New Delhi, May 8 -- Amidst the hostile weather conditions, the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Tuesday saw a further dip in the voting percentage which recorded 61.81 per cent voter turnout when compared to 66.14 per cent in the first phase followed by 66.71 per cent in the second.

Comparatively, in the 2019 elections, these same 93 seats collectively recorded an overall turnout of 67.33 per cent. The third phase failed to buck the trend amid hot weather and heatwave in the polling States. Experts and political parties attributed the decline to heatwave and voters' apathy.

The stakes are high for the BJP in this round as it had won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, in ...