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 today 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 per cent 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 per cent.
In Manipur Inner constituency, the turnout was an impressive 74 per cent and it was likely to go up further. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout was much higher at 77 per cent.
In Bihar’s seven constituencies, the turnout was 56 per cent as compared to 39.3 per cent 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 per cent. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the turnout in these constituencies was 57.60 per cent.
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 per cent which was 24 per cent higher than the 45.15 per cent recorded in the previous LS polls.
Karnataka, which went for a single-phased poll today, also recorded a high turnout of 68 per cent, nearly 10 per cent higher than last elections’ 58.88 per cent.
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 per cent, while in the last polls, it was 46.2 per cent.
The 19 constituencies of Maharashtra, which went to polls today, witnessed a turnout of 54.67 per cent. It was 54.14 per cent 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 per cent. It was 66.28 per cent in the 2009 general elections.
Rajasthan’s 20 constituencies also recorded an impressive turnout of 63.25 per cent as compared to 48.09 per cent in the last polls.
Voters turned out in large numbers in Uttar Pradesh’s 11 constituencies which recorded a turnout of 62.52 per cent as compared to 55.09 per cent in the last LS polls.
In Jharkhand’s 6 constituencies, 62 per cent of voters came out to exercise their franchise. While in the last LS elections, the turnout was 58 per cent.
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.
Some polling staff was caught casting votes in connivance with a candidate in Patna district, the EC said. While they have been suspended, a case was registered against them.
Defective EVMs forced authorities to order suspend polling in nine places in Bihar, the EC said.
In Odisha’s Cuttack, miscreants damaged an EVM, while in other case, a member of the flying squad was caught doing “wrong thing” inside a polling station. He was suspended and a case lodged, Deputy EC Alok Shukla told reporters here without elaborating.
In UP’s Shahjahanpur and Pilibhit districts, people decided to boycott polling in a total of six polling stations over issued related to development and missing names in electoral rolls, Deputy EC Vinod Zutshi said.
In Rampur constituency of UP, some 60 people entered a booth and cast 40 votes. A repoll is likely in the polling booth, he said. (PTI)
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