66% turn out in second phase of LS polls

The second phase of Lok Sabha elections across 95 constituencies saw a voter turn out of 66 per cent with the Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar witnessing a higher voting percentages as compared to the corresponding figures in 2014.

"The preliminary figures for polling percentage in the second phase of polls is 66 per cent. It was 69.62 per cent for the second phase of polling in 2014," Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha told reporters here.

The two constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir -- Srinagar and Udhampur -- saw voting percentage of 43.4 per cent but the turn out was quite low in Srinagar at 13.43 per cent, which was below 25.7 per cent registered in 2014. However, it was higher than the bypoll figures of 2017 when the constituency registered 7.12 per cent polling.

Udhampur in Jammu region saw 66.67 per cent polling, which was lower than 71.48 percent in 2014. The overall percentage for the corresponding phase in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014 was 52.32 per cent.

In Tamil Nadu, where 38 of 39 Lok Sabhba seats went to the polls on Thursday, 72 per cent of voters cast their ballot. The percentage was 73.58 in 2014. The state also saw voting for bypolls in 18 Assembly constituencies.

In neighbouring Puducherry, the poll percentage was 78 per cent. The Union Territory witnessed 82.1 per cent polling in 2014.

The three constituencies of West Bengal that went to the polls on Thursday saw a polling percentage of 76.07 per cent.

The polling percentage in the 14 constituencies in Karnataka was 61.84 per cent till 5 p.m. It was 68.68 per cent in 2014. The three constituencies of Bengaluru recorded the lowest voting percentage among the 14 seats. It was 49.75 per cent in Bangalore Central, followed by Bangalore North (50.51 per cent) and Bangalore South (54.12 per cent).

In the 10 seats in Maharashtra, the second phase voter turn was 62 per cent as compared to 62.64 per cent in 2014.

The eight constituencies in Uttar Pradesh that went to the polls in the second phase recorded a poll percentage of 62.3 per cent, which is likely to increase as as all the votes cast have not been taken into account. In 2014, the voting percentage was 61.87 per cent.

In the five constituencies in Bihar, the voting percentage was 62.52 per cent, higher than 61.93 per cent recorded in 2014.

The three constituencies in Chhattisgarh registered a voting percentage of 71 per cent. It was 74.16 per cent 2014.

In Assam, where five constituencies went to the polls, the voting percentage was 73.32 per cent.

In Manipur, where one seat went to the polls, the polling percentage was 74.3 per. The state witnessed 75.16 per cent voting in the corresponding phase in 2104.

In Odisha, where five Lok Sabha and 35 Assembly seats went to the polls, the polling percentage was 64 per cent. It was 73.75 per cent in 2014.

--IANS

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