Source: IANS

The voter turnout in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 7, covering 93 constituencies in 11 states/UTs, was approximately 64.40% as of 11.45 p.m., with the highest voting reported from Assam (4 seats) at 81.61%, and the lowest from Uttar Pradesh (10 seats) at 57.34%, the Election Commission said. 

“Polling in third phase of General Elections recorded an approximate voter turnout of 64.4% as of 11.40 pm. The same shall continue to be updated by the field level officers as polling parties keep returning and will be available PC wise (along with respective AC segments) live at VTR App,” an EC statement said.

The poll panel clarified that the data was per the information being filled in the systems by the field officer and “was an approximate trend, as data from some polling stations (PS) takes time and this trend does not include postal ballots. Final actual account of votes recorded for each PS is shared in Form 17 C with all polling agents at close of polls”.

Of the other states, West Bengal (4 seats) recorded 75.79% voting, followed by Goa (2 seats) with 75.20%, while Chhattisgarh (7 seats) logged 71.06%, Karnataka (14 seats) 70.41%, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2 seats) 69.87%, Madhya Pradesh (9 seats) 66.05%, Gujarat (25 seats) 58.98%, and Bihar (5 seats) 58.18%, the poll panel said.

Polling began at 7 a.m. and officially closed at 6 p.m., with many braving the heat to exercise their right to franchise. Those in the queue were allowed to cast their votes even after 6 p.m. Polling was, by and large, peaceful.

With the conclusion of Phase 3, polling in half of the Lok Sabha seats (283) is over now, covering 20 states/UTs.

The election process finished in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on Tuesday.

Of the 1,331 candidates in the fray, notable contenders included Union home minister Amit Shah contesting from Gujrat’s Gandhinagar, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the state’s Vidisha, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna (Madhya Pradesh) (all BJP), Congress heavyweight and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh from Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh, Samajwadi Party's Dimple Yadav from Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri and Aditya Yadav (Budaun), former BJP Karnataka chief ministers Jagadish Shettar (Belgaum), Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri), Congress’ Geeta Shivarajkumar (Shimoga), industrialist Pallavi Dempo, contesting from South Goa on a BJP ticket, and NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule who faced her sister-in-law and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar in the family borough Baramati, among others.

The next phase, comprising 96 seats, across 10 states/UTs, will be held on May 13.

(Source: IANS)

- Edited for style

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