There was an increase of 0.73% point in voter turnout in Phase 1, a drop of 0.18% point in Phase 2 and a near 1.8% point surge in Phase 3, data shows.
It is West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh that give away little by way of turnout.
Voter turnout in the three phases of Lok Sabha polls covering 303 of 543 constituencies has been within one percent range of 2014 elections though there is a clear surge in the number of voters casting their ballot, the latest Election Commission data shows.
There was an increase of 0.73% point in voter turnout in Phase 1, a drop of 0.18% point in Phase 2 and a near 1.8% point surge in Phase 3, data shows.
The number of voters, however, is much higher in 2019. Final voter turnout of 69.50% was recorded for Phase 1 in which 9.8 crore people across 21 states and union territories voted. The figure was 68.77% with 7.2 crore voters in 2014 for Phase 1.
In Phase 2, 69.44% voter turnout was registered with 10.8 crore people voting—0.18% point less than the 69.62% turnout of 2014.
Phase 3, for which final data is yet to come, shows a surge with 67.87% turnout against 66% in 2014—1.8% point higher than the last LS polls.
STATE-WISE TURNOUT It is West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh that give away little by way of turnout. West Bengal posts little change from 2014- it continues to see high voter turnout but in the same range as last LS election- at 83.8% in Phase 1 (up by 0.5% point), 81.72% in Phase 2 (up by 1.95% point) and 82% in Phase 3 (down 0.79% point).
The pattern in UP also gives away little. The state sees only a 2.8% point rise in Phase 1 registering an average 63.26% turnout, a 1% point bump to stand at 62.39%turnout in Phase 2 and a 0.1% point inch up at 61.37% in Phase 3.
The constituencies where minority population is high also see a drop in turnout - Saharanpur registers a 3.4% point drop, Kairana drops by 5.6% point, Bijnor (-1.8% point) and Muzzaffarnagar (1.4% point).
Down south, Andhra Pradesh, where Chandrababu Naidu is fighting a tough battle, posted a lower voter turnout than 2014 but 21 of the 25 parliamentary constituencies in the state show an increase.
In Karnataka, hotly contested seats like Gulbarga, of C o n g r e s s ’ Mallikarjun Kharge and Shimo g a , where sons of two former CMs are in the fray, showed an increase in voter turnout which is expected to lead to a clearer verdict.
Neighbouring Tamil Nadu registered a 4.32% point increase in voter turnout but-29 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats saw a 1-4% point drop in turnout.
In Maharashtra, BJP-held Wardha, Bhandara-Gondiya, Beed and Nagpur, represented by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, all saw turnout drop, while former CM Ashok Chavan’s constituency, Nanded, saw a 5% point increase in voter turnout from 2014.
Wayanad in Kerala, where Rahul Gandhi contested, showed voter turnout above 80% against 73% figure in 2014.
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