Over 60pc turnout in third round of LS polls, similar to previous two rounds

A voter turnout of over 60 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories on Tuesday. The first two phases of the vote on April 19 and April 26 involving 190 constituencies saw a voter turnout of 66.1 percent and 66.7 percent respectively -- about 4 percent lower than in 2019.

According to the Election Commission, Assam recorded the highest turnout at 74.86 per cent followed by West Bengal at 73.93 per cent, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest at 53.63 per cent, with Bihar doing slightly better at 56.01 per cent. A voter turnout of 55.22 per cent was recorded in 25 Lok Sabha seats of Gujarat.

While the official time for voting to end is 6 pm, it can go beyond fixed polling hours to enable voters who have come in the queue well in time fixed for the close of polls to exercise their franchise. As many as 17.24 crore people, including 8.39 crore females, were eligible to vote in this phase in 1.85 lakh polling stations manned by 18.5 lakh officials.

Among the bigwigs in fray in this round are Union ministers Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).

Sporadic incidents of violence marred the third phase of polls in four constituencies in West Bengal as the Trinamool, BJP and Congress workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats, official reports said. The TMC, the BJP, and the Congress-CPI(M) alliance lodged separate complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents.

Polling was held in 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 of the 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa. Votes were also cast in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2 seats) and nine seats in Madhya Pradesh, including Betul where elections were deferred.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun, the villagers of Dhoranpur boycotted the polling to protest against non-fulfilment of their demand for a road. Not a single vote was polled 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. In Sambhal, SP candidate Zia-ur-Rehman Barq alleged that a circle officer doubled up as a BJP worker and snatched bags and voter slips from SP workers and detained them.

In Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who exercised their franchise. While PM Modi cast his vote at a polling booth in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah cast his vote at a polling booth in Ahmedabad.

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. Two government officials on poll duty died in Karnataka after suffering a heart attack, sources in the Election Commission said.

In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar were among those who cast their votes. Sharad Pawar was welcomed with a traditional ‘aarti’ as he arrived at a polling booth in Malegaon area of Baramati constituency in Pune district. Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar cast their votes at a polling booth in Katewadi area of Baramati. 

Voting was completed in 189 seats out of 543 seats in the first two phases. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.