Lok Sabha Election 2024: Phase 7 records 40.09 per cent turnout by 1 PM

The final and seventh phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections witnessed a voter turnout of 40.09% by 1 PM today, marking the culmination of the world's largest democratic exercise. Voting began at 7 AM and will continue until 6 PM across 57 constituencies in eight states and Union Territories.

A total of 904 candidates are contesting in this phase, which includes 41 general constituencies, three reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 13 for Scheduled Castes (SC). Additionally, 42 assembly constituencies in Odisha are also conducting polls today.

The states and Union Territories participating in Phase 7 are Bihar (8/40 seats), Himachal Pradesh (4/4), Jharkhand (3/14), Odisha (6/21), Punjab (13/13), Uttar Pradesh (13/80), West Bengal (9/42), and the Chandigarh Union Territory. This phase concludes a polling marathon that began on April 19 and covered six phases and 486 Lok Sabha seats.

Prominent candidates in this phase include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a third term from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh; former Union Minister and BJP stalwart Ravi Shankar Prasad (Patna Sahib); actress Kangana Ranaut (Mandi); Congress' Manish Tewari (Chandigarh); Samajwadi Party leader Afzal Ansari (Ghazipur); and Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh (Karakat).

Voter Turnout by State/UT as of 1 PM:
Bihar: 35.65%
Chandigarh: 40.14%
Himachal Pradesh: 48.63%
Jharkhand: 46.80%
Odisha: 37.64%
Punjab: 37.80%
Uttar Pradesh: 39.31%
West Bengal: 45.07%
These figures are approximate trends updated via the Election Commission's Voter Turnout App.

Key Facts About Phase 7:
Over 10.06 crore voters are eligible to vote, including 5.24 crore males, 4.82 crore females, and 3,574 third-gender electors.
Around 10.9 lakh polling officials are deployed across approximately 1.09 lakh polling stations to facilitate the voting process.
Significant attention is focused on Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi and Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, both key constituencies for the BJP. Prime Minister Modi faces Ajay Rai of the Congress in Varanasi.
Campaigning for this phase concluded on Friday, May 30, setting the stage for today’s crucial voting.