Nearly 61% turnout
their third consecutive wins in their respective constituencies.
Prime Minister Modi called for a high voter turnout early in the day, emphasising its importance for democracy. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi also made heartfelt appeals for people to vote in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election.
Post-polling, Modi expressed his gratitude to the voters and noted the strong support for the NDA, suggesting that it would lead to disappointment for the opposition. He highlighted the role of youth and women voters in bolstering the NDA’s support.
In Kerala, the voter turnout was 65.23 percent. The election process, conducted under stringent security measures, was mostly incident-free, barring a few instances of bogus voting and EVM malfunctions that caused delays in some booths.
However, three individuals in Kerala passed away after casting their votes, and a polling agent died at a booth in Kozhikode.
The Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency saw a turnout of 78.63 per cent. Election officials promptly addressed a few complaints from certain booths.
In Chhattisgarh, a member of the Madhya Pradesh Special Armed Force on election duty allegedly took his own life. Additionally, a polling booth in Balod district was adorned like a wedding ‘mandap’, complete with traditional wedding rituals, where several newlyweds cast their votes in their wedding attire.
The EC reported that for the
first time in a Lok Sabha election, residents from 46 villages in Bastar and Kanker were able to vote in polling booths set up in their own villages.
Madhya Pradesh saw a turnout of 55.77 per cent, while Assam had 70.68 per cent of its 77,26,668 voters participate in this phase.
In Manipur, under heightened security, the turnout was a notable 77.18 per cent. There were reports of intimidation by suspected militants and altercations between political party supporters, leading to the damage of an EVM at a polling station.
Karnataka’s overall voting percentage was 64.85 per cent. Legal actions were taken against two
BJP leaders for alleged electoral violations.
In Bangalore, eateries offered free or discounted food to voters, and a private hospital helped 41 inpatients vote with the assistance of the city’s civic body. Green corridors were established for ambulances to facilitate smooth voting.
In Maharashtra, a voter turnout of 53.84 per cent was recorded across eight constituencies, while Rajasthan saw a turnout of 62.46 per cent. There were reports of confrontations during polling in the Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha constituency of Rajasthan.
The by-election for the Bagidora assembly constituency in Banswara district also took place, recording a 73.25 per cent voter turnout.
In Uttar Pradesh, the turnout was 53.71 per cent, with senior citizens actively participating in the early hours of voting. Some local associations provided electric vehicles to transport voters to and from polling booths.
The voter turnout was 54.91 per cent in Bihar, 71.84 per cent in West Bengal, and 71.21 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir, marking the first major electoral event in the region since the abrogation of Article 370 and its bifurcation into Union Territories.
The Election Commission registered nearly 300 complaints in West Bengal, primarily concerning EVM malfunctions.
With the completion of Friday’s phase, voting has concluded in Kerala, Rajasthan, and Tripura. The first phase on April 19 saw the completion of polling in all seats
of several states and Union Territories. The third phase of elections for 94 seats across 12 states and Union Territories is scheduled for May 7, with the counting of votes set for June 4.