The second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election on Friday recorded a voter turnout of 63.50% as per provisional figures released at 10 pm, reported The Economic Times.
Polling was conducted in 88 parliamentary constituencies across 12 states and a Union Territory.
While the final turnout figures are yet to be released, the polling percentage is likely to be below the turnout of 69.39% recorded in the second phase of the 2019 election.
The voter turnout during the first phase of the ongoing election – estimated at 62.34% – was also lower than the figure of 69.43% recorded in the first phase of the 2019 election. The first leg of voting took place in 102 constituencies on April 19.
According to Election Commission figures available on Saturday morning, Tripura recorded the highest turnout of 79.66% while Uttar Pradesh recorded the lowest figure of 54.85%. A polling percentage of 77.35% was recorded in Assam, 57.81% in Bihar, 75.16% in Chhattisgarh, 72.32% in Jammu and Kashmir, 68.47% in Karnataka, 70.21% in Kerala, 58.26% in Madhya Pradesh, 59.63% in Maharashtra, 78.78% in Manipur, 64.07% in Rajasthan and 73.78% in West Bengal.
Among the prominent candidates in the fray during the second phase were the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor and Bhupesh Baghel, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Om Birla and Tejasvi Surya, the Janata Dal (Secular)’s HD Kumaraswamy and the Communist Party of India’s Annie Raja.
Madhya Pradesh’s Betul constituency was also supposed to go to polls in the second phase, but the voting was postponed to May 7 after the death of Bahujan Samaj Party candidate on April 9.
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