Lok Sabha Elections 2024: As the country began voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday (April 19) at 7 am, an aggregate of 60.03 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 7 pm, the Election Commission said. The figure is tentative and is likely to change, a spokesperson said. The polling officially ended at 6 pm, but voters who were in the queue by that time were allowed to exercise their franchise. The voting was done in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories. In the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the voter turnout was recorded at 69.43 per cent. Some of the constituencies were different then and the total number of seats which went to polls were 91.
Earlier, the ECI had said that 49.78 per cent polling was recorded till 3 pm.
Tripura recorded 80.17 per cent voter turnout till 9 pm while Bihar witnessed the lowest turnout with 47.49 per cent till 7 pm.
ECI on voting in first phase
The ECI described the turnout as "high", noting that voting remained "largely peaceful".
States, including Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep completed their voting process on Friday in single-phase election.
For the first time, people in 56 villages in Bastar in Chhattisgarh cast their vote in polling booths set up in their own villages.
The poll authority pointed out that in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, voters belonging to the tribal communities came out in large numbers. The Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar made history by casting vote for the first time.
More than 72 per cent of 86.48 lakh electors cast their votes on Friday during the first phase of polling across five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam.
The final figures of the first phase voting will be released by the Election Commission on Saturday.
Assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh
An estimated 65.79 per cent of 8.92 lakh electors on Friday exercised their franchise in Arunachal Pradesh where polling for 50 assembly seats was held on Friday, amid reports of sporadic violence and bids to snatch EVMs from a few districts, leaving 42 people injured, an official said. The voter turnout for the two Lok Sabha seats in the northeastern state was slightly higher at 67.13 per cent.
PM Modi tweets
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the voters for turning up in large numbers and said that "excellent" feedback was received from the voting in the first phase.
"First phase, great response! Thank you to all those who have voted today. Getting EXCELLENT feedback from today’s voting. It’s clear that people across India are voting for NDA in record numbers," PM Modi posted on X.
The second phase of the seven-phased elections will be held on April 26 in which 89 seats across 13 states and UTs will go to polls. The results will be declared on June 4.
(With inputs from agencies)
