Meghalaya which went to polls for the two Lok Sabha seats today recorded a voter turnout of 74.19 per cent out of the total 22,26,457 voters.
Shillong parliamentary seat recorded 71.91 per cent voter turnout while Tura parliamentary seat recorded a turnout of 78.06 per cent.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) B D R Tiwari informed that the polling passed off peacefully at 3512 polling stations spread across 60 Assembly constituencies of the State.
Tiwari said that till 5 pm people were still in line waiting for their chance to cast their votes.
According to him, the final figures will be known only after the postal ballots and home voting ballots will be counted.
Shillong parliamentary seat covers 36 Assembly constituencies while Tura parliamentary seat covers 24 Assembly segments.
As per provincial data, Mawkyrwat constituency under Shillong parliamentary seat recorded the highest turnout at 78.82 per cent while Ampati constituency under Tura parliamentary seat saw a turnout of 82 per cent.
Other constituencies under Shillong parliamentary seat which witnessed huge turnout of voters include Khliehriat (78.42 per cent), Amlarem (77 per cent), Umsning (76.54 per cent), Mawkynrew (75.61 per cent), Sutnga-Saipung (75.32 per cent), Mairang (75.8 per cent), Ranikor (75.07 per cent) Mawthadraishan (75.6 per cent) and Nongstoin (75.05 per cent).
As usual, the constituencies in Shillong city however recorded low turnout. North Shillong saw the lowest turnout of just 58.07 per cent followed by South Shillong at 59.47 per cent and West Shillong at 61.38 per cent. Others include East Shillong (60.4 per cent), Nongthymmai (60.44 per cent), Pynthorumkhrah (62.3 per cent) and Mawlai (68.02 per cent).
Salmanpara constituency under Tura parliamentary seat witnessed the highest voter turnout at 81 per cent. It was followed by Mahendraganj (80 per cent), Rangsakona (77 per cent) and Tikrikilla (75 per cent).
However, the actual figures are expected to be known tomorrow when all the data arrive from polling officials and also after counting of postal ballots and home voting ballots.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the overall voter turnout was 71.42 per cent. In Shillong parliamentary seat the turnout was 65.48 per cent whereas in Tura parliamentary seat it was 81.38 per cent.
In Shillong seat, incumbent MP Vincent H. Pala of the Congress is pitted against Ampareen Lyngdoh of NPP, Ricky A J Syngkon of VPP, Robertjune Kharjahrin of UDP and two independent candidates – Lakhon Kma and Peter Shallam.
For the Tura seat, incumbent MP Agatha Sangma of the NPP is locked in a four-corner contest against Saleng Sangma of Congress, Zenith Sangma of Trinamool Congress and independent candidate Laben Marak.
