BY-AYUSH ARORA
Lok Sabha 2024 election: Amidst intermittent violent incidents, especially in Manipur, 64 percent of voters cast ballots in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, which covered 102 constituencies. With almost 80% of voters casting ballots, the northeastern state of Tripura had the greatest voter turnout, while Bihar had the lowest turnout, at less than 49%.
In the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, all seats Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1) went to the polls.
In the first phase, votes were cast in certain seats from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh. While Manipur’s two seats were covered in this phase of voting, the Outer Manipur constituency’s polling stations will hold their next phase’s voting on April 26.
In an unusual attempt to secure a third term in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attracting a lot of attention from observers of the polls since the percentage of votes cast could significantly affect the outcome.
In four Lok Sabha seats—Aurangabad, Gaya (SC), Nawada, and Jamui (SC)—Bihar, where the NDA is facing the RJD-led grand alliance, saw an average turnout of 48.50 percent. This represents a significant decrease from the previous turnout of 53.47% in the 2019 general elections.
When compared to the 2019 elections, Tamil Nadu’s vote % likewise saw a notable decline. Almost 66% of voters turned out in the DMK-ruled southern state, compared to 72.46% in the previous Lok Sabha elections.