The first phase of polling in the Lok Sabha elections saw a voter turnout of around 62% until 9 pm in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories, the phase with the largest number of seats in the seven-phase 2024 polls.
Voter turnout in the 102 Lok Sabha constituencies of Phase 1 and the 92 Assembly constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, where state legislature polls were held simultaneously, stood at 62.37% as of 9 pm, according to Election Commission of India.
In 2019, the turnout in these seats stood at 69.4%.
However, the final figures were expected to go up. According to ECI, the final figures would be known on Saturday.
The EC, in a statement, said, “[V]oters reaching the Polling stations till the end of polling hour are allowed to cast their vote. Final figures will be known tomorrow after the scrutiny of form 17A.” Form 17A is the register of voters for every polling station.
The highest turnout was reported from Tripura West constituency in Tripura while the lowest turnout was reported from Nawada in Bihar.
The first phase — which is also the largest of seven phases — saw voters turning out for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, 12 seats in Rajasthan, 8 seats in UP, 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, 4 seats of Bihar, 3 seats of West Bengal, 2 seats each in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and 1 seat each in Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
West Bengal’s three seats recorded a turnout of 77.6%, compared to 84.8% in 2019.
Tamil Nadu recorded a provisional turnout of 68%, compared to 72.4% in 2019.
Bihar, which had four seats in the first phase, had the lowest turnout for any state (48.50%) — in 2019, the four seats had an average turnout of 54%.
Uttarakhand’s five seats saw a turnout of 54.06%, compared to 61.88% in 2019.
The provisional turnout in the state — which has two Lok Sabha seats — stood at 69.5%, compared to 82.5% in 2019. Outer Manipur seat will go to the polls in the second phase on 26 April.
Rajasthan’s 12 seats recorded a turnout of 57.3%, compared to 63.9% in 2019 while Uttar Pradesh recorded a turnout of 59.8%, compared to 66.6% in 2019.
Tripura, where votes were cast for one seat, had the highest turnout for any state (80.17%).
Assam recorded a turnout of 72.4%. Chhattisgarh recorded a turnout of 67.1%, compared to 66.2% in 2019.
Nagaland recorded a provisional turnout of 56.9%, compared to 83% in 2019.
