'Great response, people voting for NDA in record numbers': PM Modi on first phase turnout

In a post on the microblogging website X, PM Modi said the people of India are voting for the National Democratic Alliance (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 NDA in record numbers," PM Modi said.

Voting in the first phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, projected by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a milestone to 2047 and the Opposition as a battle for democracy's survival, was held in 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories.

The first phase of polls was held on all seats of Tamil Nadu (39), Rajasthan (12), Uttar Pradesh (8), Madhya Pradesh (6), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1).

Besides, five seats each from Assam and Maharashtra, four from Bihar, three from West Bengal, two in Manipur, and one each from Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh went for polling in the first of the 7-phase general elections.

At 7 pm, the recorded voting turnout was 60.03 percent. Tamil Nadu recorded 63.2 percent turnout, Rajasthan 50.3 percent, Uttar Pradesh 57.5 percent, and Madhya Pradesh 63.3 percent. As for the state polls, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh recorded 67.5 and 64.7 percent turnout, respectively.

An estimated 66.34 percent of voters exercised their franchise in West Bengal, a politically crucial state, which also recorded sporadic incidents of violence.

Backed by a high-octane campaign led by PM Modi and Amit Shah, the BJP is targeting 370 of 543 Lok Sabha seats, if this happens, it would be a steep rise from its score of 2019. The Prime Minister has set a high target of 400 seats for the NDA. In the last election, the NDA won 353 seats and the BJP won 303 seats.