The turnout in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 49 constituencies across eight states and Union territories on Monday crossed 60 per cent as of 11.30 pm — close to the turnout in the same seats in 2019. In a statement, the Election Commission said the “approximate turnout” in the fifth phase was 60.09 per cent. The EC said the number could be revised, and the final turnout would be announced by Friday, after taking into account any repolls. With the turnout likely to rise, it could be close to the 2019 voter turnout in these seats, which was 61.82 per cent. Continuing the trend of increased voting in Jammu and Kashmir, Baramulla recorded a provisional turnout of 56.73 per cent — the highest since 1984. In 2019, Baramulla had recorded 34.6 per cent polling, but the boundaries of the seat have changed since then, as delimitation was done in J&K in 2022. In Baramulla, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah is pitted against separatist-turned-politician and former minister Sajad Lone, who heads the People's Conference, and jailed Awami Ittehad Party leader and former MLA Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid. Barring Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the other states that voted on Monday recorded lower turnouts as compared to 2019, according to estimates at 11.30 pm. The 14 Uttar Pradesh seats where polling was held recorded a turnout of 57.79 per cent at 11.30 pm. Amethi, where BJP MP Smriti Irani is contesting against the Congress’s K L Sharma, had a turnout of 54.15 per cent; Raebareli, where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is in the fray, recorded a turnout of 57.85 per cent. With the fifth phase, polling in all 48 Lok Sabha constituencies of Maharashtra is over. On Monday, the 13 seats from Maharashtra that voted recorded the lowest turnout at 54.29 per cent. The six seats of Mumbai, where low turnout has remained a concern for years, recorded turnouts between 47 per cent and 56 per cent. West Bengal, which had seven seats in the fifth phase, recorded the highest turnout of 74.65 per cent, followed by Ladakh (one seat) at 69.62 per cent. Bihar, with five seats, recorded 54.85 per cent polling. With the completion of the fifth phase, which had 8.95 crore electors spread across 94,732 polling stations, 428 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies have voted. Polling is complete in 25 states and Union territories. Polling was also held for 35 Assembly seats of Odisha on Monday. According to the EC, the first four phases of the Lok Sabha elections recorded an overall turnout of 66.95 per cent. While the first three phases saw a dip, the 96 constituencies in the fourth phase recorded 69.16 polling – slightly higher than the 68.8 per cent turnout in these seats in 2019. In the first phase on April 19, when 102 constituencies went to polls, the final turnout was 66.14 per cent, down from around 69.29 per cent in 2019. In the second phase on April 26, in which 88 seats voted, the final turnout was 66.71 per cent, down from 69.43 per cent in 2019. In the third phase on May 7, across 93 constituencies, the final turnout was 65.68 per cent as compared to 66.58 per cent in 2019.
