New Delhi: Amid a handful of incidents of scuffle and a few complaints to the Election Commission, the second phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 concluded on Friday with a provisional voter turnout of 64.2. The poll panel described the voting as “peaceful”.
In the second phase, over 15.88 crore voters, including 8.08 crore males, 7.8 crore females and 5,929 third gender were eligible to vote.
Voters of two polling stations in Assam’s Silchar constituency boycotted polling over development issues. The electorate of 110 Durganar Bagan lower primary school and Chittaranjan lane did not participate in the polling process.
Cricketing icons Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath were seen voting at different polling stations in Bengaluru, however, nearly half of its voters did not turn up to cast their vote. The approximate voter turnout in Bangalore Central was 52.81 per cent, Bangalore North – 54.42 per cent and Bangalore South – 53.15 per cent.
According to the voter turnout figures shared by the district information office, Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency recorded a poll percentage of 53.30 down from 60.47 per cent in 2019 elections
In Bihar, the polling time was extended till 6 pm at many polling stations in Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria and Munger constituencies to facilitate the voters in hot weather conditions. Special arrangements were made to combat the heat, including provision of ‘shamiyana’, drinking water, medical kits and fans for the convenience of the voters
In phase two, the EC said, voters from 46 villages in Bastar and Kanker constituencies in Chhattisgarh cast their vote in a polling booth set up in their own village for the first time in a Lok Sabha election.
Rajasthan recorded a tentatively 61.60 per cent voter turnout as 25 Lok Sabha seats went for polls in the second phase of general elections. A 108-year-old woman, Bhuri Bai, cast her vote at the Gunjara polling booth in the Kota-Bundi constituency. She was brought to the polling booth in a wheelchair by her family members.
Lok Sabha Polls Phase II: 2024 VS 2019
In the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections of 2019 held in 95 constituencies across 13 states, the turnout was 67.6 per cent while the second leg of the 2024 general elections witnessed a decline in voter turnout nearly by 3% and stood at 64.2.
In the first phase, the turnout was 65.5 per cent compared to 69.43 per cent in phase one of the 2019 parliamentary polls. Some of the constituencies were different then and the total number of seats which went to poll was 91.
The heat wave is believed to have contributed towards several voters not turning up at polling stations in both the phases.