Lok Sabha polls: 61% cast vote in Phase 2, Maharashtra sees lowest turnout

The voter turnout on Friday was an approximate 60.96 per cent till 7 pm in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls, taking place in 88 seats across 13 states and Union Territories.

According to the Election Commission (EC), the turnout in these seats was a little over 72 per cent in 2019.

EC sources said the figure could increase on the strength of the watchdog collating the data from several polling stations.

In the first phase, on April 19, where polling took place in 102 seats, the turnout dipped by an estimated 4.5 per cent over 2019.

The EC, however, is yet to officially release the voter turnout average of the first phase.

 

It made special provisions to improve the voter turnout in phase two after the dip in the first phase. The measures included extending voting hours by two hours in several polling booths in Bihar. Shade from the heat was given and there was drinking water at polling stations. The EC said polling passed off without incident, with people queuing up to vote enthusiastically despite the heat wave in several parts of the country.

With the conclusion of phase two, voting has been concluded in 14 states and Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and most of the states in the Northeast, barring Assam.

According to this newspaper’s estimates, calculated from the data provided on the EC’s turnout app at 9 pm, the voter turnout was almost 65 per cent.

The trend of voter apathy in urban areas, such as in Bengaluru, continued with the voter turnout dipping further from 2019 by a couple of percentage points in Bangalore North, Central and South seats.

The 88 seats that voted on Friday included the remainder of the polling booths of the Outer Manipur seat, parts of which voted in phase one. In the other 87 seats, the voter turnout in 2019 was 72.08 per cent.

Kerala, for example, recorded a turnout of 65.28 per cent against 77.84 per cent in 2019. Bihar, where polling took place on five seats, the turnout was 54.91 per cent, down from the 63.03 per cent in 2019. In Uttar Pradesh, the turnout on its eight seats was 54.82 per cent as opposed to 62.76 per cent in the last Lok Sabha polls.

Voters in some villages of Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, Rajasthan’s Banswara, and Maharashtra’s Parbhani were intent on boycotting the polls over various issues but were later persuaded by authorities to cast their votes.

The Election Commission data showed the highest voting percentage was recorded in Tripura, which rang in 78.53 per cent polling, followed by Manipur at 77.18.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the second phase has been “too good” for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), describing support to it was unparalleled.

“Voters want the NDA’s good governance. Youth and women voters are powering strong NDA support,” Modi said.

After the first phase, he had said it was clear that people across India were voting for the NDA in record numbers.