Lucknow, April 30 (IANS) The scorching heat, with the mercury touching 44 degrees Celsius, and general apathy in public resulted in low voter turnout of 34.6 percent in Uttar Pradesh's capital that went to poll Thursday.
'The temperature is high and it hardly matters if we do not go out to vote,' said Chand Malhotra, a resident of Aliganj.
Another resident of the Vikas Nagar locality said, 'I did not go out to vote because I know that my vote cannot effect the prevailing political scenario of the country. It is better to stay away from politicians and voting.'
The state's 15 constituencies went to vote Thursday in the third phase of general elections.
The urban areas of the capital bore a curfew like view throughout the day as even the polling booths wore a deserted look.
'We are sitting idle waiting for voters. It seems that the educated lot is not interested in voting,' said B.N. Singh, a government employee on election duty in Gomtinagar area.
More than half of the 22.3 million eligible voters in the state chose not to cast their vote. The average voter turnout in the state was 45 percent, election officials said.
Mohanlalganj rural seat, on the outskirts of here, witnessed a fairly good turnout with 43.4 percent voters coming out to exercise their franchise.
The polling process was carried out by over 100,000 officials and 65,000 security personnel across 15 constituencies stretching from the Nepal border in the north to the Madhya Pradesh border in the south.
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