New Delhi: A total of 64.64 crore voters participated in the general Indian elections held earlier this year, with women voters surpassing men in voter turnout, according to statistical data released by the Election Commission on Thursday.

The female voter turnout stood at 65.78 per cent as compared to 65.55 per cent for male electors, the EC said.

The number of women candidates contesting the polls this time was 800, as against 726 in the 2019 polls, the commission said.

“This suo moto initiative is to enhance the public trust that constitutes the underpinning of India’s electoral system,” the EC said.

The data comes against the backdrop of allegations that there was fudging in figures of voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections.
The data also relates to the four assembly polls — Arunachal Pradesh , Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim.

Repolls, the EC pointed out, were held in 40 polling stations or 0.0038 per cent of the total 10.52 lakh polling stations as compared to 540 in 2019.

With inputs from PTI