Brothers Madhukar Jagtap (97), Madhav Jagtap (85) and Sadashiv Jagtap (84) show their fingers marked with indelible ink after casting their votes for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Nashik, on Monday, May 20. PTI
LIVE | West Bengal leads with 73% voter turnout; Maharashtra at bottom with 49%
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused the ECI of delaying the poll process deliberately at the behest of the Narendra Modi govt.
An approximate voter turnout of 57.51% was recorded on Monday (May 20) in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union Territories in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
According to the Election Commission of India figures, West Bengal recorded the highest polling at 73%, followed by Ladakh with 67.15%, Jharkhand with 63% and Odisha with 60.72% turnout.
Uttar Pradesh registered a voter turnout of 57.79% followed by Bihar with 55.85%, while Maharashtra witnessed 49.01% polling. The poll panel said Baramulla seat in J&K recorded all time highest voter turnout of 59%. There are provisional figures and the turnout could go up marginally in the final data.
West Bengal saw a voter turnout of 73% across seven constituencies, according to the Election Commission data. The highest turnout was in Arambagh at 76.90%, followed by Bangaon (75.73%), Uluberia (74.50%), Hooghly (74.17%), Sreerampur (71.18%), and Howrah and Barrackpore (68.84%).
Maharashtra recorded the lowest voter turnout at 49.01%, with less than 45% polling in Mumbai South. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray blamed the administration for low voter turnout, alleging that the BJP-led ruling alliance is apprehending defeat in the state. He accused the ECI of delaying the poll process deliberately at the behest of the Narendra Modi government.
Low turnout in Mumbai
Meanwhile, a voter turnout of 47.52 per cent was recorded till 5 pm across the six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai on Monday amid complaints of slow polling process, non-functional EVMs and names missing from voter rolls.
The city has a total of 99,38,621 registered voters while 116 candidates were in the fray in the six constituencies.
In Borivali, voters complained of names missing from the electoral list. Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad, who is contesting from Mumbai North Central, said she was getting worrying reports from across Mumbai about people waiting for several hours in queues amid heat, and returning without casing their vote. Many people said they had never waited this long to vote before and the complaints came especially from the areas where the Opposition's MVA coalition has a strong presence, she claimed.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, said he first complained to the EC about the slow pace of voting in the city, and Thackeray was blaming the Modi government only because the Opposition was staring at a defeat. Thackeray was preparing the ground to face the results on June 4, he added.
Poll violence in Bengal
Clashes broke out between BJP and TMC workers during the fifth phase of polling in West Bengal on Monday (May 20).
A local TMC leader was critically wounded when he was allegedly attacked with sharp-edged weapons by the BJP supporters at Arambagh in Hooghly. Another clash broke out between workers of the two rival parties in which a BJP panchayat leader was injured around 25 km away in Khanakul.
There were also reports of violent confrontation at Uluberia and Salkia in Howrah district. While the nephew of a BJP local leader was attacked in Uluberia, a CPI(M) party office was ransacked in Salkia.
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- 20 May 2024 4:53 PM IST
38.77 pc voting till 3 pm in Maharashtra's 13 LS seats
An average voter turnout of 38.77 per cent was recorded till 3 pm on Monday in 13 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra as voting was underway for the fifth and final phase of general elections in the state, as per poll officials.
Among the 13 constituencies, Bhiwandi recorded 37.06 per cent polling, Dhule 39.97 per cent, Dindori 45.95 per cent, Kalyan 32.43 per cent, Mumbai North 39.33 per cent, Mumbai North Central 37.66 per cent, Mumbai North East 39.15 per cent, Mumbai North West 39.91 per cent, Mumbai South 36.64 per cent, Mumbai South Central 38.77 per cent, Nashik 39.41 per cent, Palghar 42.48 per cent and Thane 36.07 per cent.
- 20 May 2024 4:51 PM IST
47.55 per cent voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in UP
A voter turnout of 47.55 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in Uttar Pradesh where polling is underway for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 14 constituencies.
Voting is also taking place for the Lucknow East assembly bypoll. The polling began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm.
According to the Election Commission, Amethi recorded a voter turnout of 45.13 per cent till 3 pm, Banda 48.08 per cent, Barabanki 55.35 per cent, Faizabad 48.66 per cent, Fatehpur 47.25 per cent, Gonda 43.23 per cent, Hamirpur 48.87 per cent, Jalaun 46.22 per cent, Jhansi 52.53 per cent, Kaisarganj 46.01 per cent, Kaushambi 43.01 per cent, Lucknow 41.90 per cent, Mohanlalganj 51.08 per cent and Rae Bareli 47.83 per cent. The polling percentage in the Lucknow East assembly constituency at 3 pm stood at 42.53 per cent.
- 20 May 2024 4:50 PM IST
Voted for son, disapproved of husband's decision to join Shinde camp: MP Kirtikar's wife
Sitting Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar's wife, Meghana, on Monday, said she disapproved of her husband's decision to join the party led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and voted for her son, Amol, who is a candidate of Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency.
Following the split in the Shiv Sena, Gajanan Kirtikar sided with Shinde. His son Amol stayed loyal to Uddhav Thackeray and is contesting against Shiv Sena's Ravindra Waikar in the Mumbai North West seat.
Gajanan Kirtikar, his wife Meghana and their daughter exercised their franchise.
Speaking to reporters, Meghana Kirtikar said, "I never supported my husband's decision to join the Shinde faction. I had asked him why he would salute Shinde, who is junior to him. I have voted for my son, and he will win with a huge margin." As a father, Gajanan Kirtikar has given his blessing to Amol, she said.
When reporters sought his reaction, the MP said, "Not only my wife, but my daughter was also against me joining the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. I did not join the party for fear of the Enforcement Directorate or for money. My reasons were different, and I had made it clear." Incidentally, after his candidature for the Lok Sabha election was announced, Amol was served a notice by the Enforcement Directorate for his alleged involvement in the Khichdi scam.
- 20 May 2024 4:48 PM IST
Name not on list, Mamata’s brother fails to cast vote
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's youngest brother Babun Banerjee on Monday could not cast his vote after his name was not found in the voters' list, an election official said.
Babun, who is a voter of Howrah town, went to cast his vote at a polling booth when it was discovered that his name was not on the list. "The Election Commission of India is looking into the whole matter. Only it can explain why this happened," Trinamool Congress spokesperson Shantanu Sen said. When contacted by PTI, Babun declined to take questions on the matter.
Babun had expressed his displeasure after TMC renominated sitting MP Prasun Banerjee for the Howrah Lok Sabha seat in March. Mamata Banerjee had then said she decided to disown him and cut off relationship with him.
There was a buzz earlier that Babun would contest as an independent candidate from that constituency after the TMC did not nominate him from there. He had claimed that the party promised him a ticket. There was a rumour that Babun was contemplating joining the BJP.
Babun is the president of the Bengal Olympic Association and Bengal Hockey Association, besides the secretary of the Bengal Boxing Association, and also in charge of the sports wing of the TMC.
