20 May,2019 09:55 AM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
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An estimated 61 crore Indians voted during the seven-phase general election, with over 64 per cent polling in the final round on Sunday, capping one of the most bitterly fought polls in the country that saw sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal and other places while political leaders often resorted to personal attacks, including on religious and caste lines.
While the votes would be counted on May 23, most exit polls predicted a return of the Modi government with some of them giving the BJP-led ruling NDA well above 300 seats out of the 542 on which polls were held. Over 8,000 candidates were in the fray. The election for one seat, Vellore in Tamil Nadu, has been deferred over alleged use of money power.
In its last update, the Election Commission put the voting percentage at over 64 per cent for the seventh phase, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh. While the poll panel did not give an official consolidated figure for all seven phases, estimates suggested nationwide voting of over 66 per cent with a turnout of nearly 61 core voters, out of the total 90.99 crore people eligible to vote. Netizens took to the social media platform, Twitter to share their views on the exit polls for Lok Sabha elections 2019.
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The 2019 elections witnessed differences within the EC with Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa writing dissent notes on the poll panel's clean chit to Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah on complaints of violation of model code of conduct. EVM glitches and incidents of violence in West Bengal and Punjab were reported on Sunday amid poll boycott at some booths. Problems related to electronic voting machines and names missing from electoral rolls were reporters in almost all phases from various places.
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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from PTI