In final phase, 64% exercise choice

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 19

The final leg of the seven-phase polling in the 2019 General Election came to an end on Sunday. In this phase, 59 seats went to the polls, recording 64.26 per cent turnout. 

The states and UT that voted on Sunday were Bihar (8), Jharkhand (3), Madhya Pradesh (8), Punjab (13), West Bengal (9), Uttar Pradesh (13), Himachal Pradesh (4) and UT of Chandigarh. The results will be announced on May 23.

Briefing the media after the conclusion of voting, senior Election Commission officials said that till six phases of polling, the turnout was 67.37 per cent as against 66.4 per cent in 2014 for the corresponding number of seats.

Another positive trend was the narrowing of the gap between male and female voter turnout. The officials claimed it was 9 per cent in 2009, 1.14 per cent in 2014 and just 0.4 per cent in 2019.

 In Bihar, where four Union ministers — Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ram Kripal Yadav, RK Singh and Ashwini Kumar Choubey — are in the fray, the voter turnout stood at 53.36 per cent. 

 In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is facing a tough fight on the 13 seats as it was largely a straight contest between the BJP and SP-BSP on most of the seats. The state recorded 56.84 per cent turnout.

In West Bengal, polling at nine parliamentary seats was marred by stray incidents of violence with bombs hurled indiscriminately, attacks on two BJP candidates’ vehicles and stones being pelted at Central Armed Police Forces’ (CAPFs) vehicles across several constituencies. In the state, 73.51 per cent voters cast their votes.

Eight seats in Madhya Pradesh went to the polls on Sunday and the voter turnout till evening was 75.51 per cent.

STATE POLL %age

Bihar 53.55

Madhya Pradesh 75.51

Uttar Pradesh 56.84

West Bengal 73.51

Jharkhand 70.54

Chandigarh 70

Total 64.26