In the fifth round of the Lok Sabha elections, voter turnout reached 36.73 percent by 1 pm across 49 parliamentary constituencies, according to data from the Election Commission. Ladakh reported the highest turnout at 52.02 percent, followed by West Bengal with 48.41 percent, Jharkhand at 41.89 percent, Uttar Pradesh at 39.55 percent, Odisha at 35.31 percent, Jammu and Kashmir at 34.79 percent, Bihar at 34.62 percent, and Maharashtra at 27.78 percent.
Mumbai’s voter turnout remained below 30 percent by 1 pm. Specific turnout rates in Mumbai included: Mumbai North at 26.78 percent, Mumbai North Central at 28.05 percent, Mumbai North East at 28.82 percent, Mumbai North West at 28.41 percent, Mumbai South at 28.41 percent, and Mumbai South Central at 27.21 percent.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) reported that over 8.95 crore voters, comprising 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, are participating in this phase to determine the outcome for 695 candidates. Significant contests are taking place, with notable candidates such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya vying for success.
This phase includes polling in eight states and union territories: Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Urban areas like Mumbai, Thane, and Lucknow, which have historically shown voter apathy, are also voting in this phase. Out of the 49 Lok Sabha seats, 14 are from Uttar Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, 7 from West Bengal, 5 from Bihar, 3 from Jharkhand, 5 from Odisha, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
To ensure a peaceful voting process, there are 2,000 flying squads, 2105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams monitoring the 94,732 polling stations. Additionally, 216 international border check posts and 565 inter-state border check posts are in place to monitor and prevent any illegal activities involving liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies. Surveillance is also heightened on sea and air routes, according to the ECI.
