61% voter turnout in last phase of LS polls: EC

Approximately 61% of voters turned out in the final phase of the Lok Sabha election held in 59 constituencies. The fate of 918 candidates, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking to retain the Varanasi seat in Uttar Pradesh, will be decided in this phase.

New Delhi:Nearly 61 per cent voters turned out to cast their vote on Sunday in the seventh and the final phase of the Lok Sabha election held in 59 constituencies across eight states and Union Territories.

The turnout figure is tentative and the final figure is expected later, the Election Commission said.

The fate of 918 candidates, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking to retain the Varanasi seat in Uttar Pradesh, will be decided in this phase.

Voting took place in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chandigarh.

Over 10.01 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise. The Election Commission had set up more than 1.12 lakh polling stations and deployed security personnel for smooth conduct of polls.