Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 5 Updates : 57.47% Overall Voter Turnout in Phase 5, West Bengal Leads at 73%

The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 is underway, covering five seats in Bihar, three in Jharkhand, 13 in Maharashtra, five in Odisha, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in West Bengal, and two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. In this phase, elections will conclude in Maharashtra and Ladakh. 

Voting is taking place on 35 seats of the Odisha Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats as part of the simultaneous polling in the state. This phase, although covering the least number of seats, features many high-profile constituencies where Union Ministers and leaders of national and regional parties are contesting. In 2019, the BJP secured 32 of these 49 seats.

High-Stakes Contests in Maharashtra and West Bengal

The election battle is especially intense in Maharashtra and West Bengal. In Maharashtra, 10 of the 13 seats are in the Shiv Sena stronghold, with a significant clash between the two factions led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor, Uddhav Thackeray.

In West Bengal, a fierce contest is anticipated across several seats, with Congress and CPM making significant inroads in what was expected to be a direct fight between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Uttar Pradesh: BJP's Stronghold

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP had dominated 13 of the 14 seats in the 2019 elections, with Raebareli being the only exception, won by Sonia Gandhi. The party aims to maintain its stronghold in this phase.

Prominent Candidates

Several key candidates are in the fray in this phase:

• Union Ministers:

  • Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North)
  • Bharati Pawar (Dindori)
  • Smriti Irani (Amethi)
  • Rajnath Singh (Lucknow)

• Key Allies:

  • Chirag Paswan (Hajipur) from Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas
  • Shrikant Shinde (Kalyan), son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

• Opposition Leaders:

  • Rahul Gandhi, defending his mother Sonia Gandhi's Raebareli seat
  • Rohini Acharya, daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, contesting against BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy from Saran
  • Arvind Sawant from Shiv Sena-UBT contesting in Mumbai South

• In Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla:

  • Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah (National Conference) faces a multi-cornered fight against PDP's Faiyaz A Mir, People's Conference chief Sajad Ghani Lone, and Awami Ittehad Party chief Engineer Rashid, who is currently jailed.

57.47% Overall Voter Turnout in Phase 5

The Election Commission of India has announced the final voter turnout figures for the fifth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections held on Monday, May 20th. An overall voter turnout of 57.47% was recorded across the states and Union Territories that went to polls during this phase.

State/UT-wise Final Voter Turnout:

• West Bengal: 73.00%
• ​Ladakh: 67.15%
• Jharkhand: 63.00%
• Odisha: 60.72%
• Uttar Pradesh: 57.79%
• Jammu & Kashmir: 54.49%
• Bihar: 52.60%
• Maharashtra: 48.88%

While West Bengal witnessed an impressive 73% voter turnout, Maharashtra trailed with the lowest participation at 48.88%.

The Election Commission has expressed satisfaction with the overall voter turnout and lauded the efforts of the electoral machinery and security forces in ensuring a smooth and peaceful polling process.

►Celebrities and Tycoons Cast Votes in Ongoing Lok Sabha Polls

Several prominent figures from the Indian film industry and business world participated in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, setting an example for their fans and followers. Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, along with their kids, Amitabh Bachchan with wife Jaya Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani, Ratan Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla with daughter Ananya Birla, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan, Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Poonam Sinha, and Ranbir Kapoor, all cast their votes, highlighting the importance of civic duty and the role of youth in driving positive change.


♦ 56.68% Voter Turnout Till 5 PM, Maharashtra Lags at 48.66%

As the polling for the fifth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections progressed, the overall voter turnout stood at a healthy 56.68% till 5:00 PM, according to the Election Commission of India. However, Maharashtra recorded the lowest turnout among the states and Union Territories that went to polls during this phase.

State/UT-wise voter turnout:

• Ladakh: 67.15%

• West Bengal: 73.00%

• Uttar Pradesh: 55.80%

• Jharkhand: 61.90%

• Odisha: 60.55%

► Issues Reported During Fifth Phase of Lok Sabha Polls in Multiple States

During the fifth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, several incidents were reported across various states, highlighting the challenges faced during the polling process.

⇒ Maharashtra

Nashik Incident: An FIR was registered against Shantigiri Maharaj, an independent candidate, at Trimbakeshwar Police Station for garlanding a voting machine at a polling booth after casting his vote. This incident took place in Nashik, one of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, during the voting phase.

⇒ Jharkhand

Voter Boycott in Hazaribag: Over 2,000 voters in Kusumbha village, Hazaribag district, boycotted the election due to a long-standing demand for a bridge. No votes were cast at booths 183 and 184 by noon. Officials, including the Hazaribag Deputy Commissioner and the SP, attempted to persuade the villagers to vote, but the villagers were adamant about their demand being met first.

⇒ West Bengal

Violence and Clashes: Scattered incidents of violence were reported in various constituencies:

Barrackpore, Bongaon, and Arambagh: Clashes between TMC and BJP workers occurred, with the Khanakul area in Arambagh seeing significant conflict, including the recovery of two live crude bombs.

Hooghly: In Arambagh, a TMC leader was critically wounded in an attack allegedly by BJP supporters. Another clash in Khanakul injured a BJP panchayat leader.

Howrah District: Clashes were reported in Uluberia and Salkia, with a BJP worker’s family being attacked and a CPIM office ransacked.

Mamata Banerjee’s Brother: Babun Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister’s youngest brother, could not vote in Howrah as his name was not on the voters’ list, leading to an inquiry by the Election Commission.

⇒ Mumbai

Shiv Sena (UBT) Workers Detained: Three Shiv Sena (UBT) workers were detained for allegedly installing dummy EVMs near a polling station. A party leader requested their release, stating the dummy EVMs were for voter education and accusing the BJP of using the police to apply pressure.

Allegations of Voting Delay in Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray alleged that voting was deliberately delayed at several locations in Mumbai by the Election Commission of India, purportedly acting at the behest of the Narendra Modi government. Thackeray accused the Election Commission of playing "dirty games" and acting in a partisan manner, leading to delays in certain areas despite high voter enthusiasm. He claimed that the Modi government was using the Election Commission to minimise voting against it and ensure its own advantage in the election.These allegations add another layer of contention to the electoral process in Maharashtra, raising questions about the impartiality and fairness of the polling procedures.

Traffic issues in Sanpada : A severe traffic snarl near a polling booth in Sanpada necessitated the deployment of a police force to manage the situation, forcing motorists to take alternative routes.

⇒ A ndhra Pradesh

Arrests Over Election Violence: Andhra Pradesh police have arrested 124 out of 1,370 accused persons allegedly involved in recent election day and post-poll violence in the districts of Palnadu, Anantapur, and Tirupati. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Inspector General of Police Vineet Brijlal, submitted a 150-page report to DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, highlighting that 1,152 accused persons are yet to be apprehended. The SIT reviewed 33 identified cases and conducted thorough investigations in the concerned districts.

 ⇒ Himachal Pradesh

Incident Involving Kangana Ranaut : Actor Kangana Ranaut, a BJP candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency, was shown black flags by local people and Congress workers at Kaza in Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. The Himachal Pradesh BJP filed a complaint with the state chief electoral officer (CEO), demanding the transfer of election officials and an investigation into the incident. Both the BJP and the Congress were granted permission to hold rallies adjacent to each other. Congress workers raised anti-Kangana slogans and expressed displeasure over her remarks on Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama made in April last year. The BJP accused Congress workers of attempting to restrain their political procession and even pelting stones, alleging undue influence of the state government in granting permissions in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

♦ 47.53% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 3 PM in Phase 5 
The Election Commission of India has reported a voter turnout of 47.53% till 3 PM in the constituencies that went to polls during the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

State-wise Voter Turnout Till 3 PM:

• Ladakh: 61.26% 
   
• West Bengal: 62.72%
   
• Uttar Pradesh: 47.55%
   
• Jharkhand: 53.90%
   
• Odisha: 48.95%
   
• Bihar: 45.33%
   
• Jammu & Kashmir: 44.90%
   
• Maharashtra: 38.77%

►Bollywood celebrities that exercised their voting rights.

Among the couples who cast their votes together were:

• Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone
• Lyricist Javed Akhtar and actor Shabana Azmi

Other notable celebrities who fulfilled their civic duty included:

• Sanjay Dutt
• Tabu
• Malaika Arora
• Emraan Hashmi
• Manoj Bajpayee
• Madhur Bhandarkar

► Cricket Legend Sachin Tendulkar Casts Vote with Son Arjun
Former Indian cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar, who is also a national icon for the Election Commission of India (ECI), cast his vote during the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. After fulfilling his civic duty, Tendulkar appealed to all eligible voters to participate in the democratic process.

"I am the national icon of ECI, and I was involved in quite a few initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of casting your vote. Today, as a proud Indian, I am able to do that. I am really, really happy," Tendulkar said.

Emphasising the significance of every vote, the batting maestro added, "I appeal to all voters to exercise their franchise as it is important for the future of the country."

► Dharmendra Votes at 88, Joined by Hema Malini and Esha Deol
The iconic Bollywood actor Dharmendra, at the ripe age of 88, made his way to a polling booth in Mumbai to exercise his franchise during the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Sporting a stylish fedora to beat the Mumbai heat, the veteran star posed for photographs after casting his vote. 
Joining Dharmendra in fulfilling their civic duty were his wife, Hema Malini, a BJP MP, and their daughter, Esha Deol. The family's presence at the polling station highlighted the importance of active participation in the democratic process.

♦  36.73% turnout till 1 pm.

The Election Commission of India reported a voter turnout of 36.73 percent as of 1 PM in the constituencies that went to polls during this phase. The highest turnout was recorded in Ladakh at 52.02 percent, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest at 27.27 percent.

State-wise voter turnout:

• West Bengal: 48.41%
   
• Jharkhand: 41.89%
   
• Jammu and Kashmir: 34.79%
   
• Uttar Pradesh: 39.55%
   
• Odisha: 35.31%
   
• Bihar: 34.62%
  

► Several top industrialists and corporate honchos turned up at polling booths to cast their votes during the 5th phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on Monday. Among those who exercised their democratic rights were:

→ Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Hindustan Construction Company

→ Ajay Piramal, Chairman of Piramal Enterprises

→ Anil Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Group

→ N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons 


♦ 23.6% Voter Turnout Till 11 AM, West Bengal Leads With 32.70%

The fifth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections witnessed a voter turnout of 23.6 percent till 11:00 AM on Monday, May 20th. West Bengal recorded the highest turnout among the states and Union Territories that went to polls during this phase.

State/UT-wise Voter Turnout Till 11 AM:

• West Bengal: 32.70%
   
• Ladakh: 27.87%
   
• Uttar Pradesh: 27.76%
   
• Jharkhand: 26.18%
   
• Bihar: 21.11%
   
• Maharashtra: 15.93%
   
• Jammu & Kashmir: 21.37%
   
• Odisha: 21.07%
  

►Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Votes in Lucknow
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by his wife Savitri Singh, cast their votes in Lucknow. Rajnath Singh, the sitting MP and BJP candidate from Lucknow, appealed to voters across the country to exercise their democratic right.

“I want to appeal to all voters in Lucknow and across the country to definitely go and vote today, bringing all your family members with you. This is our appeal,”

Singh stated this while speaking to the media. Singh faces competition from Samajwadi Party candidate Ravidas Mehrotra and BSP’s Sarwar Malik.

►Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Votes
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde cast his vote at a polling booth in Thane. Speaking to reporters, Shinde expressed confidence in the electorate's support for the ruling coalition.

"All the important decisions have been taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last 10 years. So I am confident that the people of Maharashtra are going to vote for Mahayuti," 

►Smriti Irani Votes in Amethi
BJP MP and candidate from Amethi, Smriti Irani, cast her vote in her village, Gauriganj.

"Today it is my good fortune that I have cast my vote in my village, Gauriganj with the resolve of a Viksit Bharat. I appeal to the people to cast their vote. It is our responsibility towards the future of our country,"

Irani remarked, emphasising the importance of voter participation.

►Uddhav Thackeray and Family Vote in Mumbai
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, along with his wife Rashmi Thackeray and sons Aaditya and Tejas Thackeray, cast their votes in Bandra East. Aaditya Thackeray, sharing the moment on social media, said,We have voted. Have you?"He urged the people to vote and ensure the expulsion of those who have plundered Maharashtra.

♦ The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections saw a 10.28% voter turnout till 9 a.m.

Voter Turnout Breakup (till 9 a.m.):

• West Bengal: Highest at 15.35%

• Maharashtra: Lowest at 6.33%

Other States/UTs:

• Uttar Pradesh: 12.89%

• Jammu and Kashmir: 7.63%

• Jharkhand: 11.68%

• Ladakh: 10.51%

• Odisha: 6.87%

• Bihar: 8.86%
  

► Dilip Ray Appeals to Voters

Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA candidate Dilip Ray, who has a tradition of casting the first vote at his booth, urged voters to participate actively in the electoral process. "I have always cast the first vote here in this booth. I appeal to the voters to come out and cast their votes. BJP is forming its government in the Centre and also in Odisha," Ray stated.

► BSP President Mayawati votes 

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati cast her vote in Lucknow and urged all political parties to prioritise the issues of development and the welfare of the people. Interacting with the media, she said,

"I am hopeful of change. It is imperative that all political parties focus on development and the welfare of our people."

Mayawati was among the first political leaders to cast her vote in Lucknow.

► Among the notable early voters are Union Minister Piyush Goyal, industrialist Anil Ambani, actor Akshay Kumar, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik, and actors Janhvi Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar. Marathi theatre actor Prashant Damle also exercised his franchise early in the day.


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