Polling for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections is underway. Voting, in this phase, is taking place for 95 constituencies, spread over 11 States and one Union Territory.
Polling is being held for 38 seats in Tamil Nadu, 14 in Karnataka, 10 in Maharashtra, eight in Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam, Bihar and Odisha, 3 each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Manipur and Puducherry.
In Tamil Nadu, 30.62 per cent voting was recorded till 11 AM for 38 Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly seats. Polling will go on till 6 PM in all constituencies except in Madurai where electors can vote till 8 PM as a two-hour extension has been given in view of the famous Kallazhagar festival there. About 28.85 per cent polling was recorded till 12 noon for the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat.
In Karnataka, a voter turnout of 20.62 per cent was reported from 14 parliamentary constituencies till 1 PM. In Maharashtra, an average of 21.47 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 AM in 10 constituencies where polling is underway in the second phase. In Uttar Pradesh, an overall 24.31 percent polling was recorded in eight parliamentary constituencies till 11 AM. These constituencies are Nagina, Amroha, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Hathras, Fatehpur Sikri, Mathura and Agra.
In West Bengal, more than 33 percent polling was recorded till 12 noon in three parliamentary constituencies of Jalpaiguri, Raigunj and Darjeeling. In Odisha, around 7 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first two hours of polling in five Lok Sabha and 35 assembly constituencies.
In Chhattisgarh, around 47.02 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 PM in three Lok Sabha constituencies of Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund. A massive security blanket of around 60,000 personnel and drones has been thrown around the three constituencies because of Naxal presence. In Bihar, 31.23 percent polling was recorded till 1 PM in five constituencies of Katihar, Kishanganj, Purnea, Bhagalpur and Banka.
In Assam, an average 46.42 percent voter turnout was recorded till 1 PM. In Manipur, about 49.7 percent polling was recorded in the Inner-Manipur Parliamentary Constituency till 1 PM. In Jammu and Kashmir, about 18 percent votes were cast in two Parliamentary Constituencies of Udhampur and Srinagar till 11 AM. Polling in both the constituencies is progressing peacefully.
In Jammu and Kashmir, about 30% votes was recorded for two Parliamentary Constituencies, Udhampur and Srinagar till 1 p.m. In Udhampur Parliamentary constituency, which is spread over 6 districts, 49. 7% polling was recorded in Kathua district, followed by 49.2% in Reasi district, 48.7% in Udhampur district, 43.2 % in Doda district and 39.3 % each in Ramban and Kishtwar districts.
In Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, 11.4% polling was recorded in Badgam district followed by 11.0% in Ganderbal and 4.8% in Srinagar district. Polling in both the constituencies is going-on peacefully. (AIR NEWS)