#Violence reported in West Bengal; Jharkhand saw a 67.95% turnout
New Delhi: Data released by the Election Commission on Saturday revealed a voter turnout of 58.34% in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections, covering 57 parliamentary constituencies, as of 5 PM.
In Jharkhand, voter turnout was robust, standing at approximately 67.95%. Other states reported the following turnout figures: Uttar Pradesh at 54%, West Bengal at 69.89%, Bihar at 48.86%, and Himachal Pradesh at 66.56%.
Punjab recorded a voter turnout of 55.20%, while Chandigarh saw 62.80% of eligible voters participating. Odisha reported a turnout of around 62.46%.
Jharkhand’s three constituencies of Dumka, Rajmahal, and Godda were part of the voting process today, with Dumka recording 69.89%, Godda at 67.24%, and Rajmahal at 66.98% by 5 PM.
The seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections commenced at 7 AM under tight security across 57 seats spanning seven states and one union territory. This phase included one seat from Chandigarh, all 13 seats from Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, nine from West Bengal, eight from Bihar, six from Odisha, and three from Jharkhand.
A total of 904 candidates are vying for the 57 Lok Sabha seats in this final phase. Prominent candidates include Prime Minister Narendra Modi contesting from Varanasi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Abhishek Banerjee (nephew of Mamata Banerjee), Misa Bharti (daughter of Lalu Prasad), and actress Kangana Ranaut.
The fate of these candidates will be decided by approximately 10.06 crore voters, including 5.24 crore men, 4.82 crore women, and 3,574 transgenders.
Violence in West Bengal
The seventh phase of voting in West Bengal was marred by violence, with reports of clashes surfacing from across the state. In Kultali, South 24 Parganas, a mob allegedly threatened by Trinamool Congress supporters threw an electronic voting machine (EVM) into a pond.
Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer reported on social media platform X that reserve EVMs and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines were looted by a local mob and thrown into a pond. An FIR has been lodged by the sector officer, and necessary actions have been initiated. Voting continued uninterrupted in all six booths under the sector with fresh EVMs and papers provided to the sector officer.
BJP National President JP Nadda expressed confidence in his party’s performance, stating that they will not only retain their current seats but also make significant gains in Bengal, Odisha, and the southern states.
