As of 9 am, the Election Commission reports that Sikkim has recorded a nearly 8% voter turnout, while Arunachal Pradesh has seen a turnout of 6.63%. These figures come amidst preparations for the upcoming general election, where the eight states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Sikkim, with a combined population of over 50 million, have more than 30 million eligible voters.
Also Read | Lok Sabha Election 2024: THIS Is How You Can Find Your Polling Booth; Follow These Steps.
Excluding the 14 seats from Assam alone, the rest of the seven states together have a tally of 11 seats in the Lok Sabha. The voting for the 60-member Assembly seats in Arunachal and 32 seats in Sikkim are being held simultaneously with the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. While Arunachal will be polling for two Lok Sabha seats, Sikkim will vote for its lone parliamentary seat. In Sikkim, chief minister and SKM supremo Prem Singh Tamang, former CM and SDF chief Pawan Kumar Chamling are among the 146 candidates in fray for the assembly seats. An estimated 4.64 lakh electorate, comprising 2,32,381 male voters and 2,31,545 female will be eligible to exercise their franchise in the state.