The sixth and penultimate phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election saw a voter turnout of 61.20% till 11.45 p.m. on Saturday. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from West Bengal which reported the highest polling percentage at 79.47.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri seat recorded a turnout of 54.30%, which the Election Commission said was the highest in many decades for the constituency.
Also read:India General Elections LIVE updates, May 27, 2024
Urban apathy continued in the seven seats of Delhi where just 57.67% of the electorate voted, a figure which many said was due to the searing heatwave prevailing in North India. Haryana, where all the 10 Lok Sabha seats voted, saw a turnout of 60.4%.
The national capital saw an array of high-profile voters exercise their franchise, including President Droupadi Murmu, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
The turnout in Uttar Pradesh, where 14 seats went to the polls, was the lowest at 54.03%. Odisha and Jharkhand recorded polling of 69.56% and 63.76% respectively. The turnout in Bihar was 55.24%.
India General Elections 2024 sixth phase polling: Highlights
In J&K, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, who is the contestant from the seat, staged a sit-in outside the Bijbehara police station on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway claiming that her party workers and polling agents were detained. The police, however, said those detained are overground workers and the action was taken to ensure smooth conduct of elections.
In West Bengal, clashes broke out between workers of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP in Ghatal, Medinipur and Tamluk Lok Sabha constituencies.
Incidents of violence were reported from parts of the Kanthi constituency, while in the Medinipur constituency, BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul faced “go back” slogans from Trinamool workers. A scuffle broke out between the BJP and the Trinamool workers, resulting in Central forces rushing to the spot to disperse the mob.
In Tamluk, a group of people shouted slogans against BJP candidate and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay.
“The Election Commission of India has received 954 complaints until 11 a.m. from various political parties, alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths,” an official of the State poll panel said.
A total of 58 Lok Sabha seats in eight States and Union Territories voted on Saturday to decide the fates of 889 candidates.
“The Election Commission (EC) of India has received 954 complaints until 11 a.m. from various political parties, alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths,” an official of the state poll panel said.
A total of 58 Lok Sabha seats in 8 states and Union Territories voted on Saturday to decide the fate of 889 candidates in fray.
With this phase, polling has been completed in 28 States and Union Territories and in 486 constituencies. Voting is also over for 105 Assembly Constituencies of Odisha. The last phase of polling will be on June 1 for the remaining 57 seats and counting of votes will take place on June 4.
