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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to all the voters across the country for casting their votes in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday and said that it is evident that the people across India are voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA in record numbers.
"First phase, great response! Thank you to all those who have voted today. Getting EXCELLENT feedback from today's voting. It's clear that people across India are voting for the NDA in record numbers," posted the Prime Minister on X.
The polling for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections concluded on Friday. The tentative figure of voter turnout across 21 States and UTs reported is over 60 per cent at 7 p.m.
West Bengal was leading the voter turnout charts after it recorded a 77.57 voting percentage in the state till 5 p.m., as per the data released by the Election Commission of India.
Voting was held in 102 seats in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election.
Against the backdrop of a largely peaceful and conducive environment, the nation's diverse electorate painted vivid pictures of democracy in action.
From bustling city centres to remote villages, the polling stations witnessed a colourful convergence of voters spanning generations and backgrounds.
Polling was seamless, based on meticulous planning and execution by the Commission and its officials in the field, said an official release from the ECI.
Voting for India's parliamentary election, the largest democratic exercise in the world, began at 7 am with the Election Commission urging people to exercise their franchise in maximum numbers.
Of the 102 seats going to the polls on Friday, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 43 seats and parties in the INDIA bloc 48 seats in the 2019 election.
While the BJP-led NDA is seeking its third consecutive term in office under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the INDIA bloc is hoping to oust it from power.
Polling was held in 21 States and Union Territories in the first phase.
These are - Arunachal Pradesh (two seats), Assam (five), Bihar (four), Chhattisgarh (one), Madhya Pradesh (six), Maharashtra (five), Manipur (two), Meghalaya (two), Mizoram (one), Nagaland (one), Rajasthan (12), Sikkim (one), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (one), Uttar Pradesh (eight), Uttarakhand (five), West Bengal (three), Andaman and Nicobar (one), Jammu and Kashmir (one), Lakshadweep (one) and Puducherry (one).Polling will be completed in a single phase today in Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The poll schedule was announced by the Election Commission on March 16.
By-elections to 26 assembly constituencies will also be held alongside the Lok Sabha and four state assembly polls.
The Lok Sabha polls are being held in India in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha.
The results will be announced on June 4.
