57 percent turnout in phase IV

Vikash Ranjan

New Delhi

Fri, 08 May 2009: 

The fourth and penultimate round of Lok Sabha elections held for 85 seats in 8 states on Thursday recorded over 57 percent voter turnout, went peacefully in Naxals hit Bihar and politically volatile Uttar Pradesh but witnessed sporadic violence in West Bengal and Rajasthan.

Interestingly, West Bengal whe four persons died and a dozen injured in poll-related violence recorded the highest 75 percent voter turnout leaving much behind Jammu & Kashmir, where separatists called for poll boycott, with just 24 percentage polling, thus experienced a huge gap between highest and lowest polling percentage.

J&K though recorded lowest turnout in this phase but it was comparatively higher than the previous polling percentage, just 18.5 percent in 2004 and 11.85 in 1999.

The turnout in Bihar, which went through Naxal violence in previous phases, recorded very low, Just 37 percent, despite remaining relatively peaceful this time.

“There was no major incident reported there and it was by and large peaceful,” the Deputy Election Commissioner, R Balakrishnan told reporters in New Delhi.

The national capital broke its own two-and-half decade-long record by registering nearly 53 percent voter turnout as against 64 percent in 1984; thus surpassed other Metro cities like Mumbai where only 41 percent people exercised their franchise and Bangalore over 45 percent.

The percentage in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections was 43.54, while in 2004 it was 47.09, as per previous records.

West Delhi constituency recorded highest turnout at 53 percent followed by East Delhi at 52.5 percent, leaving North-West Delhi much behind at 45 percent.

The polling percentage in other states where people cast their ballots in this phase remained as Rajasthan 50 percent, Haryana 63 and Punjab 65 percent.

In the Uttar Pradesh, where 18 of the 80 seats went to polls yesterday, nearly 50 percent people exercised their franchise, displaying comparatively better performance than the previous three phases which recorded 45 percent in first phase, 44 in second, and 49 in third phase.

With the end of the fourth phase, fate of many stalwarts viz., SP supremo Mulayam Singh, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, former BJP chief minister Kalyan Singh, NC patron Farooq Abdulla, BJP president Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee sealed in the EVMs, among others. Fate of the contestants sealed in 457 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats with the end of fourth phase.

In the fifth and final round of the Lok Sabha elections, polling will be held in 86 constituencies on May 13, and the counting of votes will take place on May 16.