The third phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 was held peacefully across 11 states and Union Territories on May 6, with an approximate voter turnout of 61.45% recorded as of 8 PM. Voters enthusiastically participated in the democratic process, braving hot weather conditions in some areas to cast their ballots at their respective polling stations.
In this phase, elections were held for 93 parliamentary constituencies, with 1,331 candidates in the fray. The Election Commission of India (ECI) initiated a system of SMS alerts, WhatsApp messages, and voice calls from national and state icons, with support from major telecom service providers, to encourage voter participation. With the conclusion of Phase 3, polling is now over in 20 states and Union Territories, covering 283 parliamentary constituencies. The voter turnout data for each state, parliamentary constituency, and assembly segment is available on the Voter Turnout App (VTR App) launched by the ECI.
The ECI has added a new feature to the VTR App to show aggregated phase-wise turnout figures in addition to state, parliamentary constituency, and assembly segment-wise data. This move aims to facilitate media and other stakeholders in accessing real-time information.
To ensure transparency, the ECI has shared parliamentary constituency-wise electors’ data for Phases 1, 2, and 3, enabling the calculation of voter turnout at regular intervals. The final actual account of votes recorded for each polling station will be shared in Form 17C with all polling agents at the close of polls.
The ECI has announced that it will update the approximate voter turnout figures close to 11:30 PM today and publish the updated voter turnout, including gender-wise breakup, by May 11, 2024, after scrutiny and consideration of any repolls.
International observers from 23 countries, comprising 75 delegates, visited several polling stations in six states to witness the poll process. They commended the magnitude, transparency, and festive mood of the elections. Special arrangements were made to mitigate the effects of hot weather conditions, including the provision of shamiyanas, drinking water, medical kits, and fans for the convenience of voters. The ECI also made efforts to facilitate voting among tribal groups by decorating polling stations with tribal culture and local themes.
The states and Union Territories where polling took place in this phase include Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, and Chhattisgarh. Voting in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency in Jammu and Kashmir was rescheduled to Phase 6, while the Surat parliamentary constituency in Gujarat did not go to polls as the candidate was elected unopposed. The next phase (Phase 4) of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 is scheduled for May 13 in 96 parliamentary constituencies across 10 states and Union Territories.
