Lok Sabha elections: Nearly 65 pc polling recorded in third phase

Nearly 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories with stray incidents of violence in West Bengal.Assam recorded the highest turnout at 81.71 per cent followed by West Bengal at 76.52 per cent and Goa at 75.20 per cent, while Uttar Pradesh witnessed the lowest at 57.34 per cent, with Bihar at 58.18 per cent, Gujarat at 59.51 per cent and Maharashtra at 61.44 per cent doing slightly better, according to the figures from the Election Commission.

The polling for Phase 3 of the Lok Sabha elections concluded on Tuesday with a voter turnout of approximately 65 per cent,Prime Minister Narendra Modi voted this morning at a polling booth in Ahmedabad. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, too, voted on Tuesday.
Nearly 55.22 % voting turnout was recorded for 25 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats during the 3rd phase of polling in Gujarat, as at 05:00 PM,as per data sby EC. The polling was by and large peaceful,PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah cast their franchise in Ahmedabad under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday morning.According to data shared by the Election Commission (EC), Valsad constituency in South eastern Gujarat recorded the highest voter turnout of 68.12 % while Amreli seat in the Saurashtra region recorded lowest voter turnout of 45.59%,as at 05:00pm. The turnout figures were till 5 p.m., according to Election Commission (EC).
Amid threat,security was beefed up in Ahmedabad. According to officials police personnel including paramilitary forces were deployed to avoid any untoward incident. Bomb disposal squad and crime branch teams were seen conducting surveillance and movements were closely monitored with the help of CCTV camera from police control room.
The Gandhinagar seat which is considered as high profile due capital status. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is seeking reelection from the Gandhinagar seat, which was represented by prominent leaders former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani since the establishment in 1967. The Congress is fighting the election in alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, which is contesting from Bharuch and Bhavnagar. The party has fielded nominees from 23 seats after the nomination for its Surat candidate was cancelled.
Key contenders in the Gujarat race include Union Home Minister Amit Shah contesting from Gandhinagar, Union minister and former Gujarat minister Parshottam Rupala from Rajkot, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar, state BJP chief CR Paatil from Navsari, and the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mansukhbhai Vasava facing off against AAP's Chaitar Vasava in Bharuch.
As per poll officials, a total of 4.97 crore persons, comprising 2.56 crore males, 2.41 crore females and 1,534 from the third gender, are eligible to vote in 50,788 polling booths in the single-phase Lok Sabha elections in the State. These comprise 17,275 polling booths in urban areas and 33,513 in rural areas, EC data showed.
The final turnout is likely to increase as in some seats voting had been extended till 6 p.m. However, the turnout in the third phase of these general elections is still unlikely to cross that of the commensurate phase of 2019 when it was 69.44%.
The voter turnout of approximately 60.19 % was recorded in 93 constituencies accross 11 states including 25 seats of Gujarat ,that went for voting in the 3rd phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday till 5 pm.

(Ira Singh, Asstt Editor, Gandhinagar)