(HT)
In the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections that covered 88 seats across 12 states and a union territory, a voter turnout of 63.50 per cent was reported. The Election Commission (EC) stated that polling was mostly peaceful.
The tentative voter turnout figure at 8 pm was 63.50 per cent, which is expected to increase as reports from all polling stations are received. Additionally, voters arriving at polling stations until the end of polling hours were allowed to cast their votes.
In some villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, Rajasthan’s Banswara and Maharashtra’s Parbhani, voters initially boycotted the polls but were later convinced by authorities to participate. Polling for the second phase began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm, with several states experiencing intense heat conditions. The first phase of polling took place on April 19 in 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories.
Voting took place across all 20 constituencies in Kerala, 14 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, 8 seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam and Bihar, 3 seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and 1 seat each in Manipur, Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir.