66.14% turnout in Ph-I, 66.71% in second: EC

Tribune News Service

Animesh Singh

New Delhi, April 30

After facing day-long political brickbats from Opposition leaders for not sharing final polling data for the first two phases of voting for the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) this evening released the much awaited figures, more than 10 days after the first phase of polling on April 19.

According to the ECI, the polling percentage during the first phase (April 19) was 66.14, while the turnout was slightly higher (66.71 per cent) during the second phase (April 26).

In the first phase, West Bengal led with 81.9 per cent turnout (three seats), while Tripura recorded a turnout of 81.4 per cent (one seat) and Sikkim 79.8 per cent (one seat). Bihar recorded the lowest turnout among states in the first phase at 49.2 per cent for four seats. Uttarakhand witnessed a modest turnout of 57.2 per cent (all five seats), and Tamil Nadu 69.7 per cent (all 39 seats).

The seat-wise data showed that Jalpaiguri in West Bengal recorded a turnout of 83.6 per cent, Arunachal East 83.3 per cent, West Bengal's Cooch Behar 82.1 per cent, Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh 81 per cent and Inner Manipur 79 per cent.

Among the seats that recorded the lowest turnout were Almora in Uttarakhand with 48.7 per cent and Nawada 43.7 per cent.

In the second phase, the sole seat of Outer Manipur witnessed 84.8 per cent turnout, the highest among states. Other the states that saw high voter turnout in that phase were Assam with 81 per cent (five seats), Tripura 80.3 per cent (single seat), West Bengal 76.5 per cent (three seats) and Chhattisgarh 76.5 per cent (three seats). Uttar Pradesh witnessed the lowest turnout in the second phase at 55.1 per cent.

The seat-wise turnout in Assam's Darrang-Udalguri was 82 per cent, Nagaon 84.9 per cent, Karnataka's Mandya 81 per cent, Kolar 78.2 per cent, Hassan 77.5 per cent, Dakshin Kannada 77.6 per cent, Udupi 77 per cent, Kerala's Kannur 77.2 per cent, Karnataka's Chikkaballapur 77 per cent, Chhattisgarh's Kanker 76 per cent and Balurghat in West Bengal 79 per cent. Madhya Pradesh's Rewa seat recorded a turnout of 49 per cent, Uttar Pradesh's Mathura 49.4 per cent and Ghaziabad 49.8 per cent.

The data's release was preceded by political hollering by Opposition leaders, who raised suspicion over the delay in making the two phases data public. CPM secretary general Sitaram Yechuri called it a disturbing trend. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed ECI's attitude as "Quite surprising!" NCP leader Supriya Sule said, "It's time for the Election Commission to withstand undue pressure, assert its authority, ensure transparency.”

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