At 67.11 percent, 2019 turnout highest for LS polls

Agencies
May 20, 2019

New Delhi, May 20: An estimated 67.11 per cent of the nearly 91 crore electors turned up to cast their vote in this year's seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, the highest ever turnout recorded in any parliamentary polls in India.

The overall turnout in 2014 was 66.40 per cent.

But, the Election Commission figures are provisional and are subject to change.

The overall turnout was recorded at 67.11 per cent, as per data available on Monday morning.

Out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, elections were held in 542 constituencies as the EC had cancelled polls to the Vellore constituency on the grounds of excessive use of money power.

The poll panel is yet to announce a fresh date for elections in Vellore.

While there were 83.40 crore voters in the 2014 polls, their number stood at 90.99 crore as on April 23, the day third phase of polling took place for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2009 elections, the turnout was pegged at 56.9 per cent.

In 2019, the voter turnout saw a decreasing trend from the first to the seventh phase, which took place on Sunday.

According to data provided by the EC, in phase one, the turnout was 69.61 per cent. It went down marginally to 69.44 per cent in phase two and further down to 68.40 per cent in the third phase.

In the fourth phase, the turnout saw a dip of nearly three per cent and stood at 65.50 per cent. In the fifth phase, the turnout was 64.16 per cent, but went up marginally to 64.40 per cent in the sixth and penultimate phase.

In the seventh and the last phase, it was 65.15 per cent, according to the EC's Voter Turnout app on Monday evening. 

The cumulative turnout figure of the first six phases stood at 67.34 per cent, which is 1.21 per cent more than the corresponding constituencies in 2014.

Madhya Pradesh's turnout was 5.92 per cent more than that in 2014 and Himachal Pradesh's 5.1 per cent higher than that in the last Lok Sabha polls.

Chandigarh on the other hand recorded a massive dip in turnout as compared to the last elections. The turnout went down by 10.27 per cent. 

Punjab also witnessed a lower turnout as compared to 2014. The gap was a glaring 5.64 per cent.

In most of the states the turnout was marginally higher by 2.5 per cent than 2014.

Out of 18 lakh registered voters, 16.49 lakh have sent their postal ballots to their respective returning officers as on May 17.

The postal ballots were electronically transmitted to the service voters.They have to download it, fill it and send it by speed post.

Interestingly, the gap between male and female voters turning out to cast their vote is narrowing since 2009. In 2009, the gap was nine per cent, which went down to 1.4 per cent in 2014. It now tentatively stands at 0.4 per cent now.

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News Network
February 4,2020

New Delhi, Feb 4: Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on Tuesday attacked the BJP over Anantkumar Hegde's controversial remark on Mahatma Gandhi and termed the party as "Ravan ke aulad" (children of Ravana). "Aaj ye Mahatma Gandhi ko gaali dete hain. Ye Ravan ke aulad hain. Ram ke pujari ka ye apmaan kar rahe hain (Today, they abuse Mahatma Gandhi. They are children of Ravan. They are insulting Lord Ram's devotee)," Chowdhury said.

Later, BJP lawmakers object to Chowdhury's statement. Hegde, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada, had on Saturday said that the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi was a "drama".

"None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," Hegde had said while addressing a public event in Bengaluru. While several Congress leaders, including Karti Chidambaram and BK Hariprasad, have condemned Hegde's remark, BJP leaders too have distanced themselves from it.

Top leadership in BJP is unhappy with Anantkumar Hegde over his controversial remark on Mahatma Gandhi, party sources had said on Monday, adding that he has been asked to issue an unconditional apology.

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News Network
January 1,2020

Jan 1: Two army personnel were killed in a gunfight with heavily-armed Pakistani infiltrators along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Wednesday, officials said.

The infiltrators were intercepted in the Khari Thrayat forest when they were trying to sneak into India from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), they said.

"Two army soldiers martyred during cordon and search operation in Nowshera sector. The operation is still in progress and further details are awaited," Jammu-based Indian Army Public Relations Officer (PRO) Lt Col Devender Anand said in a statement.

The search operation was launched following information about the movement of suspected terrorists, the officials said.

The infiltrators opened fire on the troops and during a fierce gunfight, the two soldiers were killed, they said.

The officials said a massive operation is on in the area.

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News Network
July 26,2020

New Delhi, Jul 26: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday saluted the valour and grit of the Indian soldiers on the occasion of 21st anniversary of the 'Kargil Vijay Diwas'.

Shah took to Twitter and said that 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' is a symbol of India's proud, valour and steadfast leadership.

"Kargil Vijay Diwas is a symbol of India's proud, valor and steadfast leadership. I bow to the soldiers who, with their indomitable courage, drove the enemy from the inaccessible hills of Kargil and waved the tricolor there again. The country is proud of the heroes of India, who are dedicated to protecting the motherland," Shah tweeted (translated from Hindi)
The country is celebrating the anniversary of the 'Kargil Vijay Diwas'.

The Indian armed forces had defeated Pakistan on July 26, 1999. Since then, the day is celebrated as 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' to rekindle the pride and valour of the soldiers who took part in Operation Vijay.

The day marks the victory of Indian soldiers in recapturing the mountain heights that were occupied by the Pakistani Army on July 26, 1999, known as the Kargil War. 

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