The first phase of voting for the 18th Lok Sabha elections concluded on April 19 across 21 states and Union territories, with an estimated turnout of nearly 64%. The final percentage is expected to be announced today by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Despite facing a heatwave, voters turned out in significant numbers in states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
More than 16.63 crore voters, including over eight crore men and women each, participated in the electoral process at nearly 2 lakh polling stations. The ECI stated that the voting percentage is likely to increase as reports from all polling stations are compiled, commending the “high” voter turnout despite challenging weather conditions.
The first phase featured the highest number of parliamentary constituencies among all phases. The Lok Sabha polls are being conducted in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. Results will be announced on June 4, with the second phase scheduled for April 26 and the remaining phases on May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, respectively. The 2019 general elections were also held in seven phases.
Prominent figures contesting in the first phase include Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Bhupendra Yadav, Kiren Rijiju, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Sarbananda Sonowal. Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi, DMK’s Kanimozhi, and BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai were also among the candidates in yesterday’s polls.
Stay tuned for further updates on the Lok Sabha elections as India progresses through this democratic exercise.!~
[Akai News India ]
