Lok Sabha elections: Over 62% voter turnout in phase 4, Bengal sees highest polling at 75.91%

The fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Monday witnessed over 62% per cent polling across 96 constituencies in 10 states and Union Territories.

West Bengal recorded the highest polling with 75.91 per cent voter turnout followed by Madhya Pradesh at 68.48 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra were the laggards with 36.58 per cent and 52.63 per cent polling, respectively.

Among other states, Andhra Pradesh saw 68.12 per cent polling, Bihar 55.90 per cent, Jharkhand 63.37 per cent, Odisha 63.85 per cent, Telangana 61.29 per cent, and Uttar Pradesh 57.76 per cent. This is provisional data and overall voter turnout is likely to go up.

While the polling was largely peaceful, some incidents of violence were reported in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. There were also reports of EVMs malfunctioning at some booths in West Bengal and Odisha.

The TDP and YSRCP traded allegations of violence against each other in the state, especially in Palnadu, Kadapa and Annamayya districts. YSRCP accused TDP of violating the poll code in various constituencies and capturing polling booths. On the other hand, TDP alleged that YSRCP workers damaged vehicles belonging to their candidate and assaulted their agents. YSRCP MLA A Shiva Kumar allegedly slapped a voter in Tenali after an argument broke out over the lawmaker jumping the queue, following which the voter returned in kind.

In Telangana, BJP candidate K Madhavi Latha, who is challenging AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi from Hyderabad, was booked by election authorities for allegedly asking women voters to lift their burqa to match their identity at a polling booth.

Srinagar voted amid rising concerns about low voter turnout and the campaign’s increasingly acrimonious tenor. The ruling BJP isn’t contesting the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat or the two other parliamentary constituencies from the Muslim-majority Kashmir region. A number of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu were unable to cast their vote as their names were missing from the electoral rolls.

The voter turnout in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections was 66.14 per cent, 66.71 per cent and 65.68 per cent, respectively.

A total of 1,717 candidates are competing in this phase across the Lok Sabha seats, with over 17.70 crore eligible voters, including 8.73 crore women.

Polling is underway for all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, four in Odisha, eight in West Bengal, and one in Jammu and Kashmir.

Till phase three of the Lok Sabha elections, polling was held in 283 seats out of 543. After today’s round, polling will conclude in 379 seats.

The voter turnout in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections was 66.14 per cent, 66.71 per cent and 65.68 per cent, respectively.

The subsequent three phases are scheduled for May 20, May 25, and June 1, with vote counting slated for June 4.