62.9pc turnout in fourth phase
India yesterday voted in the fourth phase of a seven-week long general election as the campaign rhetoric became more strident over economic disparities and religious divisions.
The world's most populous nation began voting on April 19 in a seven-phase election in which nearly one billion people are eligible to vote, with ballots set to be counted on June 4.
A voter turnout of 62.9 percent was recorded till 8:00 pm yesterday in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in 96 constituencies spread over 10 States and Union Territories amid incidents of violence in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal as well as reports of poll boycott in some Uttar Pradesh villages.
The voter turnout in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections held on April 19, 26 and May 7 was 66.14 percent, 66.71 percent and 65.68 percent, respectively.
Among the high-profile contestants in the fourth phase were Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav in Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh), Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Baharampur), TMC's Shatrughan Sinha (Asansol), Mahua Moitra (Krishnanagar) and Yusuf Pathan (Baharampur) as well as BJP's S S Ahluwalia (Asansol) and Dilip Ghosh (Bardhaman-Durgapur).
There were also reports of EVMs malfunctioning at some booths in West Bengal and Odisha.
Stray violence marred the fourth phase polls in the eight parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal as TMC and BJP workers clashed in various parts of Birbhum and Bardhaman-Durgapur seats.
Clashes also broke out between supporters of TMC and BJP in Monteswar's Susunia area of Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat around noon, as BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh was on his way to a polling booth following complaints of booth jamming.
But despite that, the turnout in the eight constituencies of West Bengal yesterday was the highest (75.66 percent) followed by Madhya Pradesh at 68.01 percent.
Among other states, Andhra Pradesh saw 68.04 percent polling, Bihar 54.14 percent, Jharkhand 63.14 percent, Odisha 62.96 percent, Telangana 61.16 percent and Uttar Pradesh 56.35 percent.
Srinagar, the main city of troubled Kashmir Valley, also voted for the first time yesterday since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's August 2019 decision to scrap Article 370 which gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status and remove the region's semi-autonomy with a turnout of 35.75 percent.
The BJP is not contesting there, as analysts said the outcome was likely to contradict Modi's narrative of a peaceful, more integrated Kashmir.
"I voted after over two decades ... just to get relief from what we are facing here," said Bashir Ahmad Lala, 67, a Srinagar resident.
Police imposed restrictions on gatherings ahead of the vote in the militarised region, while opposition parties said their workers were arrested, which police denied.
Former Jammu and Kashmir state Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, president of the National Conference party, said Modi and Shah "will definitely get defeated" nationally.
Asaduddin Owaisi, a prominent Muslim lawmaker from the southern city of Hyderabad, which also voted yesterday, said the BJP had fewer supporters after Modi's recent "venomous" comments against minority Muslims.
Analysts have raised doubts over whether the BJP and its allies can win the landslide predicted by opinion polls and said the lower turnout had prompted Modi to change the tack of his campaign after the first phase.
Modi has shifted focus from his economic record to accusing the Congress of planning to extend welfare benefits to Muslims at the expense of disadvantaged tribal groups and Hindu castes.
Last month, he said the Congress planned to redistribute the wealth of majority Hindus among Muslims, who he referred to as "infiltrators" who have "more children".
Congress has denied making any such promises and has said Modi is rattled by the turnout, which the BJP denies.
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