Lok Sabha Election Phase 2: Peaceful Polling Records 63.50% Turnout

New Delhi, 27th April 2024: In the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, covering 88 seats across 12 states and a union territory, a voter turnout of 63.50 per cent was recorded, as reported by the Election Commission (EC), with polling mostly reported as peaceful.

At 8 pm, the tentative voter turnout figure stood at 63.50 per cent, expected to rise as reports from all polling stations are compiled. Voters arriving until the closing hours were allowed to cast their votes.

In certain villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, Rajasthan’s Banswara, and Maharashtra’s Parbhani, initial boycotts of the polls were later resolved with authorities’ intervention.

Polling commenced at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm, with several states experiencing intense heat conditions. The first phase of polling occurred on April 19 across 102 seats in 21 states and Union territories.

Key takeaways include:
– Voter turnout, by the end of polling, averaged around 63 per cent, down from 65 per cent in the first phase last week and 68 per cent in the second phase in 2019.
– Tripura saw the highest voting percentage at 79.46 per cent, followed by Manipur at 77.32 per cent. Uttar Pradesh recorded a turnout of 54.85 per cent, and Bihar 55.08 per cent.
– In Manipur, the presence of security personnel coincided with a notably high voter turnout.
– Kerala witnessed a turnout of 70.21 per cent, with Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad constituency reporting 72.70 per cent.
– Madhya Pradesh recorded a turnout of 57.88 per cent.
– Assam saw 71.11 per cent voter participation across five constituencies.
– Maharashtra recorded a turnout of 57.83 per cent, while Rajasthan reached 64.07 per cent.
– Jammu and Kashmir reported a turnout of 71.91 per cent, and West Bengal 71.84 per cent, with nearly 300 complaints received regarding EVM malfunctions.
– In UP’s Gautam Buddh Nagar, the turnout was 53.30 per cent, lower than previous elections.
– In Bangalore, approximately half of the voters abstained from voting in urban constituencies, with turnouts of 52.81 per cent for Bangalore Central, 54.42 per cent for Bangalore North, and 53.15 per cent for Bangalore South.