Lok Sabha Election 2024: Phase 5 Voting Begins for 49 seats in 8 states/UT

On Monday, May 20th, the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 is set to take place. People will vote in 49 different constituency areas across six states and two Union Territories.

 In addition to the 49 Lok Sabha seats up for grabs, today’s voting in Odisha includes 35 assembly constituencies. The election commission of India released that an impressive 8.95 crore voters, comprising 4.69 crore men, 4.26 crore women, and 5,409 third-gender electors, are eligible to cast their ballots in this crucial fifth phase. Among them, there are over 7.81 lakh registered voters aged 85 and above, with an astonishing 24,792 voters aged more than 100 as well.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the prime minister of the country urged women and first-time voters to vote. 

On the same platform, Rahul Gandhi from the opposition also shared a message. He emphasized how the first four phases of elections have revealed a strong stance from the people in safeguarding the Constitution and democracy, effectively countering the BJP. He highlighted a shift towards issue-based voting, where youth are advocating for job opportunities, farmers are demanding fair minimum support prices and relief from debt, women are striving for economic empowerment and safety, and laborers are seeking just wages. Gandhi underscored the unity of the Indian populace in this electoral battle, expressing confidence in the imminent wave of change across the nation. He urged citizens from all corners, including Amethi and Rae Bareli, to turn out in large numbers and vote for the betterment of their families, their rights, and the advancement of India.

According to the Election Commission of India, voting is scheduled to commence at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm.

Today, voters from six states and two Union Territories are heading to the polls. These areas include Uttar Pradesh with 14 seats, Maharashtra with 13, West Bengal with 7, Bihar with 5, Odisha with 5, Jharkhand with 3, and one seat each in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Among the candidates vying for votes today, some notable candidates contesting in today’s elections include Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh, while Smriti Irani is running in Amethi, also in UP. Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow in UP, while Karan Bhushan Singh is contesting from Kaiserganj, also in UP. In Bihar, we have Rohini Acharya competing in Saran, and Chirag Paswan in Hajipur. Moving to Mumbai, Piyush Goyal is running in Mumbai North, and Ujjwal Nikam in Mumbai North-Central. Lastly, Omar Abdullah is contesting from Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir.

As of 9 am on Monday (May 20), the voter turnout across the country stood at approximately 10.28 percent. Among the states and Union Territories, West Bengal recorded the highest turnout, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 12.89 percent, Jharkhand with 11.68 percent, Ladakh with 10.51 percent, and Bihar with 8.86 percent.

Jammu & Kashmir saw a turnout of 7.63 percent, followed by Odisha at 6.87 percent, and Maharashtra at 6.33 percent, according to the Election Commission of India’s Voter Turnout app. The voting process across 49 Lok Sabha seats in 6 states and two Union Territories is ongoing until 6 pm. In Jharkhand, Hazaribag witnessed a voter turnout of approximately 12.04 percent, while Chatra and Koderma constituencies recorded turnout rates of 11.43 percent and 11.56 percent, respectively.

The Election Commission announced that the voter turnout for the fourth phase of polling in the Lok Sabha elections was recorded at 67.25%percent.

The upcoming phase of the Lok Sabha election is scheduled to commence on May 25th, with the final phase wrapping up on June 1st. The counting of votes is set to take place on June 4.