Voting in the Lok Sabha election phase 1 was held on April 19
The first phase of voting for the 18th Lok Sabha elections concluded with significant enthusiasm as nearly 64 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots across 21 states and Union territories on April 19. More than 16.63 crore voters, comprising over eight crore men and women each, exercised their democratic right at nearly 2 lakh polling stations nationwide.
In this phase, key political figures including Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Bhupendra Yadav, Kiren Rijiju, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Sarbananda Sonowal, along with prominent candidates like Congress's Gaurav Gogoi, DMK's Kanimozhi, and BJP's Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai contested fiercely for parliamentary seats.
The states where polling took place include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
Top 10 Constituencies with Highest Voter Turnout
Lakshadweep emerged as the constituency with the highest voter turnout at an impressive 83.9 per cent, followed by Jalpaiguri (82.2 per cent), Tripura West (81.6 per cent), Dharmapuri (81.5 per cent), and Coochbehar (81.5 per cent). Sikkim, Jorhat, Kallakurichi, Chhindwara, and Puducherry rounded off the top 10 constituencies with robust participation ranging from 78.8 per cent to 80 per cent.
Bottom 10 Constituencies with Lowest Voter Turnout
Conversely, certain constituencies witnessed lower voter engagement, with Nawada recording the lowest turnout at 43.8 per cent, followed by Almora (46.9 per cent), Karauli-Dholpur (49.3 per cent), Gaya (49.5 per cent), and Garhwal (50.8 per cent). Jamui, Aurangabad, Jhunjhunu, Tehri Garhwal, and Bharatpur comprised the bottom 10, with voter turnout ranging from 52.3 per cent to 52.7 per cent.
Change in Voter Turnout
Notably, some constituencies exhibited a significant increase in voter turnout compared to the previous elections. Shillong saw a remarkable rise of 6.8 per cent, followed by Vellore (2 per cent), Jorhat (1.9 per cent), Bastar (1.3 per cent), and Coimbatore (1 per cent).
On the other hand, certain constituencies experienced a decline in voter participation. Nagaland witnessed the most notable decrease at -26.1 per cent, followed by Sidhi (-14.3 per cent), Shahdol (-11.0 per cent), Arunachal East (-10.7 per cent), and Jhunjhunu (-9.8 per cent).
Second Phase On April 26th
Voting for the second phase of the 18th general elections is scheduled for April 26, encompassing 89 constituencies across 13 states. Notable seats include Mathura, where Hema Malini seeks her third term, and Meerut, where Ramayan's fame Arun Govil is contesting from the BJP. Purnia in Bihar witnesses a significant contest between Pappu Yadav and Santosh Kumar Kushwaha. Wayanad in Kerala features Rahul Gandhi, CPI's Annie Raja, and BJP's K Surendran, while Thiruvananthapuram sees Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Pannyan Raveendran in a triangular contest.