Lok Sabha Elections: The voting for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls was held on Friday for 88 seats in 13 states. Though voting was to be held for 89 seats in the second phase, polling for the Betul seat in Madhya Pradesh has been rescheduled to the third phase due to the death of a candidate from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). As citizens exercised their democratic rights, polling booths were flooded with enthusiastic voters eager to cast their ballots and make their voices heard.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to the voters who exercised their franchise today and said that “phase two has been two good”. "Phase Two has been too good! Gratitude to the people across India who have voted today. The unparalleled support for NDA is going to disappoint the Opposition even more. Voters want NDA’s good governance. Youth and women voters are powering the strong NDA support,” he wrote on X.
Nearly 61 per cent voter turnout
According to the Election Commission, nearly 61 per cent (provisional) voter turnout was recorded in the second phase of polling. During the previous Lok Sabha elections in 2019, a total of 70.09 per cent of voter turnout was recorded across the 88 seats. The highest turnout, 84.14 per cent, was in the Outer Manipur seat of Manipur. Meanwhile, the lowest turnout, 53.70 per cent, was recorded in the Bangalore South seat of Karnataka.
A look at the comparison of voter turnout from 2019 Lok Sabha elections
| STATES | VOTER TURNOUT IN 2019 | VOTER TURNOUT IN 2024 (PROVISIONAL) |
| UTTAR PRADESH | 62.18% | 54.85% |
| BIHAR | 62.93% | 55.99% |
| MADHYA PRADESH |
67.67%
|
58.13% |
| RAJASTHAN |
68.42% |
64.07% |
| CHHATTISGARH | 75.12% | 73.94% |
| JAMMU AND KASHMIR |
72.50%
|
72.32% |
| KARNATAKA | 68.96% | 68.38% |
| KERALA | 77.84% | 66.54% |
| MAHARASHTRA | 62.81% | 59.49% |
| MANIPUR | 84.14% | 77.95% |
| ASSAM | 81.28% | 76.06% |
| TRIPURA | 82.90% | 79.58% |
| WEST BENGAL | 80.66% | 71.84% |
Second Phase of Lok Sabha Elections
Over 16 lakh Polling officials were deployed over 15.88 crore voters across 1.67 lakh polling stations in the second phase. 34.8 lakh first-time voters were registered to cast their votes. Additionally, there were 3.28 crore young voters in the age group 20-29 years. 1202 candidates (Males - 1098; Females-102; third gender - 02) were in the fray. According to reports, three Helicopters, four Special trains and nearly 80,000 vehicles were deployed to ferry polling and security personnel.
In constituencies spanning diverse regions and demographics, voters from all walks of life turned up in large numbers, signalling strong participation in the democratic exercise. From urban centers to rural villages, the enthusiasm for voting was palpable, underscoring the significance of this democratic ritual in shaping the nation's future.
