West Bengal registered the highest voter turnout of 76 per cent in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections Monday which saw a total turnout of 64 per cent despite incidents of violence in several areas. Seventy-one parliamentary constituencies spread across nine states voted in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019. Clashes erupted in Nanoor, Rampurhat, Nalhati and Suri areas of Birbhum seat, leaving several people injured. In Barabani, BJP candidate from Asansol and Union minister Babul Supriyo's vehicle was allegedly vandalised by TMC workers outside a polling station. Supriyo alleged that the TMC workers had hijacked some polling booths and stationed their people. In reply, local TMC workers alleged that Supriyo was bringing goons to the booths to influence the election. An FIR was registered against Supriyo for allegedly getting into an argument with polling officials, an election official said. In Dubrajpur area central security forces personnel reportedly opened fire in the air to disperse an angry crowd which attacked them when they were barred from entering the booths with mobile phones. The ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP accused each other of intimidating voters in the state, which has seen violence in all previous three phases despite stepped up central forces deployment. Follow more election news here In the Hindi heartland, while 13 seats in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh each recorded 62 per cent and 53.12 per cent turnout respectively, six seats in Madhya Pradesh recorded 65.86 per cent turnout. Nearly 52 per cent voting was recorded in Maharashtra (17 seats), 64.05 per cent Odisha (6 seats), 53.67 per cent Bihar (five seats) and 63.42 per cent Jharkhand (3 seats), PTI reported. The polling process was peaceful in Rajasthan, with tribal dominated seat of Banswara recording the highest voting percentage at 72.34. Barmer followed with 72.21 per cent. Chittorgarh and Jhalwar-Baran also recorded 71.29 and 70.95 per cent voting. In Madhya Pradesh, EVMs had to be replaced at 207 polling booths during a mock-poll as some glitches were found. EVMs were also replaced at 106 polling booths after the voting began. In Kulgam district of Anantnag constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, 10.3 per cent polling was recorded, amid isolated incidents of stone pelting. This was the second of the three-phased polling in the sensitive seat. In Maharashtra, complaints of technical glitches in EVMs and VVPAT machines in some polling booths were reported, which were effectively addressed, election commission stated. Mumbai saw a host of film celebrities and businessmen exercising their franchise as the city recorded a voter turnout of over 55 per cent. EVM malfunction reported in UP, Bihar EVM malfunctioning reports also surfaced from Uttar Pradesh. The Samajwadi Party alleged that many EVMs were malfunctioned and in Kannauj, from where SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav is contesting, several party workers were prevented from coming out of their homes to vote. Reports of EVMs malfunctioning were also reported in Bidhauna area under the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat and Etawah in Auriaya district. In Kanpur, BJP workers allegedly tried to barge into a polling booth and clashed with the police, PTI reported. A case was registered against BJP leader Suresh Awasthi and six others in this connection. In Bihar, voting was delayed due to EVM malfunctioning at three polling stations in Munger, two polling stations in Darbhanga and three polling stations in Begusarai, from where CPI's Kanhaiya Kumar and BJP's Giriraj Singh (BJP) are contesting, due to technical glitches. In Odisha, technical glitches in EVMs delayed polling in 60 booths, but it resumed after the snags were rectified, the official said. A Congress worker was stabbed to death in the state, PTI reported. While the fourth phase marked the start of polling in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the elections came to an end in Maharashtra and Odisha. (With PTI inputs)
