Over 60% voter turnout was reported at 7:00 pm on Friday as Phase 1 of the General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha remained largely peaceful, said the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Commission also said that the voting percentage is expected to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained. Polling took place in 102 Parliamentary Constituencies across 21 States/UTs.
ECI thanked voters of phase 1 and entire election machinery in a statement and stated that the nation’s diverse electorate painted vivid pictures of democracy in action. “From bustling city centres to remote villages, the polling stations witnessed a colourful convergence of voters spanning generations and backgrounds. Polling was seamless, based on meticulous planning and execution by the Commission and its officials in the field,” the commission claimed.
The Commission also informed that led by CEC Rajiv Kumar and ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, the progress of polling in Phase 1 across the constituencies was constantly monitored from ECI Headquarters in Nirvachan Sadan. A state-of-the-art control room was set up at the HQ for the purpose. Similar control rooms were created at State/District level also.
Owing to the efforts of the Commission, 56 villages in Bastar, Chhattisgarh cast their vote in a polling booth set up in their own village for the first time in a Lok Sabha Election. Voters were seen to benefit from the medical facilities at the Model Polling station in PC-163 in Bijapur, ECI informed. Further, in Gadchiroli-Chimur, Maharashtra, the local tribal dialect was used at Hemalkasa Booth containing all relevant information. In Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Buddhist monks were seen posing with a smile and their fingers inked in a proud display.
A historic moment unfolds as the Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar casts their votes for the first time in #GeneralElections2024. Every vote marks a milestone in their journey towards empowerment and representation.#ECI #LokSabhaElections2024 #ECISVEEP #IVoteforSure pic.twitter.com/Dril7oHCy4
— Chief Electoral Officer, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (@AndamanCEO) April 19, 2024
In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, voters belonging to the tribal communities came out in large numbers. Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar made history by casting their votes for the first time in the General Elections. In Mizoram, an elderly couple reaffirmed their vow to vote together. In Arunachal Pradesh, an elderly woman trekked to the Polling Station on her own volition despite having the home voting facility.
Voters braved the heat in most parts of the country while at others voters waited patiently in pouring rain. The Assured Minimum Facilities guaranteed by the ECI at every polling station were of immense support to them, the Commission said.
