Ladakh led the voter turnout in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, recording an impressive 61.26 per cent by 3 pm, according to the Election Commission. This phase saw a cumulative voter turnout of 47.53 per cent across 49 parliamentary constituencies.
West Bengal followed closely with a turnout of 62.72 per cent, while other States reported the following figures: Jharkhand at 53.90 per cent, Uttar Pradesh at 47.55 per cent, Odisha at 48.95 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir at 44.90 per cent, Bihar at 45.33 per cent, and Maharashtra at 38.77 per cent.
Mumbai’s voter turnout remained below expectations, with no constituency crossing the 40 per cent mark by 3 pm. The specific turnouts were: Mumbai North at 39.33 per cent, Mumbai North Central at 37.66 per cent, Mumbai North East at 39.15 per cent, Mumbai North West at 39.91 per cent, Mumbai South at 36.64 per cent, and Mumbai South Central at 38.77 per cent.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5,409 third-gender electors, are participating in this phase to decide the fate of 695 candidates. Notable leaders in the fray include Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya.
The eight States and Union territories voting in phase 5 are Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Major cities such as Mumbai, Thane, and Lucknow are also polling in this phase, areas historically noted for lower urban voter turnout. Of the 49 Lok Sabha seats, Uttar Pradesh has 14, Maharashtra 13, West Bengal 7, Bihar 5, Jharkhand 3, Odisha 5, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
To ensure a peaceful voting process, a total of 2,000 flying squads, 2,105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams are monitoring the 94,732 polling stations. Additionally, 216 international border check posts and 565 inter-state border check posts are on high alert to prevent the illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies. The ECI has also imposed strict surveillance on sea and air routes.
