NEW DELHI, Apr 17: High turnout was witnessed in 121 constituencies which went to polls across 12 states in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday in which the political fate of leaders like Nandan Nilekani, Maneka Gandhi, M Veerappa Moily and Jaswant Singh is at stake.
There were a few incidents of violence, including blasts, in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh in which four people, including three security personnel, were injured.
Four constituencies of West Bengal, which went to polls, recorded the highest turnout among the 12 states. The voter turnout was recorded at 78.89% but was likely to go up as final figures were still being computed. The figure as of now was lower than previous Lok Sabha election turnout of 80.85%.
In Manipur Inner constituency, the turnout was an impressive 74% and it was likely to go up further. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout was much higher at 77%.
In Bihar's seven constituencies, the turnout was 56% as compared to 39.3% recorded in the last general elections.
The three constituencies of Chhattisgarh which went to poll in the fifth phase, the turnout was an impressive 63.44%. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the turnout in these constituencies was 57.60%.
An electorate of 16.61 crore was eligible to exercise their franchise today in 28 seats of Karnataka, 20 of Rajasthan, 19 of Maharashtra, 11 each of Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, 10 of Madhya Pradesh, 7 of Bihar, 6 of Jharkhand, four of West Bengal, three of Chhattisgarh and one each of Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur.
Of the total seats, Congress has 36 seats while its main challenger BJP has 40 seats.
Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur constituency recorded a turnout of 69.08% which was 24% higher than the 45.15% recorded in the previous LS polls.
Karnataka, which went for a single-phased poll today, also recorded a high turnout of 68%, nearly 10% higher than last elections' 58.88%.
In 10 constituencies of Madhya Pradesh, though the turnout was not impressive as compared to other states, it was higher than the last general elections. It recorded a turnout of 54.41%, while in the last polls, it was 46.2%.
The 19 constituencies of Maharashtra, which went to polls today, witnessed a turnout of 54.67%. It was 54.14% in the last polls.
Odisha went for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections today. A total of 11 Lok Sabha seats went to polls in Odisha and recorded voter turnout of 70%. It was 66.28% in the 2009 general elections.
Rajasthan's 20 constituencies also recorded an impressive turnout of 63.25% as compared to 48.09% in the last polls.
Voters turned out in large numbers in Uttar Pradesh's 11 constituencies which recorded a turnout of 62.52% as compared to 55.09% in the last LS polls.
In Jharkhand's 6 constituencies, 62% of voters came out to exercise their franchise. While in the last LS elections, the turnout was 58%.
A landmine blast on a CRPF patrol and subsequent ambush by Maoists left four people, including three securitymen injured.
Elsewhere, in Bihar an FIR has been registered against RJD chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti for entering a polling compartment in a Patlipura constituency polling booth though she is not a voter there.
She is pitted there against Lalu's former close confidante Ram Kripal Yadav who is contesting on a BJP ticket.
Later some 50 persons entered the polling booth and created a ruckus and damaging a voting machine. A separate FIR was lodged against them. |
