New Delhi: In the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections, a voter turnout of 62.36 percent was recorded yesterday.
Polling took place across 57 Parliamentary Constituencies in seven states and one Union Territory. This included 13 seats each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha, four in Himachal Pradesh, three in Jharkhand, and one seat in Chandigarh.
Bihar saw a voter turnout of 51.92 percent, while Chandigarh recorded 67.90 percent. Himachal Pradesh had a turnout of 70.05 percent, and Jharkhand saw 70.66 percent voter participation. In Punjab, the turnout was 61.32 percent, Uttar Pradesh had 55.59 percent, and West Bengal recorded a high of 73.79 percent. Odisha saw a turnout of 70.67 percent, with simultaneous polling for the remaining 42 Assembly seats.
A total of 904 candidates contested in this final phase. Prominent figures included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Kangana Ranaut, Congress leaders Manish Tiwari and Vikramaditya Singh, RJD leader Misa Bharti, and Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee. Additionally, assembly by-elections were held for six constituencies in Himachal Pradesh and one seat each in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
This seventh phase marked the conclusion of the world’s largest electoral exercise, which began on April 19th.
The Election Commission stated that polling across the country was conducted smoothly and peacefully over the seven phases. The Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, closely monitored the entire process. They ensured stringent security measures were in place, providing a safe environment for voters. The Commission noted that meticulous planning and rigorous training of election officials led to a significant reduction in the number of repolls, showcasing the robustness of the election process.
The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections is scheduled for Tuesday.
4o
