7 May : About 57 per cent voter turn-out has been recorded in the fourth phase polling for the Lok Sabha elections held across eight states on Thursday.
Deputy Election Commissioner R Balkrishnan said the turn-out in this phase was higher as compared to the polling figures in the previous phases.
Giving details about the turn-out, he said while West Bengal recorded the highest turn-out of 75 per cent, the lowest was in Jammu and Kashmir (24 per cent).
In Bihar, the turnout was a dismal 37 per cent, followed by Punjab, 65 per cent and Haryana 63 per cent.
Almost half of the electorate turned out to cast their ballots in Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, he said.He clarified that these are tentative figures and voters were still standing in queues.
Although the turn-out in Srinagar was pegged at the lowest, it is much higher than what was recorded in 2004 and 1999. It was 18.5 per cent in 2004 and 11.93 per cent in 1999.
Earlier in the day, polling was marred by sporadic violence in West Bengal and Rajasthan.
As many as 9.46 crore people are eligible to vote in this phase, in which 1,315 candidates including 119 women are in the fray.
Thursday’s polling will decide the fate of several prominent political figures including BJP President Rajnath Singh, RJD President Lalu Prasad , Congress Leader Pranab Mukherjee, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
50.03 pc voters cast their franchise in LS polls in Delhi
Despite hot weather conditions outdoors, over 50 per cent of the voters in Delhi turned up to vote in elections for seven Lok Sabha seats in the state, displaying a greater passion for Democratic exercise than Mumbaiites last week.
The Delhi Election Commission said approximately 50.03 per cent of the 11 lakh voters in Delhi had exercised their franchise in polling for the seven Lok Sabha seats, which came to an end at 1700 hrs on Thursday.
The maximum voting percentage of 52.50 per cent was recorded in East Delhi followed by North East Delhi with 52 per cent, West Delhi with 51 per cent, Chandni Chowk and New Delhi with 50 per cent each and South Delhi with 48 per cent, the state election commission said.
The lowest voting percentage of 45 per cent was recorded in North West Delhi.
President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, her son and Amethi MP Rahul and daughter Priyanka were among the early voters in the capital.
Polling to four LS seats in Punjab ends
The fate of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s daughter-in-law and wife and son of his predecessor Capt Amarinder Singh was sealed on Thursday as the polling to four Lok Sabha seats in the state ended on a by and large peaceful note.
The polling was however marred by few incidents of violence at Barnala and Patiala in which six persons were injured.
About 60 per cent of the 52.75 lakh voters cast their votes, Initial reports said.
About 64 per cent voters turn up to vote in Haryana
Around 64 per cent of nearly 1.20 crore voters exercised their franchise as the polling for the ten Lok Sabha seats in Haryana on Thursday remained peaceful.
"Nearly 64 per cent people have cast their vote. The polling remained by and large peaceful," official sources said in Chandigarh.
Barring a few minor incidents, the polling was peaceful in the state.
The voter turnout in 2004 parliamentary elections was 65.67 per cent in the state.
Around 70 per cent polling in WB
Around 70 per cent polling has recorded in the second and penultimate phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 17 constituencies in West Bengal on Thursday.
"Around 70 per cent polling has been recorded and voting is still continuing in many constituencies," Chief Electoral Officer of the state Debasish Sen told reporters in Kolkata.
50 pc polling in Rajasthan; 3 killed in firing/mishaps
An estimated 50 per cent of around 3.70 crore electorate exercised their franchise in Rajasthan to decide the fate of 346 contestants in 25 constituencies on Thursday.
The voting was marred by three deaths in poll-related mishaps, incidents of clashes and attempts of bogus voting or booth capturing at some places in Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Alwar and Udaipur districts.
The polling which began at 42,702 polling booths at 0700 to elect 25 MPs for the 15th Lok Sabha from the state, was concluded at 1700 hrs Thursday evening.
Expressing satisfaction over ”by and large peaceful polling,” Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Zutsi said nearly 50 per cent polling was reported during the single phased polling which barring one incident of police firing and stray incident of violence and/or booth capturing, passed off peacefully.
A Police Spokesman said one person was killed, when CISF personnel opened fire in Olwada village under Malerna police station of Sawai Madhopur district to avert attempts of booth capturing while a woman voter died at a polling booth in Kanjwan illage in Udaipur district, after a pillar collapsed on her.
Likewise, a polling officer Manohar Singh Bundel died at polling booth in Bhawta village of Dausa district, following a heart attack on Thursday morning.
However, the polling remained unaffected.
Final phase of polling in Bihar peaceful
Polling for three parliamentary constituencies in fourth and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in Bihar passed off peacefully on Thursday.
State Chief Electoral Officer Sudhir Kumar Rakesh told newspersons in Patna that about 38 per cent electorate exercised their franchise amid tight security arrangements in the state. No report of any untoward incident had been reported from any parts so far, he added.
Polling percentage in Patna Saheb was 34.8 while in Nalanda and Patliputra, it was 39 and 40 per cent respectively, he informed.
”We are taking extra care to ensure that all polling personnel could return with Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) safely from remote corners of naxalite-affected areas,” he said adding the low turn-out of voters should be cause of concern for every one.
”Despite best of efforts, the voters did not come out from their houses to exercise their franchise,” Rakesh said adding the Election Commission would go into the reasons behind it.
”We would take suitable initiatves in this regard as per the guidelines of the Election Commission,” he assured.
Rakesh said altogether 22 incidents of poll boycott were
reported from all the three constituencies.
In Nalanda, poll boycott was reported from 18 places while in Patna, such incidents were 4.
About 24 pc turnout in Srinagar constituency
About 24 per cent voters of over 11 lakh electorate have cast their franchise in the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency amid unprecedented security arrangements and polls boycott call given by the separatists.
Though it was about 5.5 per cent more than the voter turnout recorded in 2004 polls in the constituency, spread over 15 assembly segments in three districts of Ganderbal, Srinagar and Badgam, but it was more than 20 per cent less than the polling witnessed in the constituency during 2008 Assembly polling.
Barring an incident of hurling petrol bomb on a polling station in the downtown early on Thursday morning, polling was so far peaceful and there was no report of any major untoward incident from the constituency, spread over 15 Assembly segments in three districts of Srinagar, Badgam and Ganderbal.
Chief Electoral Officer B R Sharma told a news conference in New Delhi on Thursday evening that about 24 per cent voters cast their ballots in the constituency.