Lok Sabha Elections 5th Phase: 59% Voter Turnout Recorded Across 49 Seats; Sporadic Violence Reported In West Bengal

In the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, held on Monday, an approximate 59 per cent voter turnout was recorded across 49 constituencies spanning six states and two Union territories.

Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir marked a historic high in voter participation. However, the day also witnessed sporadic violence in West Bengal, reports of EVM glitches in West Bengal and Odisha, and complaints of slow voting in Maharashtra.

Voter Turnout Across States

West Bengal recorded the highest polling percentage at 73.14 as opposed to Maharashtra's lowest turnout of 53.51 per cent. Specifically, six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai witnessed varying levels of participation, ranging from 46 per cent to around 54 per cent. Thane reported a turnout of 49.81 per cent, as per data from the EC's voter turnout app.

Before polling day, the Election Commission had raised concerns about urban voter apathy in Mumbai, Thane, and Lucknow, urging citizens to actively participate in the electoral process.

Jammu And Kashmir

The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir which was infested by militancy achieved a historic milestone on Monday with its highest-ever voter turnout of 59 per cent, as announced by J-K Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole.

The Sopore assembly segment within this parliamentary constituency also saw a significant surge in participation, registering a healthy turnout of 44 per cent, a notable improvement from the single-digit percentages witnessed in previous decades.

"The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a record voter turnout since parliamentary polls were first held here in 1967," Pole told reporters at the end of polling. The previous highest voter turnout in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency was witnessed in 1984 at 58.90 per cent.

West Bengal

Scattered incidents of violence marred the polls in seven parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal where TMC and BJP workers clashed in various parts of Barrackpore, Bongaon, and Arambagh seats.

Till 4.30 pm, the state CEO's office received 1,913 complaints in connection including those related to EVM malfunctioning and polling agents being stopped from entering booths, an election official said.

Clashes broke out between supporters of the TMC and BJP in the Khanakul area of the Arambagh constituency.

In neighbouring Hooghly constituency, BJP sitting MP and party candidate Locket Chatterjee faced protests from TMC activists led by TMC MLA Ashima Patra. A huge police and central forces contingent was rushed to the spot.

Violence was also reported from various parts of the Howrah constituency.

In the Liluah area of Howrah, the BJP accused TMC workers of "booth jamming" leading to clashes between groups. The central police forces rushed to the area and dispersed them.

In Bongaon constituency’s Gayeshpur area, local BJP leader Subir Biswas was allegedly beaten by TMC supporters outside a booth. He was later shifted to the hospital.

In the Kalyani area of the same constituency, Union Minister and BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur caught a person using the identity card of his rival TMC candidate Biswajit Das inside a polling booth.

The person was later removed from the booth by central forces.

TMC workers also held protests in some areas following allegations that central forces were assisting BJP workers in "intimidating" voters at some booths of Hooghly.

Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, Amethi recorded a voter turnout of 54.17 per cent, Lucknow 52.03 per cent Rae Bareli 57.85 per cent, Banda 59.49 per cent, Barabanki 66.89 per cent, Faizabad 58.96 per cent, and Fatehpur 56.90 per cent.

Gonda recorded 51.45 per cent voting, Hamirpur 60.36 per cent, Jalaun 53.44 per cent, Jhansi 63.57 per cent, Kaisarganj 55.47 per cent, Kaushambi 52.60 per cent, and Mohanlalganj 62.53 per cent, according to the Election Commission.

The polling percentage in the Lucknow East assembly constituency was around 52.25 per cent.

"There was no violence anywhere in the state. About 250 complaints regarding slow voting and EVMs were received by the EC," according to Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa.

In three booths in the Jhansi constituency in Lalitpur district, 100 per cent of polling was reported.

The Congress alleged EVM malfunctioning ats several places and accused the BJP of not allowing people to cast votes in three booths in Bela Khara village in Rahi block.

According to reports from Kaushambi, voters of Hisampur Madho village boycotted the polls.

The villagers told the officials that they would consider voting only after an assurance from the administration that a road and railway bridge connecting the village to other areas would be built.

Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, Mumbai residents faced delays, slow-paced voting process and long queues amid sultry weather conditions, with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress raising concern.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray addressed a press conference where he accused the EC of delaying the poll process deliberately at the behest of the Modi government.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, said he first complained to the EC about the slow pace of voting in the city and claimed Thackeray was blaming the Modi government only because the opposition was staring at a defeat.

Thackeray was preparing the ground to face the results on June 4, Fadnavis added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also claimed there were a lot of complaints from electors about facilities outside polling booths.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged that Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Sunil Raut were found involved in "corrupt practices" outside their polling booth at Bhandup in Mumbai.

The former MP also claimed that two activists of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) were arrested for "illegal and corrupt practices of using a fake EVM".

However, MLA Sunil Raut, who is the brother of Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, dismissed the allegations saying a dummy electronic voting machine (EVM) was kept outside the 100-metre radius of the polling booth for educational purposes.

Still, the police removed it under "political pressure", he claimed.

A 56-year-old election officer died after suffering a heart attack at a polling booth in the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency

Odisha

In Odisha, some unidentified persons allegedly hacked an auto-rickshaw driver to death near Sarsara in Bargarh district. The deceased was carrying some voters to the polling booth. While the family members claimed it was a political murder, police say personal enmity is the reason behind the crime. EVM glitches were also reported at some places in Odisha.

Jharkhand

Jharkhand saw a voter turnout of 63 per cent in the Lok Sabha election. In the Gandey assembly by-poll where jailed former chief minister Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren is the JMM candidate, 68.26 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise.

Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said seven FIRs were registered for violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) - two each in Palamu, Latehar and Hazaribagh and one in Giridih.

"Polling was boycotted across two booths in Hazaribagh and one in Panki," he said. Electors from five Maoist-hit villages in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Monday cast their votes in large numbers for the first time in their booths since the state's creation in 2000.

Earlier, polling booths for voters of Garia, Amkudar, Pathel, Baniabandh and Sikid villages in Kanhachatti block were relocated due to security threats from Maoists and people had to walk for 10-11 km on difficult terrain to exercise their franchiseAmong other states, Bihar recorded 53.78 per cent turnout, Jharkhand 63.06 per cent, Odisha 62.23 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 57.79 per cent and Ladakh 68.47 per cent.

The figures, the EC said, were "approximate trend" as data was still being collated.

Prominent Candidates In Fray

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is contesting from Rae Bareli, previously represented by his mother and former party president Sonia Gandhi, was seen visiting various polling booths within the constituency. He engaged with local residents, posing for photographs and interacting with Congress booth workers in Bachhrawan. He also made a visit to a Hanuman temple in Churuva.

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, several prominent figures including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (Lucknow), Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani (Amethi), Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishor (Mohanlalganj), Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Fatehpur), and Union Minister of State for MSME Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma (Jalaun) were among the candidates vying for seats.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah was contesting from one of the 22 seats in the region.

Prominent Figures Who Cast Vote

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati was among the early voters in Lucknow.

"I have voted and I appeal to all voters to exercise their franchise," she said.

Defence Minister Singh, who is eyeing a fourth term from Lucknow, cast his vote at a polling booth in Vipul Khand here and also appealed to the people to vote.

Irani, who is seeking a re-election from Amethi, cast her vote in the constituency.

Politicians, sportspersons and prominent persons from the financial sector exercised their franchise at polling booths in different parts of Mumbai and neighbouring Thane.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde along with his family members, including his son and sitting Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, voted at a booth in his political turf, Thane.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and their families also cast their votes.

Over 8.95 crore people, including 4.26 crore females and 5,409 third-gender electors, were eligible to vote in this round and 9.47 lakh polling officials had been deployed across 94,732 polling stations.

According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in the fourth phase stood at 69.16 per cent, 3.65 percentage points higher than the corresponding phase in the 2019 parliamentary elections.

The turnout percentages was 66.14, 66.71, 65.68 and 69.16 per cent in the first four phases.

The poll panel said the final turnout will only be available after the results, with the counting of postal ballots and its addition to the total voting percentage. Polling for 23 states and Union territories and 379 seats has been completed so far.

(With PTI inputs)