Phase 1 of Lok Sabha polls: 60 percent voter turnout; violence in Bengal, Manipur

NEW DELHI: Widespread violence broke out in Manipur and West Bengal during the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Bengal recorded the highest voter turnout (77.57%). The lowest turnout was recorded in Bihar (46.32%). The average turnout in 102 Lok Sabha constituencies across 21 states is 60%.

Seats and polling
Tamil Nadu- 39 (62.08%), Rajasthan- 12 (50.27%), Uttar Pradesh-8 (57.54%), Madhya Pradesh-6 (63.25%), Uttarakhand-5 (53.56%), Assam-5 (70.77%), Maharashtra-5 (54.85%) Bihar-4 (46.32%), West Bengal-3 (77.57), Arunachal-2 (64.07%), Manipur-2 (67%), Meghalaya-2 (69.91), Chhattisgarh-1(63.41%), Mizoram-1(53.96%), Nagaland-1(56.18%), Sikkim-1(68.06%), Tripura-1(76.10%), Jammu and Kashmir-1(65.08%), Lakshadweep-1(59.02%), Puducherry-1(72.84%), Andaman and Nicobar-1(56.87%)

Legislative Assembly voting:
Arunachal Pradesh: 64%
Sikkim: 68%

• CRPF Assistant Commander Devendra Kumar (32) was killed in a bomb attack by Maoists in Bastar Mandal in Chhattisgarh.
• In Manipur, violence was unleashed by the militant Meitei group Arambai Tenggol. Voting was stopped in two booths in Imphal East and three booths in Imphal West. Booth capturing and destruction of voting machines were rampant.
• There was widespread violence in the Bishnupur district of the Meitei region in Imphal East. One person was shot in Khurai. Three people were injured in an encounter between armed groups in Thamnapokpi. The assailants threatened the polling agents and kicked them out of the booth. In some places, the resistance of the voters led to conflict. A large number of booths were captured in Thongju Assembly Constituency. There was low voter turnout in Kangpokpi district due to the boycott call of Kuki-Zomi organizations. Polling decreased in Kuki areas while it increased in Meitei areas.
• In Bengal, there was widespread violence in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri constituencies. Trinamool and BJP workers clashed. The leaders were injured.
• In Nagaland, voters boycotted elections in eastern districts on the call of the Eastern Nagaland People's Front to protest against the non-formation of Frontier Nagaland Territory. Nobody turned out to vote in twenty of the 60 Assembly seats till noon.
• In Assam, a car that was transporting an electronic voting machine to replace the malfunctioning one at a Lakhimpur booth plunged into a river and drowned. Everyone inside the vehicle managed to escape.
• A CRPF jawan was found dead in the washroom of a booth in Mathabhanga in Bengal. Bruises were found on his body.