The first phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections on April 11 saw long lines of voters in several places with turnouts across 20 states more or less matching the voting percentages recorded in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with Tripura and West Bengal topping the charts at 81.8% and 80% respectively. J&K recorded brisk polling - 72% in Jammu and a creditable 35% in terrorism-affected Baramulla, which was not far from 38.5% clocked in 2014. Polling is now complete in 10 states and Union Territories. Also, assembly elections concluded in Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, while Odisha had the first phase.
Given that this is the first Lok Sabha election where VVPATs were used on a 100% basis, the EC reported a minimal replacement of 0.73% of EVM ballot units, 0.61% of EVM control units and 1.7% VVPATs. Cash seizures so far are double those of the entire 2014 election at £60.7 million.
There were a few incidents of violence in Chhattisgarh, and a polling party came under attack in Maoist-hit Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. An IED blast occurred at Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh. No casualties were reported.
Within 48hours of MLA’s death in blast, kin turn up to vote
In an inspiring display of fortitude, family of slain BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi turned up to vote on Thursday, less than 48 hours after his assassination by Maoists in Dantewada. Mandavi’s widow Ojaswi, her in-laws and six other members of the family stood in queue as they waited for their turn to vote. As if to send a message to Maoists, 77% voters in nearby Shamgiri - where Mandavi was killed - cast their ballot.
In Malkangiri, some booths recorded zero polling
Shyamgiri, where BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi was killed by Maoists few days prior to voting along with four police personnel, recorded 77% polling. In Naxal-affected Malkangiri in Odisha, a couple of polling stations recorded zero polling.
UP sees dip in polling percentage
Uttar Pradesh, that elect the largest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha, reported a dip in voter turnout. Eight Lok Sabha seats in Western UP that went to polls on April 11 recorded a 63.69 per cent turnout. Except for Gautam Buddh Nagar and Meerut, all of them reported lower polling percentage compared to 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Three Union ministers - VK Singh from Ghaziabad, Satyapal Singh from Baghpat and Mahesh Sharma from Gautam Buddh Nagar - were in the fray in the first phase of polling. Ghaziabad recorded a 55.78 per cent voter turnout this time - a marginal low of 1.16 per cent compared to the 2014 polls, according to the poll data. Here, the main contest is between Union minister VK Singh, Suresh Bansal of the SP-BSP-RLD combined and Dolly Sharma of the Congress.
Gautam Buddh Nagar registered a marginal high of 0.08 per cent in polling - from 60.39 per cent in 2014 to 60.47 per cent this time. But seats like Kairana, Baghpat, Bijnor, and Saharanpur reported a low turnout.
According to the Election Commission (EC), Saharanpur recorded a 70.82 per cent, Kairana 67.46 per cent, Muzaffarnagar 68.22 per cent, Bijnor 64 per cent, Meerut 64.18 per cent and Baghpat 64.22 per cent voting.
Communally-sensitive Kairana witnessed a sharp fall in poll percentage - from 73.10 per cent in 2014 to 67.46 per cent this time. Saharanpur recorded a 3.44 per cent lower turnout, followed by Muzzafarnagar (-1.52 per cent), Baghpat (-2.53 per cent) and Bijnor (-3.88 per cent) compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
UP, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, is the decisive factor on who gets to form the government at the Centre. In the 2014 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 71 seats in the state.
Political experts say the lower turnout may be a bad signal for foes-turned-friends Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati.
Low turnout in Telangana
The case is not different for Telangana, too. In its first Lok Sabha elections after getting statehood, Telangana witnessed a major drop in voting turnout. Out of 17 seats, not a single constituency of Telangana could surpass 2014 turnout level of previous Andhra Pradesh.
However, Telangana reported an estimated 62.69 per cent turnout. Nizamabad, where 170 farmers were in the fray for the single phase voting, recorded a 68.33 per cent vote. While, in 2014 elections, Nizamabad reported a 69.11 per cent turnout.
Whereas, Hyderabad reported more than 8 per cent lower turnout with 44.75 per cent in this elections, despite the month-long campaign by Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to ensure a higher voter turnout.
The two Lok Sabha constituencies - Secunderabad and Malkajgiri registered a 46.26 per cent and 49.4 per cent voting respectively. Also, the Chevelle Lok Sabha constituency recorded a 53 per cent polling. Nagarkurnool witnessed a maximum drop of 13.26 per cent in voting from last Lok sabha elections.
61.81 per cent voting in Maharashtra
Maharashtra reported 61.81 per cent voting in the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the first phase of the elections. Out of seven seats, four registered a lower turnout than the last Lok Sabha elections. Bhandara-Gondiya recorded a 68.27 per cent, 4.04 per cent lower than the 2014 turnout (72.31 per cent). Similarly, the battleground of cabinet minister Nitin Gadkari, Nagpur recorded a turnout of 54.74 per cent, 2.38 per cent low against 2014.
Higher voting in Andhra
Andhra Pradesh polling percentage is slightly higher than 2014 elections (77.80 per cent) with 79.64 per cent turnout. The details of voting percentage are awaited as some parties demanded repoll on some booths.
All five seats of Uttarakhand witnessed a slightly lower turnout than the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Over 59.89 per cent of the 78.56 lakh voters exercised their votes on Thursday in comparison to 61.50 per cent in 2014.
Positive turnout in Bihar
However, Bihar registered a positive turnout on four Lok Sabha seats. Gaya recorded 56 per cent voting followed by Jamui standing at 55.3 per cent, Nawada at 52.5 per cent and Aurangabad at 53.6 per cent vote.
80 per cent voting in Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur and Sikkim
Voting in northeastern states has seen major turnout as usual, as Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur and Sikkim recorded around 80 per cent turnout. Arunachal east and west recorded 73.53 per cent and 62.36 per cent votes respectively. Meghalaya's Tura and Shillong posted higher turnout from the last election. Mizoram posted figures around 63 per cent.
A total of 91 Lok Sabha seats across 18 states and two Union territories have gone for polls in the first phase. Over 142 million voters have decided the fate of 1,279 candidates in the 91 constituencies.
2 killed as TDP, YSRC cadre clash in Andhra
Violence broke out during elections in Andhra Pradesh as clashes between TDP and rival YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) left two persons dead and scores wounded. The acrimonious electoral battle between chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP leader Jaganmohan Reddy, as the state held simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls, was marred by allegations of rigging, kidnapping of a candidate, damages to electronic voting machines (EVMs) and violations of the model code of conduct.
YSRCP activist Venkataramanappa was killed during a political clash at T Sadum village in Thamballapalle assembly constituency in Chittoor district. In another clash, TDP worker Chinta Bhaskar Reddy died as activists of the two parties attacked each other with sticks and stones at Veerapuram village in Anantapur district. YSRCP worker Pulla Reddy received severe head injuries and his condition is said to be critical. Bhaskar is a follower of TDP MP JC Diwakar Reddy.
At Puthalapattu assembly constituency in Chittoor, YSRCP’s candidate MS Babu was allegedly kidnapped by TDP workers. He was taken to an orchard and beaten up. Babu, however, managed to escape. He was later rushed to hospital by police. The Election Commission said 20 incidents of violence were reported across the state.
EVMs damaged
In Guntakal assembly segment in Anantapur district, Jana Sena candidate K Madhusudan Gupta threw an EVM on the ground damaging it. At Narasaraopet in Guntur district, an EVM was damaged in a clash between YSRCP and TDP workers. News agency IANS reported another five incidents of EVMs being damaged in Arunachal Pradesh, two in Manipur, and one each in Bihar and West Bengal.f EVMs had been reported in earlier polls, told reporters that legal action would be taken against persons involved in such actions.
Complaints of EVM snags
While there were complaints of EVM snags and glitches, especially in Andhra Pradesh with CM N Chandrababu Naidu complaining to the EC, the commission said data on replacement of EVMs and VVPATs showed an improvement over previous elections. A poll officer deployed in Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh, died of a heart attack, the EC said.
Seizure of cash, liquor
Seizures by the EC till April 11 touched £242.6 million, more than double the overall figure for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The seizures included £60.7 million in cash (as against £30.3 million seized in 2014), liquor worth £19.8 million, drugs totalling £109.1 million, gold worth £48.6 million and other freebies worth £4.8 million.
As for complaints from some constituencies about voters not finding their names in the rolls upon reaching the polling station, the EC said it had already initiated the ‘GoVerify’ campaign to avoid such eventualities.
