OVER 59 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Monday in 49 constituencies in six States and two Union territories in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, with Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir recording its highest-ever voting percentage. There were sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal, besides EVM glitches at some booths in the State and neighbouring Odisha and complaints of slow voting in Maharashtra. West Bengal recorded the highest polling percentage at 73.14, while Maharashtra recorded the lowest at 53.51 per cent, with six Lok Sabha constituencies of Mumbai witnessing voting between 46 per cent to around 54 per cent per cent. Thane recorded a turnout of 49.81 per cent, according to the EC’s voter turnout app.

 

The EC had on Sunday flagged urban voter apathy in Mumbai, Thane and Lucknow and had urged people to come out and vote. Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla Lok Sabha Constituency, which was once militancy-infested, recorded its highest-ever voter turnout on Monday at 59 per cent, J&K Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said. The Sopore Assembly segment of the Parliamentary Constituency witnessed a healthy turnout of 44 per cent after recording single-digit polling percentages in the past couple of decades. Among 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. According to the figures made available by the Election Commission around 10 pm, the approximate polling percentage was 59.06. Scattered incidents of violence marred the polls in 7Parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal where TMC and BJP workers clashed in parts of Barrackpore, Bongaon, and Arambagh seats, as well as Khanakul area of the Arambagh constituency.

 

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