New Delhi: During the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, a voter turnout of nearly 65 per cent was recorded on Tuesday across 93 constituencies in 11 states and Union Territories.
Assam recorded the highest turnout at 81.71 per cent followed by West Bengal at 76.52 per cent and Goa at 75.20 per cent, while Uttar Pradesh witnessed the lowest at 57.34 per cent, with Bihar at 58.18 per cent, Gujarat at 59.51 per cent and Maharashtra at 61.44 per cent doing slightly better, according to the figures from the Election Commission at 12.15 am.
The overall voting percentage was 64.58 per cent. According to the EC, the figures are an “approximate trend” and are likely to rise as data is being collected.
Among other states and UTs, Chhattisgarh recorded 71.06 per cent polling, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 69.87 per cent, Karnataka 70.41 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh 66.05 per cent, according to the EC.Voting, officially scheduled to conclude at 6 pm, extended past the deadline to accommodate those already in line to cast their ballots.
As many as 17.24 crore people, including 8.39 crore females, were eligible to vote in the third phase and 1.85 lakh polling stations manned by 18.5 lakh officials had been set up.
With this, voting has been completed in 20 states/UTs and 282 Lok Sabha seats out of 543.
The overall voting percentage in the first and second phases was 66.14 per cent and 66.71 per cent respectively.
Prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah participated in the elections. PM Modi voted in Gandhinagar, while Shah cast his ballot in Ahmedabad.
Key candidates in this election phase included Shah (Gandhinagar), Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad), and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). The BJP, having secured a majority of these seats in the previous election, faced high stakes, particularly in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, where several members of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family are contesting, party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP workers were trying to “loot booths” in Mainpuri and people from opposition parties were being detained in police stations. Yadav cast his vote in Saifai (Etawah) in the Mainpuri constituency where his wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav is contesting.
In West Bengal, Murshidabad reported the highest turnout at 76.49 per cent, followed by Maldaha Dakshin, Maldaha Uttar, and Jangipur. In Uttar Pradesh, Agra witnessed 53.99 per cent polling, Aonla 57.08 per cent, Budaun 54.05 per cent, Bareilly 57.88 per cent, Etah 59.17 per cent, Fatehpur Sikri 57.09 per cent, Firozabad 58.22 per cent, Hathras 55.36 per cent, Mainpuri 58.59 per cent and Sambhal 62.81 per cent. In Budaun, the villagers of Dhoranpur boycotted the polling to protest against the alleged non-fulfilment of their demand for a road. District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said the issue has come to his notice and a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been sent to the village.
Not a single vote was also cast in three villages of Firozabad -- Nagla Jawahar, Neem Kheria and Nagla Umar -- as the villagers tried to draw the administration’s attention to their problems. SP candidate Aditya Yadav in Budaun alleged that SP supporters were not being allowed to vote in some places. “I have made a complaint in this regard with the EC observer and have given proof of police atrocities. We are only getting assurances,” he said.
SP candidate Zia-ur-Rehman Barq also alleged that a circle officer snatched voter slips from SP workers and detained them. He requested the EC to remove the officer immediately.
Queues were seen at polling booths in most Lok Sabha segments in northern districts of Karnataka. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Bhagwanth Khuba, and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge were among those who came in early to cast their votes in Karnataka.
Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa along with sons B Y Raghavendra, BJP candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha segment and B Y Vijayendra, party’s state President — and daughters-in-law cast their vote at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. Tragically, two officials on election duty succumbed to heart attacks.
In Gujarat, allegations of voter intimidation led to an inquiry, while Maharashtra saw Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and NCP chief Sharad Pawar among the voters. Assam experienced a significant turnout despite inclement weather, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma voting in Barpeta. Over 1,331 candidates, including around 120 women, were in the fray in the third phase. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.