Fifth Phase of Lok Sabha Elections Sees 60.5% Turnout!

On Monday, over 53 million people voted in the fifth and smallest phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. This phase saw a voter turnout of 60.5%, down from 62.4% five years ago. Despite the overall decrease, this phase showed higher participation than the previous four phases.

Key Highlights:

High-Profile Constituencies: Important seats like Amethi, Rae Bareli, and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, six constituencies in Mumbai, Hajipur in Bihar, and Baramulla in Jammu & Kashmir went to the polls.

Voter Turnout Comparisons:

First phase: 66.14% (down from 69.4% in 2019)

Second phase: 66.71% (down from 69.6% in 2019)

Third phase: 65.68% (slightly down from 65.9% in 2019)

Fourth phase: 69.16% (down from 69.5% in 2019)

The fifth phase's turnout is likely to be revised upwards, potentially matching the 2019 figure.

Regional Breakdown:

West Bengal: Highest turnout at 75.9%.

Odisha: 72.8%.

Ladakh: 70.5%.

Jharkhand: 63.1%.

Uttar Pradesh: 57.8%.

Jammu and Kashmir: 58.2%.

Bihar: 54.9%.

Maharashtra: 54.3%.

Mumbai:

Disappointing turnout with only about half of registered voters participating.

Lowest turnout in Mumbai South (47.7%) and highest in Mumbai North East (53.8%).

Overall, Maharashtra saw a turnout of 54.3%, compared to 55.6% in 2019.

Uttar Pradesh:

Rae Bareli: 57.9% turnout, up from 56.3% in 2019.

Amethi: 54.2%, similar to 54.1% in 2019.

Lucknow: 52.0%, down from 54.7% in 2019.

Other Notable Regions:

Baramulla, J&K: Highest turnout in nearly 40 years at 58.2%.

Ladakh: 66.6%, down from 70.5% in 2019.

Faizabad, UP: 59%, down slightly from 59.7% in 2019.

Kaiserganj, UP: 55.5%, up from 54.3% in 2019.

Incidents and Clashes:

Bihar saw clashes between BJP and RJD workers in Saran.

Jharkhand recorded a 63.1% turnout, down from 65.5% in 2019.

West Bengal experienced sporadic clashes and high security in South Bengal, with the highest turnout in Arambagh (79.5%) and the lowest in Howrah and Barrackpore (around 70%).

Odisha: A non-political stabbing incident occurred in Bargarh.

With this phase, elections are now complete in 24 of India’s 36 states and Union territories. The last two phases will cover the remaining 114 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats on May 26 and June 1.