The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections for 49 parliamentary constituencies saw a cumulative voter turnout of 47.53 per cent till 3 pm, as per the data shared by the Election Commission.
According to the poll body, Ladakh recorded the highest voter turnout (61.26 per cent) followed by West Bengal (62.72 per cent), Jharkhand (53.90 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (47.55 per cent), Odisha (48.95 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (44.90 per cent), Bihar (45.33 per cent) and Maharashtra (38.77 per cent).
Mumbai continued to disappoint with voter turnout failing to cross 40 per cent till 3 pm. Mumbai North recorded a turnout of 39.33 per cent; Mumbai North Central saw a turnout of 37.66 per cent, Mumbai North East saw a turnout of 39.15 per cent per cent, Mumbai North West recorded a turnout of 39.91 per cent.
Mumbai South had the lowest turnout in the city with 36.64 per cent recorded till 3 pm. Mumbai South Central saw a turnout of 38.77 per cent.
In the fifth phase of voting, 695 candidates will be chosen by more than 8.95 crore voters, comprising 4.69 crore men, 4.26 crore women, and 5409 electors who identify as third gender. There are important elections in several constituencies during the fifth phase.
Election success is sought after by figures including Rahul Gandhi, Omar Abdullah, the chairman of the JKNC, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya.
Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are the eight states/UTs that will vote in phase 5.
Cities that have historically shown urban apathy to voting, like as Mumbai, Thane, and Lucknow, are voting in this phase. Fourteen of the forty-nine Lok Sabha seats are located in Uttar Pradesh, thirteen in Maharashtra, seven in West Bengal, five in Bihar, three in Jharkhand, five in Odisha, and one in each of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Over 2,000 flying squads, 2105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams are monitoring the 94,732 polling places around-the-clock in an effort to foster a calm environment for voters.
A total of 216 international border check posts and 565 inter-state border check posts are keeping a strict vigil on any illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies. Strict surveillance has been kept on sea and air routes, the ECI said.
