60% turnout in nation-wide Phase-5 polls

New Delhi, May 20: Polling in the fifth phase of the General Elections 2024, which began at 7 am on Monday, recorded a voter turnout of 60.09 percent by 11:30 pm, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said Monday.

Despite hot weather in several regions, voters turned out to cast their ballots in large numbers.

Polling officially closed at 6 pm, but many voters remained in line at polling stations.

States and Union Territories that participated in the fifth phase included Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

A total of 695 candidates contested in this phase.

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners (ECs) Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, closely monitored the polling process throughout the day, issuing necessary directions as needed.

Strict security measures ensured a safe environment for voters to cast their votes without fear or intimidation.

Updated voter turnout figures, still provisional, will be available on the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Voter Turnout App, providing aggregate phase-wise, state-wise, and constituency-wise figures.

Urban constituencies like Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, and Lucknow continued to show lower voter engagement, similar to the last General Elections in 2019.

In Mumbai, both celebrities and ordinary citizens patiently waited their turn to vote, proudly displaying their inked fingers afterwards.

Various celebrities partnered with the ECI to encourage voter participation, sharing motivational videos on their social media platforms.

With the completion of the fifth phase, polling for the General Elections 2024 is now concluded in 25 States and UTs and 428 parliamentary constituencies.

Polling for the General Elections for State Legislative Assemblies in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, and 63 assembly seats in the Odisha State Assembly also concluded on Monday.

The sixth phase of polling is scheduled for May 25 in 58 parliamentary constituencies including the adjourned poll in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency and across eight states and UTs.