LS polls: Record voter turnout of 76.01% in second last round

New Delhi: The penultimate round of polling in 64 Lok Sabha constituencies in seven states today witnessed a record voter turnout, with Seemandhra region in Andhra Pradesh witnessing exercise of franchise by 76.01 percent of voters. The Election Commission said the country surpassed its highest ever voter turnout of 64 per cent in 1984. In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout was 75.86 per cent. [caption id=“attachment_1513205” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The voter turnout at the end of the 8th phase stood at 66.27 per cent. So far 502 of the 543 constituencies have voted in the Lok Sabha elections. Another 41 seats will go for polls on May 12 in the last and the ninth phase of elections. Assembly elections in 175 seats of the Seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh were also held today. As all the phases of Lok Sabha and assembly elections ended today in Andhra Pradesh, the overall voter turnout stood at 73.46 per cent, the highest ever. It was 72.63 per cent in 2009. Election Commission Director General Akshay Rout described the turnout in this phases as well as the previous phases as a “record”. West Bengal’s six seats recorded an impressive voter turnout of 81.28 per cent. It was 77.72 per cent in 2009. In Bihar’s seven Lok Sabha seats, the turnout was 58 per cent as compared to 44.7 per cent in 2009. Himachal Pradesh went for a single-phase polling today where the turnout in the four parliamentary constituencies stood at 65 per cent as compared to 58.4 per cent in the previous general elections. In Jammu and Kashmir, Baramulla and Ladakh went for polls today. The turnout was recorded at a moderate 49.98 per cent. It was, however, higher than last time’s 45.57 per cent. Fifteen constituencies of Uttar Pradesh which went for polls recorded a voter turnout of 55.52 per cent. It was 43.37 percent in 2009. In Amethi, from where Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is seeking a third term in Lok Sabha, the turnout was 54.24 per cent. Like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand too had a single-phase poll today where the five Lok Sabha seats recorded a turnout of 62 percent. It was 53.58 percent in 2009. PTI