Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Phase 4 of Polls Records 67.25% Voter Turnout

The Election Commission of India announced that during the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on May 13, approximately 67.25 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots across the 96 parliamentary constituencies that were up for polling.

Voting took place across various states in India, including 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. The voting window opened at 7 am and closed at 6 pm on Monday. Notably, this election marks a significant moment for Kashmir as it’s the first major one since the repeal of Article 370 in August 2019.

West Bengal saw the highest voter turnout, with 78.37 percent, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 70.98 percent, Jharkhand with 65.2 percent, Uttar Pradesh with 58.05 percent, and Bihar with 57.06 percent. The Srinagar constituency recorded a turnout of approximately 37.98 percent by 11:45 pm on May 13, marking the highest turnout since 1996. This is a significant increase compared to the 2019 elections when Srinagar recorded only a 14.43 percent voter turnout.

There were reports of violence and issues with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in certain states. In Kannauj, Akhilesh Yadav from the SP accused the BJP of tampering with the elections. He alleged that there were instances of voting disruptions in polling booths. Despite these challenges in Kannauj, Yadav noted that overall, the election process was progressing smoothly, and citizens were actively participating in casting their votes.

On the X platform, the local BJP branch claimed that in the Bidhuna Assembly area within the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency, individuals affiliated with the SP were obstructing voters who wished to support the BJP. Allegedly, they were involved in capturing booths with the assistance of the presiding officer and law enforcement personnel.

In this phase, a total of 1,717 candidates vied for victory, while a staggering 17.7 crore voters were eligible to cast their ballots. With the completion of this phase, the voting process has wrapped up in 23 states and union territories, encompassing 379 seats. Looking ahead, the final three phases of the seven-phase general elections are slated for May 20, May 25, and June 1, with the counting set to take place on June 4.