BackTurnout improves in 10 of 12 states in fifth phase
Constituencies in J&K, Bihar see impressive improvement in turnout; those in Manipur and Bengal see a drop
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New Delhi: The fifth phase of polling in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections saw a higher turnout in constituencies in 10 out of 12 states compared with the percentage of voters casting their ballots in 2009.
With 121 constituencies going to the polls on Thursday, voters in 232 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats have now exercised their franchise.
In Jammu and Kashmir, where voting was held in the Udhampur constituency, the turnout rose 24 percentage points to 69.08% from 45.15% in 2009.
Bihar saw an impressive improvement in its turnout from its previous count of 39.30% in seven constituencies, up by 16 percentage points to 56%.
A police complaint was filed against Misa Bharti, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from Pataliputra and daughter of RJD chief Lalu Yadav, for entering the polling compartment at a booth where she was not registered as a voter. In another incident at Bihta, a case of polling staff conniving in rigging the polls was registered.
The only two states on Thursday that registered a lower turnout in comparison to 2009 are Manipur (74% against 77%) and West Bengal (78.89% against 80.85%). However, deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi told reporters on Thursday that the final figures for West Bengal may go up to 82%.
Maharashtra, which is voting in three phases, registered a total polling of 62%, according to the state election commission, in 19 constituencies that went to the polls on Thursday, including Pune, Parbhani and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. The state sends 48 representatives to the Lok Sabha, second only to Uttar Pradesh’s 80.
A total of 10 constituencies in Madhya Pradesh saw 54.41% of the electorate coming out to vote in comparison with 46.21% in the previous national elections. Odisha’s 11 consituencies and Chhattisgarh’s three constituencies registered a turnout of 70% and 63.44%, respectively.
Rajasthan’s 20 constituencies had 63.25% voters casting their votes. This figure stood at 48.09% in 2009. Polling in the state is spread over two days with 20 constituencies voting on Thursday and the remaining five on 24 April. The state, which recently ousted a Congress government making way for chief minister Vasundhara Raje-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power, is expected to see a direct contest between the two parties.
Karnataka, too, improved on its turnout tally this year, registering a total turnout of 68% compared with 58.88% in 2009, which had dipped considerably from the 65.14% tally in 2004 general election.
Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi, industrial town Jamshedpur and four other constituencies went to the polls on Thursday and saw a total turnout of 62%, a four percentage points improvement from 2009.
In an incident in Bokaro, three Central Reserve Police Force personnel and a staff member were injured in a landmine explosion and ambush.
Four more phases of polling remain—24 April, 30 April, 7 May and 12 May. The results of all the 543 constituencies will be announced on 16 May.
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