While a preliminary look seems to indicate a drop in polling figures compared with 2014, EC said the number are likely to be revised upwards since the initial estimates were only up to 5pm.
Tripura and West Bengal topped the charts at 81.8% and 80% respectively. Polling was still on till late at night in Andhra Pradesh.
Jammu and Kashmir recorded brisk polling — 72% in Jammu and a creditable 35% in terrorism-affected Baramulla, which was not much lower than 38.5% clocked in 2014.
Polling is now complete in 10 states and Union territories. Also, assembly elections concluded on Thursday in Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, while Odisha had the first phase.
Given that this is the first Lok Sabha election where VVPATs were used on a 100% basis, the EC reported a minimal replacement of 0.7% of EVM ballot units, 0.6% of EVM control units and 1.7% VVPATs. Cash seizures so far are double those of the entire 2014 election at Rs 607 crore.
There were a few incidents of violence in Chhattisgarh, and a polling party came under attack in Maoist-hit Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. An IED blast occurred at Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh. No casualties were reported though.
Clashes between party workers and supporters were reported in Andhra Pradesh. Interestingly, there were around 15 cases of EVMs being damaged, including six in Andhra Pradesh, five in Arunachal Pradesh, two in Manipur and one each in Bihar and West Bengal.
In Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena candidate from Guntakal assembly constituency Madhusudan Gupta, agitated at an EVM not working, smashed it on the floor, leading to his arrest.
The EC, which said damaging of EVMs had been reported in earlier polls, told reporters that legal action would be taken against persons involved in such actions.
While there were complaints of EVM snags and glitches, especially in Andhra Pradesh with CM N Chandrababu Naidu complaining to the EC, the commission said data on replacement of EVMs and VVPATs showed an improvement over previous elections. A poll officer deployed in Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh, died of a heart attack, the EC said.
Seizures by the EC till Thursday touched Rs 2,426 crore, more than double the overall figure for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The seizures included Rs 607 crore in cash (as against Rs 303 crore seized in 2014), liquor worth Rs 198 crore, drugs totalling Rs 1,091 crore, gold worth Rs 486 crore and other freebies worth Rs 48 crore.
As for complaints from some constituencies about voters not finding their names in the rolls upon reaching the polling station, the EC said it had already initiated the ‘GoVerify’ campaign to avoid such eventualities.
In Phase 1 of 2019 polls, turnout trend same as in 2014: EC – Times of India