Millions of Indians have voted in the first phase of the world’s largest elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third term on the back of issues such as growth, welfare and Hindu nationalism.
From Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra to Manipur, the first phase of polling in the Lok Sabha elections saw a voter turnout of around 62% until 9 pm in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories, the phase with the largest number of seats in the seven-phase 2024 polls.
According to Election Commission of India data, turnout in the 102 Lok Sabha constituencies of Phase I and the 92 Assembly constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, where state legislature polls were held simultaneously, stood at 62.37% as of 9 pm.
Polling was to end at 6 pm, but those who were in line to vote were being allowed to cast their votes beyond 6 pm, EC officials said. While the average turnout in these 102 Lok Sabha seats stood at 70% in 2019, the tentative turnout this time pointed to a decrease.
However, the final figures were expected to go up. According to EC, the final figures would be known on Saturday.
The first phase saw voters turning out for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, 12 seats in Rajasthan, 8 seats in UP, 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, 4 seats of Bihar, 3 seats of West Bengal, 2 seats each in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and 1 seat each in Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
