Seven phases over: Voter turnout surpasses past

NEW DELHI: The ongoing Lok Sabha elections are witnessing much more enthusiasm among the electorate with the voter turnout already surpassing the previous records in the 438 constituencies which went to polls so far.

Percentage wise, the overall voter turnout is 66.20 per cent so far as against 57.61 per cent in the last Lok Sabha elections in these constituencies.

The voter percentage is likely to increase further after the postal ballots are taken into account, he said.

"It is a record of sorts. We'll be able to say something more concrete after the polling is over (in all phases)," Director General in the Election Commission Akshay Raut said here after the end of seven of the nine-phased polling.

Another 105 seats spread across 10 states will go to polls on May 7 and 12.

A total of 44.28 crore voters turned out in these phases, including those in areas where there was threat from naxals and militants, scorching heat and distant polling stations to cast their vote.

Gujarat, where all the 26 constituencies went to polls yesterday, recorded the turnout of 62 per cent, substantially up from 47.89 per cent last time. However, it failed to surpass the all time record of 63.77 per cent witnessed in 1967.

Like Gujarat, Punjab, with 13 seats, went for a single phase poll yesterday, recording its highest ever turnout of 73 per cent. Last elections' turnout was 70.04 per cent.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (with one seat each) also recorded their highest-ever voter turnout of 85 per cent and 76 per cent respectively. The turnout in Daman and Diu is likely to each 80 per cent. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout was 73.26 per cent and 72.69 per cent respectively.