Lok Sabha polls – Phase 6: Polling concludes with nearly 60% voters casting their votes

Jharkhand recorded a turnout of 62.74 percent, Uttar Pradesh 54.03 percent, Bihar 53.30 percent, Jammu and Kashmir 52.28 percent, Haryana 58.37 percent, Odisha 60.07 and Delhi 54.48 percent, according to the figures released by the Election Commission (EC) as of 7.45 pm.

The EC said the polling percentage in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir is the highest in many decades.

Also Read: Supreme Court refuses to ask ECI to upload booth-wise voter turnout data

Polling completed in 486 seats

With the conclusion of this phase, polling is now complete in 486 seats in 28 states and Union territories. The last of the seven phases of polling is scheduled for 1 June and counting of votes will be taken up on 4 June.

With large parts of India sweltering under a heatwave, arrangements for cold water, coolers, fans and tents were made at several polling stations. Wheelchairs were also kept for the assistance of elderly voters.

The EC had directed election officials and state machineries to take adequate measures to manage the adverse impact of hot weather.

Over 11.13 crore voters – 5.84 crore male, 5.29 crore female and 5120 third gender – were eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase. The EC deployed around 11.4 lakh polling officials at 1.14 lakh polling stations.

Also Read: Economist Parakala Prabhakar answers the ‘If not Narendra Modi then who’ question

Mehbooba Mufti protests detention

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir, staged a sit-in outside Bijbehara police station on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in Anantnag district against alleged detention of her party workers and polling agents. She also claimed outgoing calls on her mobile number were suspended.

Police, however, said those detained were overground workers (OGWs) and the action was taken to ensure smooth conduct of elections.

Mehbooba’s daughter and PDP leader Iltija Mufti alleged polling was deliberately slowed down at a booth in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, a charge denied by the administration.

In the national capital, President Droupadi Murmu, Union ministers S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi minister Atishi and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were among those who cast their votes.

EVM battery runs dry

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat alleged she had to wait for almost an hour to cast her vote as the battery of the EVM control unit at her polling booth “drained out”. The District Election Officer later said the battery was replaced within 15 minutes.

Besides all the seven seats of Delhi, polling was held in 14 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, all 10 seats in Haryana, eight seats each in Bihar and West Bengal, six seats in Odisha, four seats in Jharkhand and one seat in Jammu and Kashmir.

Simultaneously, polling was being held for 42 assembly constituencies in Odisha and the Karnal assembly bypoll in Haryana.

In Haryana, BJP’s Karnal Lok Sabha seat candidate Manohar Lal Khattar and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is contesting the Karnal Assembly bypoll, were among the first to cast their votes at their respective booths.

Saini, accompanied by his family members, cast his vote in his native Mirjapur Majra village in Ambala district’s Naraingarh. Khattar exercised his franchise at a polling booth in Karnal’s Prem Nagar.

In West Bengal, voting was held in the tribal belt Jangal Mahal region, spanning five districts.

A hotspot for identity politics, the region sends eight representatives to Lok Sabha from Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur seats. Out of the eight seats, the BJP won five and TMC bagged three in the 2019 polls.

Minor clashes in Bengal

Minor clashes broke out between supporters of the ruling TMC and BJP in the Ghatal constituency over stopping polling agents from entering the booths.

In the Midnapore constituency, BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul faced “go back” slogans from TMC activists. Subsequently, a scuffle broke out between BJP and TMC activists, following which central forces reached the spot to disperse the mob.

A group of people shouted slogans against BJP candidate and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay when he reached the polling booth in Tamluk.

In Uttar Pradesh, polling was held for Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Phulpur, Allahabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Shrawasti, Domariyaganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Lalganj, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Machhlishahr and Bhadohi seats.

Around 82.16 lakh voters, including 40.09 lakh females, were eligible to exercise their franchise in Giridih, Dhanbad, Ranchi and Jamshedpur constituencies of Jharkhand.

In a bid to increase polling percentage in urban booths of Ranchi, the district administration tied up with a bike-taxi aggregator to provide free pick-and-drop facilities to voters.

In Bihar, 86 candidates are in the fray in the eight seats of Valmiki Nagar, Pashchim Champaran, Purbi Champaran, Sheohar, Siwan, Gopalganj, Maharajganj and Vaishali.

Officials said 107 people were arrested or detained in the state for causing disruptions and attempting to hinder the voting process. Security forces seized Rs 2.86 crore in cash and 3.53 lakh litres of liquor worth ₹9.46 crore from various locations within the eight seats during the day.

Modi, Kharge urged people to vote

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to urge voters to exercise their right to franchise in the penultimate phase of the Lok Sabha elections in large numbers.

“I urge all those who are voting in the 6th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to vote in large numbers. Every vote counts, make yours count too! Democracy thrives when its people are engaged and active in the electoral process. I especially urge women voters and youth voters to vote in large numbers,” he said.

I urge all those who are voting in the 6th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to vote in large numbers. Every vote counts, make yours count too! Democracy thrives when its people are engaged and active in the electoral process. I specially urge women voters and youth voters to…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 25, 2024

In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said this struggle to secure democracy and the Constitution has reached the last two phases.

“Today is the sixth phase of voting and you have to vote. Vote for unity, justice and important everyday issues. Vote against the politics of hatred, rhetoric and distraction,” the Congress chief said.

He urged the people to think before pressing the button on EVMs if they want justice-based politics and economic and social security which has ‘Yuva Nyay, Kisan Nyay, Nari Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedaari Nyay’ or not.

“As part of this, we should build a progressive and inclusive India,” he said.

Justice will begin from June 4, he added.

मेरे प्रिय देशवासियों,

लोकतंत्र और संविधान को सुरक्षित करने का ये संघर्ष अपने आख़िरी दो चरणों में आ गया है।

आज छठे चरण का मतदान है और वोट ज़रूर देना है।

एकता, न्याय और रोज़मर्रा के ज़रूरी मुद्दों पर वोट डालिए।

नफ़रत, जुमलों और ध्यान भटकाने की राजनीति के ख़िलाफ़ वोट डालिए।…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 25, 2024

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “Each vote cast by you in this great festival of democracy will be against the authoritarian mindset and strengthen democracy and the Constitution of India. Go to the polling stations and assert that there is democracy in India and democracy will remain in India through your votes.”

Over 11.13 crore voters —5.84 crore male, 5.29 crore female and 5,120 third gender— were eligible to exercise their franchise. The Election Commission (EC) deployed around 11.4 lakh polling officials at 1.14 lakh polling stations.

With large parts of India sweltering under a heatwave, the EC had directed election officials and state machineries to take adequate measures to manage the adverse impact of hot weather.

(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)