Lok Sabha polls: Voter turnout crosses 66% mark in Tripura, West Bengal in 8 hours

Tripura is leading the voter turnout charts after it recorded a 68.35 voting percentage in the state till 3 pm as per the data released by the Election Commission of India.

Other states like West Bengal (66.34 per cent), Assam (60.70 per cent), Meghalaya (61.95 per cent), Manipur (63.04 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh (53.40 per cent) are also witnessing high voter turnout percentages.Bihar has recorded the lowest voter turnout till 3 pm which is 39.73 per cent.

Voting percentages for the States and Union Territories undergoing voting in phase 1 elections are -- Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded 45.48 per cent, Arunachal Pradesh - 55.58 per cent, Assam - 60.70 per cent, Bihar - 39.73 per cent, Chhattisgarh - 58.14 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir - 57.09 per cent, Maharashtra - 44.12 per cent and Lakshadweep (43.98 per cent).

While Mizoram recorded 49.97 per cent, Nagaland - 53.38 per cent, Puducherry - 58.86 per cent, Rajasthan - 41.51 per cent, Sikkim - 52.72 per cent, Tamil Nadu - 51.18 per cent, Tripura - 68.35 per cent, Uttar Pradesh - 47.44 per cent, Uttarakhand 45.62 per cent.

Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Friday across 102 parliamentary constituencies spread over 21 States and Union Territories as the mega seven-phase electoral exercise commenced at 7:00 am.

Voters will exercise their franchise until 6:00 pm. According to the data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), a total of 1.87 lakh polling stations have been set up, while 18 lakh personnel have been deployed across the 102 constituencies going to the polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking his third consecutive term, while the opposition bloc-INDIA- a coalition of opposing parties formed to take on the BJP in the general elections, is eyeing to oust him from power.

The second phase will be held on April 26 and the remaining phases will be May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1 accordingly. The last general elections in 2019 were also held in seven phases.