Phase 1: 60% voter turnout till 7 PM in LS elections 2024

• Sixty per cent voter turnout recorded till 7 pm in Phase 1 of Lok Sabha elections
• More than 16.63 crore voters cast their votes across nearly 2 lakh polling stations
• Key candidates include Union ministers, Congress, DMK, and BJP members

As the first phase of voting for the 18th Lok Sabha elections commenced in 21 states and Union territories, a significant voter turnout of sixty per cent was recorded till 7 pm across the states. This phase witnessed polling in seats spanning Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.

More than 16.63 crore voters, comprising over 8 crore men and women each, exercised their franchise at nearly 2 lakh polling stations. Notable candidates contesting in this phase include Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Bhupendra Yadav, Kiren Rijiju, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Sarbananda Sonowal. Additionally, Congress's Gaurav Gogoi, DMK's Kanimozhi, and BJP's Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai are among those vying for seats. While the BJP-led NDA aims for a stronger majority, the opposition INDIA bloc anticipates a rebound, following the 2019 election results.