Phase 5 of Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Key battles & turnout figures

Lucknow, May 20: Voting is underway in 49 constituencies spread across six states and two Union territories in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged women and young voters to turn out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. The polling, commencing at 7 am, covers Uttar Pradesh (14), Maharashtra (13), West Bengal (7), Bihar (5), Odisha (5), Jharkhand (3), and one seat each in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

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This phase witnesses several high-profile contests, with prominent ministers and leaders vying for victory. After a subdued turnout in the initial three phases, voter participation saw an upswing in the fourth phase.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the overall turnout in the preceding four phases stands at 66.95 percent, as per a statement released on May 16.

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Key candidates in this phase include Rahul Gandhi (Rae Bareli, UP), Smriti Irani (Amethi, UP), Rajnath Singh (Lucknow, UP), Karan Bhushan Singh (Kaiserganj, UP), Rohini Acharya (Saran, Bihar), Chirag Paswan (Hajipur, Bihar), Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North), Ujjwal Nikam (Mumbai North-Central), and Omar Abdullah (Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir).

In addition to the Lok Sabha seats, 35 assembly constituencies in Odisha are also casting their votes today. Over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore men, 4.26 crore women, and 5,409 third gender electors, are eligible to vote in this phase. Notably, there are over 7.81 lakh registered voters aged 85 and above, along with 24,792 voters aged over 100 years.

A total of around 9.47 lakh polling officials have been deployed at 94,732 polling stations for today's voting.

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Among the Lok Sabha seats contested today, the BJP had secured 32 seats in 2019, with its allies winning 7 seats. The BJP garnered a vote share exceeding 40 percent in at least 30 seats. In contrast, the Congress clinched only one seat – Raebareli – out of the 49 seats in the previous election, while its allies, including the TMC, secured seven seats. Overall, the NDA secured 39 seats, and the INDIA bloc parties won eight seats. The BJD clinched the remaining two seats in 2019.

With voting in 49 seats today, more than three-fourths of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats (428 seats) will have completed their election process by the end of this phase. The remaining two phases are scheduled for May 25 and June 1, with vote counting across all phases set for June 4.

The BJP-led NDA, aiming for a historic third term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, targets winning 400 seats this election. The ruling alliance faces opposition from parties led by the Congress under the INDIA bloc banner.