66% voter turnout in third phase polls

The third phase of Lok Sabha polls saw a voter turnout of 66 per cent compared to 69.03 per cent in 2014 with some states such as Odisha and Goa recording lower turnouts and a few others like Bihar witnessing a higher participation.

Addressing a press conference here, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said the polling percentage is expected to improve once the final figures come from states.

"The overall polling percentage in third phase was 66 per cent. It was 69.03 per cent in 2014," he said.

The third phase election took place on 117 constituencies spread across 13 states and two union territories.

"With the third phase election, election has been concluded in 22 states and union territories," he said.

The polling percentage was quite low at 12.86 per cent in six assembly constituencies of Anantnag that went to the polls on Tuesday. The poll percentage was 39.37 per cent in 2014. Anantnag has a three-phase schedule.

The interim polling percentage was 74.05 per cent in Assam compared to 80.21 per cent in 2014, Chhattisgarh 64.02 per cent (69.01 per cent in 2014), Karnataka 60.42 (67.2 per cent in 2014), Goa 70.9 per cent (76.86 in 2014), Gujarat 59 per cent (63.34 in 2014), Kerala 73.06 per cent (74.02 in 2014), West Bengal 78.97 per cent, Tripura 79.64 per cent (83.02 in 2014), Bihar 60 (59.08 in 2014), Maharashtra 62 per cent (62.86 in 2014), Odisha 64 per cent (73.75 in 2014) and Uttar Pradesh 60.52 per cent (61.48 in 2014).

The polling percentage was 71.43 per cent in Dadra and Nagar Haveli (84.08 in 2014) and 73 per cent in Daman and Diu (77.84 in 2014).

Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain said there was an incident of EVM button not working in Thiruvananthapuram and it was resolved to satisfaction of all candidates.

He said election officials received a complaint that vote was going to a particular party on pressing the button, but it was discovered that button against the name of Congress candidate was not working. He said the complaint was received after 76 votes had been cast in the polling station.

He also said there were reports of 11 deaths in the state due to natural causes.

Officials also said that there was a report of boycott in a polling station in Assam.

--IANS

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