New Delhi: The second phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections was held ‘smoothly and peacefully’ on Friday in 88 constituencies across 13 states and Union Territories.
According to an Election Commission of India (ECI) press release, the overall voter turnout till 7 pm was 60.96 per cent. That figure is only marginally more than the percentage in the first phase on April 19.
Polling was held for 20 seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, 8 each in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, 7 in Madhya Pradesh, 5 each in Assam and Bihar, 3 each in Bengal and Chhattisgarh, and 1 each in Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur and Tripura.
A total of 89 constituencies were scheduled to vote in phase 2. However, polling in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul constituency had to be postponed following the death of a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate.
Betul will now go to polls in the third phase, on May 7.
A highlight of phase 2 was peaceful polling in 46 villages of Bastar and Kanker constituencies in Chhattisgarh – areas which have seen deadly Maoist violence over the years.
Voting time was extended in several polling stations in Bihar’s Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria and Munger constituencies to facilitate voters in hot weather.
In Bengaluru, cricketing superstars Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath not only cast their votes at different polling stations in the morning, they struck a pose with their inked fingers to convey the message of importance of participation in electoral process to the youth.
To underline the hugely diverse terrain in India, voters in Raima Valley, a remote area of Dhalai Assembly segment in Tripura, arrived at the polling stations in boats.
