About 62.4 per cent aggregate voter turn out was reported on Friday from 102 Lok Sabha seats spread across 21 States and Union Territories (UTs), the Election Commission of India said on Friday after the polling for the first phase ended at 6 pm.

The polling of over 62 per cent, as per the Election Commission of India official figure, is lower compared with the first phase of the previous Lok Sabha elections of 2019, where it stood at 69.43 per cent.

According to the data released by the ECI at 7 pm, voting percentage of 77.57 was the highest in TMC-ruled West Bengal. The polling was brisk since the morning in the West Bengal, as the EC turnout figures showed that 50.96 per cent polling took place by 1 pm, itself in the State -- the second highest after Tripura which polled 53.04 per cent by that time. 

Interestingly, but for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the Hindi heartland, where BJP’s performance had peaked last LS elections, remaining states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, and hill state of Uttarakhand witnessed less than average polling recorded from the first phase of polling.

Bihar polled the lowest votes at 47.49 per cent, Rajasthan was a bit better at 50.95 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 57.61 per cent, and Uttarakhand 53.64 per cent, as per the ECI. However, the voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh was 63.33 per cent and Chhattisgarh 63.41 per cent – both the states had seen assembly elections four months back.

The voting in Tamil Nadu, a key southern state where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hopeful of BJP candidates performing exceedingly well, polled 62.19 per cent votes. However, the polling figures collected by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu varied with that of the ECI. “Our voting percentage by 5 p.m. is average 63.20 per cent for the state. Highest in Dharmapuri parliamentary constituency, 67.52 and minimum, 57.04 per cent in Chennai South,” CEO of Tamil Nadu Satyabrata Sahoo said. 

The polling figures, said the ECI, will be revised and final figures will be known on Saturday after the scrutiny of poll documents.

The polling in North-eastern states was comparatively high. The maximum was in Tripura at 79.90 per cent followed by Assam 71.38 per cent, Meghalaya 70.26 per cent, Manipur 68.62 per cent, Sikkim 68.06 per cent, Nagaland 56.77 per cent, and Arunachal Pradesh 65.46 per cent. 

Similarly, the voting in Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, which will face assembly elections in a few months from now to restore the statehood, was 65.08 er cent and Puducherry 73.25 per cent. 

‘Voting peaceful’

The ECI in a statement to media said the polling for the first phase of the general elections 2024 “recorded high voter turnout despite the heat wave”. “Polling remains largely peaceful with voters from various walks participating enthusiastically in a dazzling display of civic responsibility and pride,” said the ECI but reports of violence came from West Bengal, and Manipur.

“Polling has remained by and large peaceful except for certain incidents that were reported from a few districts. We have received a few reports of some damage to the EVMs, some criminal intimidation or somebody trying to influence the voters. We are seeking reports from the districts and necessary action be taken once the reports are received... Our preparation for the second phase, which is going to happen on the 26th of April, also will start working on that now.” Manipur Chief Electoral Officer, Pradeep Jha, told local reporters.

Voting was held in all seats of 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). While it took place in 12 of 25 seats in Rajasthan, 8 of 80 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, 6 of 29 in Madhya Pradesh, and 4 of 40 in Bihar. Five seats each in Assam and Maharashtra, 3 in West Bengal, 2 in Manipur, and one seat each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh also went to polls in the first phase. 

The Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu constantly monitored the progress of polling in Phase 1 across the constituencies from ECI Headquarters in Nirvachan Sadan where a state-of-the-art control room was set up for the purpose. Similar control rooms were created at State/District level also.