Lok Sabha polls: Turnout touches 64% in Phase 1 despite heatwave; 56 villages in Bastar vote for first time

New Delhi, April 20: In a huge development, Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, covering the largest chunk of 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union Territories, witnessed an encouraging turnout of 64% despite the heatwave. Besides, the polling was peaceful even in areas like the Naxal-hit Bastar region and West Bengal that witnessed violence before the polls. Incidents of violence were reported in Manipur which still managed to log a turnout of over 70%.

Notably, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it was 66% in the first phase, though seats in Assam and Udhampur in J&K have undergone delimitation since the last poll.

Key points of the Phase 1 of Lok Sabha polls:

1. The highest turnout was clocked by Tripura with 80% whereas the lowest was registered in Bihar with 47%

2.In Bastar constituency of Chhattisgarh, voters, despite the threats from Left-wing extremists registered a 67% turnout. As many as 56 villages in Bastar had polling booths set up for the first time in a LS poll.

3.Manipur, which also witnessed violence since mid-2023, saw peaceful polling and an overall turnout of 70.8%.

4.Tamil Nadu, where polling for all 39 seats was held, recorded 69.1% turnout.

5. Maharashtra at 61.2%. Nagaland (56.9%) and Mizoram (56.6%), which usually see high turnout, witnessed some disappointment.

6.Jammu and Kashmir also witnessed a good turnout with 65%.

7.West Bengal which witnessed massive violence before the polling and even on the polling day in Cooch Behar registered a 70% turnout.

EC also shared how the Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands made history by casting their votes for the first time in a general election. Meanwhile, an elderly couple in Mizoram reaffirmed their vow to vote together. In Arunachal Pradesh, an elderly woman trekked to the polling station rather than settle for the home voting facility. In Bodh Gaya, Buddhist monks proudly displayed their inked fingers.

With the first phase over, polling for Lok Sabha has been completed for 10 states/UTs. Now, the Phase 2 will take place on April 26.