The third phase of Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, covering 116 parliamentary constituencies across 13 States and two Union Territories, registered an overall tentative voter turnout of more than 66% compared to 69.3% in 2014.
In all, 11 deaths due to natural causes in Kerala and one murder in West Bengal were reported.
Among the prominent candidates in this phase were BJP president Amit Shah from Gandhinagar; Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who is contesting from Kerala’s Wayanad; Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge; BJP’s Alphons Kannanthanam; and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Assam recorded the highest polling of 80.74% compared to 75.74% in 2014, followed by Tripura with 79.36%, that was lower than the previous figure of 83.03%.
Karnataka also recorded a small increase in the turnout.
However, there was a sharp decline in the Anantnag constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, from 39.37% in 2014 to just 12.86%.
The five constituencies of Odisha, where the third phase of Assembly election was held simultaneously, also had a lower participation of 64% as against 72.45% in the last Lok Sabha elections.