. He put all his efforts into securing a win for Congress candidate P Sunitha Mahendar Reddy against strong competition from BJP and BRS. Despite reports suggesting that BJP candidate Eatala Rajendar was leading in the polls, Congress remained confident in winning the seat.
Both Congress and BJP made efforts to sway the BRS vote bank in their favor, but it was uncertain which party succeeded in doing so on polling day. The low voter turnout and concerns about cross voting were worrying for both Congress and BJP. BRS also expressed confidence in winning the seat, but their party members were not actively mobilizing voters on election day.
Analysts believe that first-time voters and educated voters will play a significant role in determining the outcome of the election in Malkajgiri. The challenge for all three parties is to understand the pulse of the voters during the election period and appeal to them effectively.
