The sixth phase of LokSabha polls witnessed 63.3 per cent turnout in the 59 parliamentary constituencies in seven states that voted Sunday, the Election Commission said.
The sixth phase of polling was held for eight seats inBihar, all 10 seats in Haryana and all seven in Delhi, four in Jharkhand, eightin Madhya Pradesh, 14 in Uttar Pradesh and eight in West Bengal.
BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh was attacked in West Bengal anda poll officer was allegedly beaten up by an MLA of the saffron party in UttarPradesh during the LokSabha poll’s sixth and penultimate phase on Sunday inwhich over 63 per cent turnout was recorded in 59 seats across six states andthe national capital.
Votes were cast by a number of public figures, includingPresident Ram NathKovind, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson SoniaGandhi, Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal and External Affairs MinisterSushmaSwaraj.
With today’s polling, votes have already been cast in nearly89 per cent of the 543 constituencies, while the last phase of voting will takeplace on May 19 for the remaining 59 seats.
The Election Commission (EC) announced 63.3 per cent turnoutacross the states and Delhi, with West Bengal recording over 80 per centpolling and the national capital registering just 60 per cent.
Union ministers Radha Mohan Singh, Harsh Vardhan and ManekaGandhi, Samajwadi Party chief AkhileshYadav and Congress leaders DigvijaySingh, JyotiradityaScindia and Sheila Dikshit as also celebrity contestantsGautamGambhir, Vijender Singh, Dinesh LalYadav ‘Nirahua’, Ravi Kishan and HansRaj Hans were among several prominent faces in the fray.Delhi’s saw a dip in its turnout from 65 percent in 2014, despite a three-cornered contest between the BJP, Congress andAAP with several high profile candidates, while the EC also appeareddisappointed at the low polling figure even after its enhanced efforts to drawthe voters to polling booths Over 80 percent polling was recorded in eight seats in West Bengal, where BJP’s Ghatalcandidate and former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh was attacked twice by localpeople when she tried to visit polling stations in her constituency.