The first phase of India's Lok Sabha elections concluded smoothly across 17 states and four Union Territories, with voting taking place in 102 constituencies. While there were some isolated incidents in states like West Bengal, overall, the electoral process proceeded without major disruptions.

In West Bengal, where three constituencies including Coochbehar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri went to polls, voting concluded on time despite initial concerns. The average voter turnout in these constituencies was reported to be 66 percent by 3 pm, slightly higher than the national average of 60 percent.

Polling also took place in northeastern states like Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, as well as in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Indian-administered Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu.

According to data from the Election Commission, more than 16.5 million voters were expected to cast their votes across 200,000 polling booths. However, the process was not without its challenges, as the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal received 468 complaints from the three constituencies.

In Manipur, where the state has been grappling with unrest for nearly a year, the polling process was marred by an incident of firing by unidentified individuals near a polling booth. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties.

With 2,666 registered political parties contesting the Lok Sabha elections, including national parties like BJP, Congress, and regional parties like Mamata's Trinamool and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, the electoral landscape remains diverse and vibrant.

West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar are among the states conducting voting in seven phases, with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar witnessing polling in eight and four constituencies, respectively, in the first phase.

Stringent security measures were implemented across polling centers nationwide, with the Army, Central Reserve Police Force, and state police maintaining vigilance. Additional security arrangements were made in sensitive areas to ensure the safety and integrity of the electoral process.