Four of the five states that went to polls in recently concluded Assembly elections recorded the highest ever voting percentage in their history.

Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand made history registering unprecedented polling percentages. Manipur, however, remained an exception to the trend.

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi says the large voter turnouts will help improve the quality of governments.

When asked what led to unprecedented voter turnout this time, Dr Quraishi said it was the women and youth voters, especially from urban areas, who came out in large numbers to defy past trends.

He also listed out the various “confidence-building measures” taken by the Commission to ensure security of voters, which created a conducive and peaceful atmosphere for higher participation of people.

Dr Quraishi said, the game-changer this time was the issue of voter slips by the Election Commission, which was used by 24 per cent people as their identity proof while voting.

Taking a dig at exit polls predicting the outcome of assembly elections ahead of the March 6 counting, Dr Quraishi said such surveys should at best be on entertainment channels.

The reaction of the Chief Election Commissioner came on Twitter as television channels are busy predicting government formations and possible political fallouts of the assembly elections in the five states.

The Election Commission had banned exit polls till the completion of assembly elections on March 3.