62 per cent turnout in LS poll last phase

An estimated 62 per cent of the electorate on Wednesday exercised their franchise in the fifth and final phase of polling in Lok Sabha elections, bringing down the curtain on the month-long democratic exercise, the longest in the world.

Barring stray violence which left two persons dead, the final round saw voting in 86 constituencies where nearly 11 crore voters were eligible to vote, across nine states and two Union Territories, including all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu -- considered a key swing state -- where the turnout was recorded at 60-62 per cent in the 39 seats.

Fifty two per cent of the voters turned out in the 14 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh spread across Rohilkhand region and western part of the state, which put to test the Muslim-Yadav vote bank of Samajwadi Party.

About 70 per cent turnout was recorded in the 11 constituencies in West Bengal which went to poll on Wednesday and the exercise passed off by and large peacefully except the killing of a local CPI-M leader allegedly by Trinamool Congress activists.

Chief Election Commssioner Navin Chawla told media persons in New Delhi that the overall turnout of voters involving nearly 714 million voters in the five phases was 59-60 per cent.