In the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the polling percentage also decreased. A total of 60% polling was recorded. Last time the total polling was 67.4 percent. After the polling percentage decreased in the first two phases, the Election Commission made all efforts to bring the voters to the polling booth. But there was no significant increase in the polling percentage.
Among the northern states, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest polling. Uttar Pradesh saw good polling in the morning, but it dropped in the afternoon. Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav alleged that BJP workers occupied the booths in many places. The BJP retorted that the complaint was baseless
In Karnataka, the voter turnout was higher in the BJP strongholds of Coastal Karnataka and Mumbai Karnataka. Polling in Karnataka is 66.05 percent till 5 pm. It took three hours for the total turnout to cross 50 percent as the voters did not turn up in the scorching sun.
Meanwhile, BJP workers lodged a complaint with the Returning Officer against Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar for allegedly violating the rules inside the booth. Lakshmi’s son Mrinal is a candidate, but inside the polling station, she raised her finger to indicate the serial number of the candidate.
