Srinagar constituency witnessed 37.93% voting, with EC stating that it was the “highest turnout in decades” 

 

A VOTER turnout of over 64 per cent was recorded on Monday in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections covering 96 constituencies spread over 10 States and Union Territories, with scattered incidents of violence reported in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. West Bengal, where polling was held in eight constituencies, again recorded an impressive turnout at 76.56 per cent, the highest among States/UTs in this phase. Srinagar constituency in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed 37.93 per cent voting in the first Lok Sabha election in the Valley since the scrapping of Article 370, with the EC stating that it was the “highest turnout in decades”. According to the EC’s voter turnout app at 10 pm, the overall voting in this phase was 64.05 per cent. However, it said that this was an “approximate” trend as data from polling stations was still being collated. A large number of voters were in the queue at polling stations even after the fixed time of polling ended at 6 pm, the Election Commission said in a statement at 8 pm.

 

Among other States, Andhra Pradesh (25 seats) recorded 68.20 per cent polling, Bihar (five seats) 56.75 per cent, Jharkhand (four seats) 64.59 per cent, Maharashtra (11 seats) 57.58 per cent, Odisha (four seats) 64.81 per cent, Telangana (17 seats) 62.28 per cent and Uttar Pradesh (13) 58.05 per cent. A provisional voter turnout of 71.72 per cent was recorded in Madhya Pradesh (eight seats). The overall voter turnout in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections was 66.14 per cent, 66.71 per cent and 65.68 per cent, respectively. With the conclusion of Phase 4, polling for general elections has crossed the halfway mark as it has been completed in 23 States/UTs and 379 Lok Sabha constituencies out of 543. Also, Assembly elections were held in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, apart from polling in 28 Assembly seats in Odisha. In Andhra Pradesh, the TDP and YSRCP accused each other of indulging in violence, especially in Palnadu, Kadapa and Annamayya districts. YSRCP also wrote to the EC, alleging poll code violations by rival TDP in several assembly segments, including Vemuru, Darsi, Icchapuram, Kuppam, Macherla, Markapuram, Palakonda and Pedakurapaudu. At Dalavaipalli village in Railway Kodur constituency, an EVM was destroyed while cars belonging to the ruling party and TDP were damaged, a police official said.

 

A TDP agent was attacked at Nakkaladinne village in Myduruku constituency, leading to his hospitalisation. In Uttar Pradesh, there were instances of poll boycotts with people in some villages of Shahjahanpur keeping away from the process to protest against the lack of roads and development. Akbarpur parliamentary constituency recorded 57.58 per cent polling, Bahraich 57.47 per cent, Dhaurahra 64.12 per cent, Etawah 56.19 per cent, Farrukhabad 58.90 per cent, Hardoi 57.45 per cent, Kannauj 60.89 per cent, Kanpur 52.90 per cent, Kheri 64.64 per cent, Misrikh 55.78 per cent, Shahjahanpur 53.14 per cent, Sitapur 62.22 per cent and Unnao 55.33 per cent. EVM glitches were also reported in several places in Odisha. An official said 65 Ballot Units, 83 Control Units and 110 VVPATs have been replaced so far and most of the replacements were done during mock poll exercise before starting of real voting at 7 am.

 

Voting was peaceful in Srinagar where three generations of the Abdullah family cast their vote in the Srinagar LS constituency. The Election Commission suspended two polling officials in Odisha for dereliction of duty, the chief electoral officer said. In Jharkhand, security forces thwarted an attempt by Maoists to obstruct voter access to polling booths by felling a tree and blocking a road leading to remote Sonapi and Morangponga areas of West Singhbhum district.