Just not enough! Only 60% turn out in 5th phase

New Delhi, NT Bureau: Only 60 per cent voter tur nout was recorded on Monday in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union territories in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, with Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir recording its highest-ever voting percentage.

There were sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal, besides EVM glitches at some booths in the state and neighbouring Odisha and complaints of slow voting in Maharashtra.

West Bengal recorded the highest polling percentage at 73.14, while Maharashtra recorded the lowest at 53.51 per cent, with six Lok Sabha constituencies of Mumbai witnessing voting between 46 per cent to around 54 per cent per cent.

The EC had on Sunday flagged urban voter apathy in Mumbai, Thane and Lucknow and had urged people to come out and vote. Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, which was once militancy-infested, recorded its highest-ever voter turnout on Monday at 59 per cent.

The Sopore assembly segment of the parliamentary constituency witnessed a healthy turnout of 44 per cent after recording singledigit polling percentages in the past couple of decades.

The previous highest voter turnout in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency was witnessed in 1984 at 58.90 per cent. Among other states, Bihar recorded 53.78 per cent turnout, Jharkhand 63.06 per cent, Odisha 62.23 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 57.79 per cent and Ladakh 68.47 per cent.

The figures, the EC said, were "approximate trend" as data was still being collated. The last four phases have registered a total voter turnout of 66.95 per cent.

With the end of polls in the fifth phase, voting has been completed in 25 states and Union Territories and 428 constituencies out of 543 in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Two more phases -- on May 25 and June 1 -- are remaining now.

Counting of votes is on June 4. In Uttar Pradesh, Amethi recorded a voter turnout of 54.17 per cent, Lucknow 52.03 per cent and Rae Bareli 57.85 per cent.

A 56-year-old election officer died after suffering a heart attack at a polling booth in the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency Polling for 428 Lok Sabha seats has been completed so far in 25 states and Union territories.