Phase 4 of Lok Sabha Elections Witness 62.8% Voter Turnout

Polling for the fourth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections commenced at 7 am on Monday, 13 May, across 96 constituencies in 10 states and Union Territories, with 1,717 candidates in the fray.

Despite initial reports of poll violence in Andhra Pradesh and allegations of “EVM fraud” in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri flooding social media, the voting process progressed steadily.

The constituencies included 25 in Arunachal Pradesh and 17 in Telangana, voting in a single phase, along with segments in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Jammu and Kashmir.

By the time voting concluded at 6:00 pm, an overall turnout of 62.8% was recorded, as per preliminary reports. West Bengal registered the highest polling percentage at 75.94%, followed by Andhra Pradesh at 68.12%, and Madhya Pradesh at 68.63%. Bihar recorded a turnout of 55.90%, while Jharkhand saw 63.37%, Maharashtra 52.75%, and Uttar Pradesh 57.88%.

Despite sporadic incidents of violence reported in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, where clashes occurred between TMC and BJP workers in Birbhum and Bardhaman-Durgapur, the polling largely remained peaceful across the nation.

In this phase, a total of 1,717 candidates contested for victory across the Lok Sabha constituencies, targeting an electorate comprising over 17.70 crore individuals, including 8.73 crore women.

The voting turnout in the preceding phases of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 stood at 66.14%, 66.71%, and 65.68%, respectively. 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) aims to bolster voter participation in the forthcoming phases after observing a decline in the initial stages.