NEW DELHI, May 13: The fourth phase of Indias Lok Sabha elections on Monday witnessed over 62% polling across 96 constituencies in 10 states and Union Territories.
West Bengal recorded the highest polling with 75.91% voter turnout followed by Madhya Pradesh at 68.48%. Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra were the laggards with 36.58% and 52.63% polling, respectively.
Among other states, Andhra Pradesh saw 68.12% polling, Bihar 55.90%, Jharkhand 63.37%, Odisha 63.85%, Telangana 61.29%, and Uttar Pradesh 57.76%. This is provisional data and overall voter turnout is likely to go up.
While the polling was largely peaceful, some incidents of violence were reported in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. There were also reports of EVMs malfunctioning at some booths in West Bengal and Odisha.
The TDP and YSRCP traded allegations of violence against each other in the state, especially in Palnadu, Kadapa and Annamayya districts. YSRCP accused TDP of violating the poll code in various constituencies and capturing polling booths. On the other hand, TDP alleged that YSRCP workers damaged vehicles belonging to their candidate and assaulted their agents. YSRCP MLA A Shiva Kumar allegedly slapped a voter in Tenali after an argument broke out over the lawmaker jumping the queue, following which the voter returned in kind.
In Telangana, BJP candidate K Madhavi Latha, who is challenging AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi from Hyderabad, was booked by election authorities for allegedly asking women voters to lift their burqa to match their identity at a polling booth.
Srinagar voted amid rising concerns about low voter turnout and the campaigns increasingly acrimonious tenor.
The ruling BJP isn contesting the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat or the two other parliamentary constituencies from the Muslim-majority Kashmir region. A number of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu were unable to cast their vote as their names were missing from the electoral rolls.
A total of 1,717 candidates are competing in this phase across the Lok Sabha seats, with over 17.70 crore eligible voters, including 8.73 crore women.
Polling is underway for all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, four in Odisha, eight in West Bengal, and one in Jammu and Kashmir.
Till phase three of the Lok Sabha elections, polling was held in 283 seats out of 543. After todays round, polling will conclude in 379 seats.
The voter turnout in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections was 66.14%, 66.71% and 65.68%, respectively.
The subsequent three phases are scheduled for 20 May, 25 May, and 1 June, with vote counting slated for 4 June. —Hindustan Times
