A sluggish voter turnout of slightly over 25% was recorded in the first four hours of voting in the third phase of India’s Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies across 11 states and Union Territories on Tuesday amid reports of sporadic violence in West Bengal and poll boycott in some villages of Uttar Pradesh.
According to the Election Commission (EC), around 25.41% of votes were cast till 11:00am. Starting at 7:00am local time, the voting continued till 6:00pm.

Maharashtra witnessed the lowest voting turnout, with only 18.8% of voters exercising their franchise in the first four hours of voting, while West Bengal recorded the highest turnout of 32.82%.
Meanwhile, sporadic incidents of violence marred the polls in four constituencies of West Bengal as the state’s ruling TMC and opposition
BJP and Congress workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur constituencies.
TMC, BJP and Congress-CPI(M) alliance lodged separate complaints related to polls violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on polling agents. The EC received 182 complaints by 9:00am; most of which were from Murshidabad and Jangipur.

In Murshidabad, Left-Congress combine candidate Mohammed Salim claimed that he caught hold of a “fake booth agent” in Rabinagar area of the constituency where Salim was greeted with “go back” slogans as he tried to enter a booth following allegations of CPI(M) booth agents being heckled by alleged TMC goons.
“The TMC has unleashed a reign of terror in the entire constituency. Strict action must be taken by the Election Commission,” Salim said.
Salim was seen running from one booth to another as allegations of intimidation of voters surfaced in the area.

In Karimpur area of the constituency, clashes were reported between TMC and CPI(M) supporters outside a few booths. Clashes were also reported between TMC and Congress activists from Domkol area.
Besides, BJP candidate Dhanajoy Ghosh faced protests by TMC cadres in Jangipur area as he tried to enter some of the booths in the constituency.
Among other states, Assam recorded 27.34% voter turnout, which was 24.41% in Bihar, 29.90% in Chhattisgarh, 24.69% in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, 30.94% in Goa, 24.35% in Gujarat, 24.48% in Karnataka, 30.21% in Madhya Pradesh and 26.12% in Uttar Pradesh till 11:00am, the EC said.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun, residents of Dhoranpur village boycotted the polling to protest against leaders for not paying heed to their demand for a road.