LS polls: 60.09 pc voter turnout recorded till 11.30 pm in fifth phase

The fifth phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections across 49 parliamentary constituencies in six states and two Union Territories (UTs) on Monday saw a voter turnout of 60.09 per cent till 11:30 pm, the Election Commission (ECI) reported.

According to ECI data, Bihar recorded a 54.85 per cent voter turnout, while Jammu and Kashmir saw a turnout of 56.73 per cent until 11:30 pm. Similarly, Jharkhand witnessed a 63.07 per cent voter turnout, Ladakh 69.62 per cent, Maharashtra 54.29 per cent, Odisha 67.59 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 57.79 per cent, and West Bengal led with 74.65 per cent.

A State Bank of India (SBI) Research report, citing Election Commission data, noted that about 2.5 crore more Indian voters have exercised their franchise so far in the first four phases of the Lok Sabha polls compared to 2019.

A total of 45.1 crore voters, representing 66.95 per cent turnout, cast their votes in the first four phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Percentage-wise, this voter turnout is slightly less than the 68.15 per cent recorded after the first four phases of the 2019 elections.