Lok Sabha Elections 6th Phase Voting: Polling Concludes In 58 Constituencies Across 6 States, 2 Union Territories

Voting for the sixth of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections concluded on May 25, encompassing 58 constituencies across six states and two Union Territories.

Lok Sabha Elections 6th Phase Voting Concludes ( Image Source :PTI Images )

Voting for the sixth and penultimate phase of the Lok Sabha elections concluded on Saturday, encompassing 58 constituencies across six states and two Union Territories. This phase included all seven seats in Delhi and the Jangal Mahal region in West Bengal. 

Polling took place in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, all 10 seats in Haryana, eight seats each in seats in Bihar and West Bengal, six seats in Odisha, four seats in Jharkhand, and one seat in Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, 42 Assembly seats in Odisha also voted. 

The total turnout till 5 PM was reported at 57.7%. The following is the list of turnout figures state-wise till 5 PM. 

State/UT	Voter Turnout (%)
Bihar	52.24
Delhi	53.73
Haryana	55.93
Jammu & Kashmir	51.35
Jharkhand	61.41
Odisha	59.60
Uttar Pradesh	52.02
West Bengal	77.99

The Election Commission reported that over 111.3 million voters, including 58.4 million men, 52.9 million women, and 5,120 individuals of the third gender, were eligible to vote. To facilitate this, the EC deployed approximately 1.14 million polling officials at 1,14,000 polling stations. 

With much of India experiencing a heat wave, the EC directed officials and state machinery to ensure adequate measures were in place to manage the impact of the hot weather. 

Notable candidates in this phase included Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Rao Indrajit SIngh, and Krishan Pal Gurjar; BJP's Maneka Gandhi, Sambit Patra, Manohar Lal Khattar, and Manoj Tiwari; PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti; and Congress members Deepender Singh Hooda, Raj Babbar, and Kanhaiya Kumar. 

The Election Commission urged voters, particularly in urban centres like Delhi, Gurugram, and Faridabad, to exercise their right and duty to vote, aiming to counteract urban voter apathy. 

The previous phase (the fifth phase) saw a voter turnout of 62.2% across 49 seats on May 20. 

In West Bengal, voting occurred in the tribal belt of the Jangal Mahal region, which spans five districts. This region, known for its major role in identity politics, sends eight representatives to the Lok Sabha. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won five seats while TMC secured three. 

Soumendu Adhikari, brother of senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, contested from Kanthi. In Tamluk, former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay ran on a BJP ticket against TMC's Debangshu Bhattacharya, known for his "Khela Hobe" song during the 2021 assembly polls.

In Delhi, an intriguing battle is between the BJP and I.N.D.I.A bloc partners in direct contests for all seven seats. This election marked the first time the AAP and Congress fielded joint candidates against the BJP. The AAP contested four seats while Congress fielded candidates in the remaining three. 

In Uttar Pradesh, BJP candidate Maneka Gandhi sought her ninth term from Sultanpur, competing against Samajwadi Party's Ram Bahul Nishad and BSP's Uday Raj Verma.