India (Commonwealth Union)_ In the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, voters from 49 constituencies spanning six states and two Union Territories cast their votes. The voting concluded with an estimated turnout of 60.09%, with West Bengal (7 seats) recording a high of 73% and Maharashtra (13 seats) recording a low of 48.88%. Furthermore, over 53 million individuals participated across these constituencies, and there was a notable presence of Bollywood figures who cast their votes in the phase 5 election process. Notably, in the 2019 elections, the BJP secured victories in 32 out of the 49 seats contested in this phase.
Also read: Election drama: Billionaire titans Ambani and Adani take center stage!
The voting took place for parliamentary seats in Bihar (5), Jharkhand (3), Maharashtra (13), Odisha (5), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (7), and two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir (1) and Ladakh (1). Accordingly, with the conclusion of the fifth phase, the voting process has been completed in 428 Lok Sabha seats in 25 states and Union Territories. Simultaneously, voting also occurred for 35 seats in the Odisha Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state. With the completion of this phase, the Lok Sabha elections have wrapped up in Maharashtra and Ladakh, and a provisional turnout of 60.09% has been reported.
Also read: Voter turnout in Phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls
In phase 5, the voting in 49 constituencies across 6 states and 2 Union Territories will determine the political careers of numerous prominent leaders, including union ministers and party leaders. Prominent leaders in the election race were Smriti Irani, Rahul Gandhi, Chirag Paswan, and Omar Abdullah. Though this phase featured a relatively smaller number of seats, many were considered high-profile, with union ministers and leaders from national and regional parties competing.
Additionally, significant battlegrounds included the 7 seats in Bengal and the 13 seats in Maharashtra. The latter saw a noteworthy clash within the Shiv Sena stronghold, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray leading opposing factions. In Bengal, several seats saw intense competition, with Congress and CPM entering the fray alongside the anticipated BJP-Trinamool Congress contest. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP secured victories in 13 out of the 14 seats contested in this phase, with the exception of Raebareli, which was won by Sonia Gandhi.
The next phase, comprising 58 seats, is scheduled for May 25, with Delhi and Haryana joining in for a single-phase poll. Accordingly, vote counting will take place on June 4. The fifth phase witnessed varying voter turnouts across states and Union Territories. The statewise voter turnout is as follows: Bihar: 54.85%; Jammu and Kashmir: 58.17%; Jharkhand: 63.09%; Ladakh: 69.03%; Maharashtra: 54.33%; Odisha: 69.34%; Uttar Pradesh: 57.79%; West Bengal: 76.05%. As of now, the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections has recorded a turnout of approximately 62.19%, slightly lower than the 2019 turnout. With the completion of polling in the fifth phase, voting has concluded in 25 states and Union Territories, encompassing 428 constituencies. As such, two more phases remain, scheduled for May 25 and June 1.
Compared to the 2019 elections, which recorded 64.16% voter turnout, the current phase’s turnout is slightly lower. The fourth phase witnessed a higher turnout compared to its 2019 counterpart. The first phase witnessed a 66.14% voter turnout, followed by the second phase recording 66.71%; the third phase with 65.68%; the fourth phase with 69.16%; and the fifth phase with 60.09%. Notably, a trend of increased voting was observed in Jammu and Kashmir in this phase, with notable improvements in Baramulla. However, due to constituency boundary changes, direct comparisons with 2019 turnout figures are challenging.
Among the states and Union Territories in this phase, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh experienced increased turnouts as compared to 2019, while West Bengal saw a slight decrease. In Uttar Pradesh, the estimated turnout was just below the 2019 figure, with notable turnout rates in specific constituencies like Amethi and Raebareli. Maharashtra reported the lowest turnout among the states and UTs, followed by Bihar. With approximately 80% of Lok Sabha constituencies having voted, the final two phases will cover 115 seats. With the Election Commission reporting smooth polling operations across all constituencies, nationwide counting is scheduled for June 4.
