NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Nearly 60% voter turnout has been recorded till 5 PM across various states and Union Territories, several hours after the voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 began this morning.
In the first round of polls, voting is currently underway in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories. This includes places from Jammu and Kashmir to Andaman and Nicobar, Bihar to Lakshwadeep, and Maharashtra to Mizoram. The Election Commission of India reports a staggering 16.63 crore eligible voters for Phase 1. This includes 35 lakh people who are voting for the first time and 3.51 crore young voters between 20-29 years old.
They will vote at 1.87 lakh polling stations across the country from 7 a.m. They will choose from 1,625 candidates, including many big names like Union Ministers, a former Governor, and two former Chief Ministers.
The polling will conclude in most constituencies by 6 p.m. The first phase of the Lok Sabha battle will conclude in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshwadeep, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim (one seat), Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya (two seats each), Uttarakhand (five seats), and Tamil Nadu (39 seats).
To ensure a free and fair election, the Election Commission has deployed 4,627 flying squads, 5,208 static surveillance teams, 2,028 video surveillance teams, and 1,255 video viewing teams.
A total of 1,374 inter-state and 162 international border checkpoints are in place to closely monitor any illegal flow of liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies. Strict surveillance is being maintained on sea and aerial routes as well. —ZEE NEWS
