TAXILA: Despite hectic efforts, attractive slogans and massive electioneering, candidates in the local government elections could not drive the voters, especially women, to polling stations in the city of Hassanabdal.

Official data about the LG polls in the city, where the elections were held in the second phase on November 19, showed trends against the expectations and aspirations of the candidates and their parties.

`Despite spending a huge amount of money on displaying banners, stickers andopening of election offices and the provision of free transportation, voters did not come out on polling day,` said a candidate who lost the elections.

He said free food was also provided to the supporters at election camps but the turnout remained less than expected.

Another candidate said he spent a huge amount on the electioneering and door-todoor campaign during which the voters had promised to vote for him. But only 60 per cent of them turned out on polling day.

There were 28,168 registered voters in the 12 wards of the municipal committee, including 12,914 women.

The official data showed that 17,534 votes were polled in the city with the overall turnout of 62 per cent. The candidates said this was less than their expectations as in the local bodies elections, the turnout should have been more than 80 per cent.

The highest turnout was recorded in ward number 6 where 75.2 per cent of the total 1,249 registered voters used theirright. This area was followed by ward number 4 where the turnout was 68.91 per cent.

This ward had total 2,371 registered voters of whom 1,634 cast their votes. As many as 25 votes were rejected. The lowest turnout of 47 per cent was recorded in ward number 1, which had total 3,429 registered voters of whom 1,641 used their right. This constituency also saw the highest number of rejected votes 32.

Ward number 6 voters seemed more politically aware as only three votes were rejected there. There was around 50 per cent participation from women voters which showed that they had less interest in the election process.

In ward 3, which had 1,028 women voters, only 652 votes were polled. Similarly, ward 1 had 1,522 women voters but only 667 of them were polled. In ward 9, the total number of women voters was 1,160, but only 690 voters came to the polling stations.

It was also observed that due to the lackof awareness, a large number of votes were cancelled due to ambiguous stamps.

Ghulam Haider, a social activist, said people were more interested in local government elections rather than the national and provincial assemblies. He said due to conflicts within political parties and the allotment of ticl(ets to unsuitable candidates could be the major factors behind the low turnout.

Moreover, the official data also showed that the PPP candidates who contested the elections with their traditional symbol of arrow faced an embarrassing situation. In ward number 8, the PPP candidate, Barkat Ali, failed to get even a single vote. In ward 10, the party candidate, Tasawar Shah, got only one vote while in ward number 3, Sheikh Mohammad Naeem of the PPP scored only three votes.

It may be noted that in the 2008 general elections, Sardar Saleem Haider of the PPP was elected as the member National Assembly (MNA) from this area.