LS polls: West Bengal has maximum first-time voters followed by UP, MP

New Delhi: West Bengal has the maximum number of first-time voters in the coming Lok Sabha election, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

According to Election Commission data, 20.1 lakh first-time voters will be exercising their franchise in West Bengal. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have 16.7 lakh and 13.6 lakh first-time voters, respectively.

The number of people eligible to vote in Lok Sabha polls beginning next month has increased by 8.4 crore as compared to the 2014 general election, and these include 1.5 crore “young voters” who are in the 18-19 age group and would exercise their franchise first time.

Over 1.5 crore voters are in the age group of 18-19 years. These “young voters” constitute 1.66 per cent of the total electors.

Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have 12.8 lakh, 11.9 lakh, 8.9 lakh and 5.3 lakh first-time voters, respectively.

Delhi has 97,684 first-time voters.

Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases. The counting of votes will be held on May 23, the Election Commission announced Sunday, kick-starting a mega electoral battle.