Lok Sabha polls: First phase records turnout of over 63%, West Bengal and Manipur report violence

The first phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024 held on Friday recorded an estimated voter turnout of 63.89%, The Hindu reported. The final figure is likely to be released on Saturday.

Polling was conducted on 102 parliamentary constituencies across 17 states and four Union Territories.

According to Election Commission figures available on Saturday morning, a turnout of 60.25% was recorded in Uttar Pradesh, 61.87% in Maharashtra and 80.55% in West Bengal. Lakshadweep recorded the highest voting percentage at 83.88%, while Bihar registered the lowest at 48.88%.

Voting was also held for the 92 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Arunachal Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 76.44%, while 79.86% of Sikkim’s electorate turned up to exercise their franchise.

Elections were marred by violence in parts of West Bengal and Manipur, while six districts of Nagaland recorded a very low voter turnout amid a shutdown call.

In West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, two Trinamool Congress members suffered injuries in an attack by unidentified assailants hours, PTI reported.

The Trinamool Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating the attack, which took place hours before polling began. The BJP denied its involvement and claimed that the attack was the result of an internal feud in the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

Supporters of the BJP and Trinamool Congress also clashed in the district’s Chandmari and Mathabhanga areas.

In the Inner Manipur constituency, miscreants fired at a polling station at Thamanpokpi, which is located in the Moirang Assembly segment. At least three persons were injured.

An incident of vandalism was reported at a polling station in the Thongju Assembly segment located in the Imphal East district, which is also part of the Inner Manipur seat.

Six districts in eastern Nagaland recorded very low polling amid a shutdown call by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation, a pressure group representing the state’s backward hilly regions, to push its statehood demand.

The group had imposed an indefinite total shutdown in the region from 6 pm on Thursday.