50% turnout in 3rd phase of LS polls

An estimated 50 per cent of the 14.4 crore electorate today exercised their franchise in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls held in nine states and two union territories, which passed off by and large peacefully barring stray violence in Bihar and West Bengal.

The electoral fate of political heavyweights Congress President Sonia Gandhi, BJP's prime ministerial nominee L K Advani, former prime minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda, senior Left leaders Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Basudeb Acharya (CPI-M) and senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh were decided in the third phase that covers 107 constituencies.

The 14 constituencies in West Bengal, where the polling was held for the first time in this election, recorded the highest turnout of 64 per cent followed by Karnataka (57 per cent), Gujarat (50 per cent) and Maharashtra (45 per cent).

The turnout in Mumbai, the country's financial hub, was estimated at 45 per cent as the metropolis witnessed the first election six months after the November 26 terror attacks.

The lowest turnout of 25 per cent was in Anantnag constituency in Jammu and Kashmir where the separatists had called for given a poll boycott call.

With the completion of the third phase, the voters have given their verdict in 372 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. Two more phases are to be held on May 7 and 13 before counting of votes is taken up on May 16.

The voters' response in the first two phases was at around 60 per cent.