New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the BJP received a “great response” in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, with the national average voter turnout reaching 60 percent.
In a post on microblogging website X, Prime Minister Modi said the people of India are voting for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in record numbers.
“First phase, great response! Thank you to everyone who voted today. I received EXCELLENT feedback from today's vote. It is clear that people across India are voting for NDA in record numbers,” Prime Minister Modi said.
First phase, great response! We thank everyone who voted today.
I'm getting EXCELLENT feedback on today's vote. It is clear that people across India are voting for an NDA in record numbers.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2024
In the first of the seven-phase elections, elections were held in 102 constituencies in 21 states and Union Territories. The Electoral Commission (EC) described turnout as “high” and noted that the vote remained “largely peaceful”.
In the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the voter turnout was recorded at 69.43 percent. Some constituencies were different then and the total number of seats that went to the polls was 91.
Violence was reported from some areas in West Bengal and ethnic crisis-hit Manipur. Inner Manipur Congress candidate A Bimol Akoijam alleged that BJP workers and an armed group stopped people from coming out of their homes to vote.
At least four incidents of people breaking electronic voting machines (EVMs) at polling booths in Inner Manipur have been reported. People reportedly became angry over proxy voting by an armed group.