Voters at the highest Polling Station, Tashigang, Himachal Pradesh. Photo: ECI
New Delhi: The General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha concluded today with peaceful polling marking Phase 7 – the last phase of elections. Bihar, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the States/Union Territories that went to polls in this last phase. A total of 904 candidates were in the electoral fray. Also, polling took place for 42 Assembly Constituencies in Odisha in the last phase.
A total of 201 international Border check posts and 906 inter-state border check posts kept strict vigil on any illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash and freebies. Strict surveillance was kept at sea and air routes too.
Polling in the seventh phase of the General Elections recorded an approximate voter turnout of 61.63% as of 11:45 pm across 57 Parliament Constituencies. The Election Commission of India said the same should continue to be updated by the field-level officers as polling parties return.
As per the laid down procedure, scrutiny of election papers takes place one day after the polling day in the presence of candidates or their authorised polling agents. The decision to conduct a repoll, if any, is also taken thereafter. Some polling parties return after polling day depending on the geographical/ logistical conditions. The Commission will also, after the scrutiny and depending on the number/ schedule of repoll, publish the updated voter turnout along with gender-wise breakup in due course.
The state-wise approximate voter turnout at 11:45 pm is as below:
In Odisha, 42 Assembly Constituencies went to polls simultaneously with the Parliamentary Constituencies. Polling is now complete for General Elections to State Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
The counting of votes for the General Election to Lok Sabha 2024 and State Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha is scheduled for June 4, 2024. The counting of votes for General Elections to State Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will take place on June 2, 2024.
The Election Commission highlighted the success stories across 7 phases in these elections. The participation of women in these elections saw significant strides and in the fifth and sixth phases, the women voter turnout percentage was more than male.
Home-voting facility, introduced for the first time in the history of Lok Sabha elections on a pan-India basis saw democracy being taken to the doorsteps of those who are encumbered by physical limitations. Many voters aged above 85 years and Persons with Disability with 40% benchmark disability opted to vote from the comfort of their homes.
Jammu and Kashmir shone bright with a voter turnout of 58.58% which is the highest in the last 35 years. The Kashmir valley registered a voter turnout of 51.05%, a massive jump of over 30 points from the previous elections in the 3 PCs that went to polls in the valley.
102 villages in Naxal affected Bastar also had polling stations in their villages and saw unprecedented voting. Bastar Parliament Constituency saw a voter turnout of 68.29% with no violence and a “resounding victory for the ballot over the bullet”. 126 villages and 199 hamlets with 140 Polling Stations of Surguja Parliamentary Constituency in North Chhattisgarh having significant Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) population of Pahadi Korbas voted with an “overwhelming” turnout.
Andaman and Nicobar saw a voter turnout of 64.10%. The Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar participated in a Lok Sabha election for the first time. Lakshadweep also saw a voter turnout of 84.16%. “This only goes to show that while away from the mainland, the trust and belief of the people in these islands is just as strong as those living in the mainland,” the Election Commission stated.
– global bihari bureau
