All States bettered their 2009 records in the second largest round of voting that culminated yesterday. In 117 constituencies during the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, West Bengal, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu registered 81.4%, 80% and 73% of voter turnout respectively.
Assam recorded 77.6% voting (up 6%), Madhya Pradesh 66% (up more than 10%), Jharkhand 63.5% (up 11%), Chhattisgarh 66% (up more than 10%), Uttar Pradesh 60.12% (up 13%), Bihar 60% (up 8%), Rajasthan 59% (up 9%) and Maharashtra 55.26% (up 10%).
Normally, when voters turn up to exercise their franchise in numbers larger than usual, it is seen in the outcome that the votes were by and large anti-incumbent. The Congress-led UPA Government has reasons to worry, much as their spokespersons pooh-poohed the analysis on television channels last night.
Mumbai let the spirit down a bit during the first half of the day, but the percentage peaked up to as much as 52.67%, an improvement of 11% over the 2009 figures when voting closed. Around 56% of 3.18 crore voters exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 338 candidates in 19 seats across Maharashtra.
Activists reporting from booths tweeted that up to 6 lakh voters were not allowed to vote as their names did not figure on the electoral roll. On being compared to Delhi, where people made sure their names were listed over and above possessing voters’ id cards, Maharashtrians said running from pillar to post for three months to get the names on record had borne no fruit.
From Tamil Nadu, clash between All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) workers in Tenkasi, over an alleged attempt to influence voters by a Panchayat chief, was reported. It left 6 persons injured. In Madurai, police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse AIADMK and DMK workers who clashed at a polling booth in Sikkandhar Chavadi locality. The incident left 3 persons were injured. Voting was otherwise peaceful in the State.
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