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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Live Updates
- 20 May 2024 3:09 PM IST
Over 2,000 villagers boycott polls over demand for bridge in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag
Over 2,000 voters in a village in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district boycotted the Lok Sabha election on Monday because their long-standing demand for a bridge had not been met, an official said.
The incident took place in Kusumbha village under the jurisdiction of Katkamdag police station, nearly 105km from state capital Ranchi. The village is part of Hazaribag Lok Sabha constituency. By noon, no votes had been cast at booths 183 and 184, located at Upgraded Middle School, Kusumbha. Polling officials were seen waiting for voters.
"I have been here since 7 am, but no one has come to vote yet," said Subodh Prasad Verma, the presiding officer of booth 184. He mentioned that there are 920 registered voters at his booth. "We will wait until 5 pm. We hope the voters will eventually come," he added.
Hazaribag deputy commissioner Nancy Sahay told PTI, "Voters at two polling stations in Kusumbha have boycotted the election. Upon receiving the information, I, along with SP Arvind Kumar, went to the village to persuade them to vote." The SP said villagers were firm in their stance, stating they would only vote once their demand for a bridge was met.
- 20 May 2024 3:08 PM IST
Fadnavis urges EC to look into complaints of slow voting in Mumbai
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said he has requested the Election Commission of India to look into complaints of slow pace of voting in Mumbai.
Polling was underway from 7 am in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra, including six in Mumbai, and will continue till 6 pm.
Till 1 pm, Mumbai North seat witnessed 26.78 per cent polling, Mumbai North Central 28.05 per cent, Mumbai North East 28.82 per cent, Mumbai North West 28.41 per cent, Mumbai South 24.46 per cent and Mumbai South Central 27.21 per cent, as per official data.
Fadnavis in a statement said, "I have requested the EC to look into the complaints of slow pace of voting in Mumbai. There have been several complaints of the overall polling pace being very slow." The BJP leader also asked the EC officials to discuss the matter with the collectors of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban District and ensure voters do not face any problem due to the slow pace of voting at the booths.
- 20 May 2024 2:56 PM IST
People voting for developed India: Faizabad MP
Lallu Singh, the sitting MP from Faizabad, the constituency that covers temple town of Ayodhya, and BJP candidate, expressed confidence in the BJP's victory after casting his vote. He emphasized that people are voting for the development of India and Ayodhya, aiming for Narendra Modi to become Prime Minister for the third time."The electorate is voting for a developed India, a developed Ayodhya, and to re-elect PM Modi for the third term. The developmental work in Ayodhya has just begun, and it will transform into the most exquisite place globally," Singh conveyed to ANI.
