Lok Sabha elections 2019 phase 4 voting highlights: 64% voter turnout in Phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections 2019
Seventy-two seats across nine states are voting in the fourth phase of 2019 general elections on Monday. This phase will see the end of polling in Maharashtra and Odisha, while the process will start in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Twenty-six seats in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are also scheduled to vote in this phase. These three states have seats going to polls in each of the seven phases in the 2019 elections.Also Read | BJP-Sena hope to repeat thumping win in MaharashtraThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has high stakes in this phase. Of the 72 seats going to polls, it won 45 in 2014. Its allies won another 11 seats. The Congress’s tally was just two. In 2009, the BJP-Congress breakup in these seats was 9-29.Follow highlights here:
64% voter turnout in Phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections 2019
A voter turnout of 64 percent was recorded in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday, the Election Commission said.
Voting was held in 72 parliamentary constituencies spread across nine states in this phase.
Nearly 66 per cent turnout was recorded in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in which voting was held in 116 seats. In the first two phases, polling was conducted in 91 and 95 seats on April 11 and April 18 respectively.
Election to 543 seats across the country is being held in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.
The poll percentage in Bihar was 58.92%, 9.79% in Jammu and Kashmir, 63.77% in Jharkhand, 66.52% in Madhya Pradesh, 55.88% in Maharashtra, 64.05% in Odisha, 66.44% in Rajasthan, 55.57% in Uttar Pradesh, and 76.59% in West Bengal.
7:12 pm IST1.91 first time voters: EC
The total number of first-time voters in the seven phases of 2019 Lok Sabha elections is 1.91 crore., which is 20% more than that it in 2014, said EC while addressing a press conference after the fourth phase of polling.
6:24 pm ISTMumbai’s first-time voters seek to make ‘indelible’ mark
A large number of first-time voters came out to cast their ballots Monday in Mumbai, marking their formal participation in choosing the next government in the world’s largest democracy.
According to the Election Commission (EC) data, Maharashtra has over 1.19 crore voters who fall in the age group of 18-19 years and are eligible to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha polls for the first time.
Enthusiasm was palpable among first-time electors, who openly expressed their views about candidates in the fray and whom they voted for.
6:20 pm ISTAt 6 pm, 60% voter turnout in Phase 4
Till 6 pm, the voter turnout in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 was 59.62%.
The poll percentage in Bihar was 53.67%, 9.79% in Jammu and Kashmir, 63.77% in Jharkhand, 65.86% in Madhya Pradesh, 52.03% in Maharashtra, 64.05% in Odisha, 63.58% in Rajasthan, 53.34% in Uttar Pradesh, and 76.59% in West Bengal.
5:53 pm ISTCongress approaches EC over EVM snags, NCP says something fishy
The Congress Monday made 30 complaints to the Election Commission about alleged glitches in EVMs across the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra where polling is underway.
A majority of the complaints came in from Dhule and Nandurbar, the party said, prompting ally NCP’s state chief Jayant Patil to claim that something was “fishy” in the two seats.
“Complaints have been made to Election Commissioner, Chief Electoral Officer and other authorities concerned via e-mail,” the Congress said in a statement.
Patil too said that complaints were coming in from several seats where election is being held, and questioned if the Electronic Voting Machine glitches were being caused deliberately.
5:47 pm IST59% voter turnout till 5 pm
Till 5 pm, the voter turnout in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 was 59.01%.
The poll percentage in Bihar was 53.67%, 9.98% in Jammu and Kashmir, 63.40% in Jharkhand, 65.77% in Madhya Pradesh, 50.70% in Maharashtra, 64.05% in Odisha, 62.73% in Rajasthan, 52.90% in Uttar Pradesh, and 76.47% in West Bengal.
5:42 pm ISTDog, best companion-turned into-campaigner, detained
A dog with pro-BJP stickers on its body was detained alongwith his master in north Maharashtra’s Nandurbar town where polling for the Lok Sabha elections took place Monday.
Eknath Motiram Chaudhary (65), resident of Navnathnagar area, was spotted with his dog near Andhare hospital Monday afternoon.
The dog’s body was found covered with stickers bearing the BJP’s symbol and the message “Modi Lao, Desh Bachao” (Vote for Modi and save the country), a local police official said.
As the polling was underway, police had received a complaint about the dog and his master who were roaming around the town, he said.
5:40 pm ISTIn Kannauj, SP alleges VVPAT shows ‘lotus’ when ‘cycle’ button pressed
Opposition Samajwadi Party Monday urged the Election Commission to remove Uttar Pardesh’s police chief OP Singh from the post, alleging he was “favouring” the ruling BJP and trying to influence elections, reported news agency PTI.
The party also alleged that in at least two polling booths in Kannauj the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine showed the voting for the BJP when the ballot was cast for the SP. It also claimed the police issued warning notes to “a large number” of SP supporters in the constituency, from where Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple is contesting, asking them to remain inside their houses after casting their own votes.
Party leader Dharmendra Yadav said Director General of Police OP Singh was “misusing” government machinery to help the BJP.
“We demanded from the EC to remove him immediately,” he told reporters in Lucknow.
5:04 pm IST62% voter turnout in Rajasthan till 5 pm
The voter turnout in Rajasthan stood at 61.96% till 5pm in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019.
4:51 pm IST121 polling booths in Jharkhand managed by women
Women power was on full display in Jharkhand during the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls with 121 polling booths being managed by women on Monday.
Of the 6,072 polling booths in the fourth phase, 121 were exclusively managed by women.
“There were 46 all-women polling booths in Palamau, 33 in Chatra and 42 in Lohardaga. At these booths, all polling staff, security personnel and other officials were women,” an official said.
Jharkhand is voting for three Maoist-affected parliamentary seats, spread over six districts. More than 40 per cent of the booths are located in sensitive areas.
4:42 pm ISTBJP urges EC to deploy central forces in all polling booths of West Bengal
The BJP approached the Election Commission on Monday complaining that TMC workers have “hijacked democracy” in West Bengal and creating ruckus during voting, and again demanded deployment of central forces in all polling booths in the state.
Following reports of a clash between the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP workers outside a booth in Asansol’s Barabani, and vandalism of the vehicle of Union Minister and sitting MP Babul Supriyo, a BJP delegation met top officials of the poll panel in New Delhi.
The delegation included Union Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel, and the party’s media in-charge Anil Baluni.
After meeting the poll panel officials, Naqvi told reporters, “The ruling Trinamool Congress workers have hijacked democracy in the state and are indulging in violence. They are being supported by the local machinery and we demand deployment of central forces in all polling booths in the state.” Naqvi also expressed concern over “no action” been taken against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his “baseless allegations” against BJP chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said a memorandum in this regard has been submitted to the Election Commission.
4:39 pm ISTIn Maharashtra, booths decked up for better polling experience
Balloons and colourful rangolis welcomed voters at some of the polling booths across the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra where polling is underway in the fourth and final phase Monday.
As part of an initiative by the Election Commission of India to make polling a pleasant experience, certain booths were selected in every Lok Sabha constituency for decoration with local help.
“The whole idea is to make voting a pleasant experience. We cannot put pandals due to several restrictions, but using colours and rangolis would bring some relief to voters, who wait for hours in scorching heat to exercise their right,” an ECI official said.
Voting is underway at Nandurbar, Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai-North, Mumbai-North West, Mumbai-North East, Mumbai-North Central, Mumbai-South Central, Mumbai- South, Maval, Shirur and Shirdi.
4:30 pm IST49% voter turnout till 4 pm
Till 4pm, the voter turnout in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 was 49.62%.
The poll percentage in Bihar was 44.23%, 8.42% in Jammu and Kashmir, 56.37% in Jharkhand, 55.33% in Madhya Pradesh, 41.15% in Maharashtra, 51.54% in Odisha, 54.21% in Rajasthan, 44.16% in Uttar Pradesh, and 66.01% in West Bengal.
4:22 pm ISTOver 43% voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh till 3 pm
An estimated 43.91 voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh Monday as polling for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the state was underway.
Seats where the polling is underway in the state are Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheri, Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi and Hamirpur.
4:14 pm ISTOver 43% voting in Madhya Pradesh till 2 pm
Around 43.82 per cent turnout was recorded in the fourth phase of polling for the six Lok Sabha seats and one Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh till 1 p.m. on Monday, the Voter Turnout App data of Election Commission showed.
Maoist-affected Balaghat district, which is voting under high security, recorded the highest 46.32 per cent voter turnout. It was followed by 46.05 per cent polling in Mandla, 45.89 per cent polling in Chhindwara, 45.88 per cent polling in Shahdol, 44.39 per cent polling in Jabalpur and 34.95 per cent polling in Sidhi.
There were also reports of malfunctioning EVMs from some places and both the EVMs as well as the VVPATs were replaced.
Some 1.05 crore electorate are eligible to vote in this phase. A total of 108 candidates are trying their luck in this phase in the state, including a maximum of 26 from Sidhi, followed by 23 from Balaghat, 22 from Jabalpur, 14 from Chhindwara, 13 from Shahdol and 10 from Mandla.
4:10 pm ISTRajasthan records 52.97 per cent voter turnout till 3 pm
Rajasthan Monday recorded about 53 percent voter turn out till 3 pm from among its 2.57 crore electorates in the ongoing polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, said officials.
Barmer, the state’s largest parliamentary constituency area-wise, witnessed the highest turnout at 60.36 percent till 3 pm. The second highest voter turnout after Barmer was reported from tribal population-dominated seat Banswara, where 57.63 per cent electors cast their votes till 3 pm.
In Barmer, where former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh, a former BJP MLA, is contesting election as a Congress candidate against BJP’s Kailash Chaudhary, voters lined up before polling booths, braving scorching sun with the temperature hovering at around 42 degree Celsius. The constituency covers entire Barmer and half of Jaisalmer district and is located on Indo-Pak border in western Rajasthan. Villagers flocked to polling booths in groups and looked for shed near polling booths.
4:05 pm IST9% cast ballot in Kulgam dist till 3pm
With just an hour left for polls to close, less than nine percent of 3.45 lakh electorate Monday exercised their franchise in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir -- part of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency -- amidst stringent security arrangements and isolated incidents of stone-pelting near polling stations, officials said.
The voting in the second leg of three-phased schedule for the Lok Sabha seat would decide the fate of 18 candidates, including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.
The overall poll percentage in the Kulgam district till 3.00 pm was 8.42 per cent, the officials said in Srinagar, reported news agency PTI.
3:40 pm ISTSP alleges VVPAT shows ‘lotus’ when ‘cycle’ button pressed
Opposition Samajwadi Party Monday urged the Election Commission to remove Uttar Pardesh’s police chief OP Singh from the post alleging he was “favouring” the ruling BJP and affecting elections.
The party also alleged that in at at least two polling booths the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machine showed the voting for the BJP when the ballot was cast for the SP. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimpal is contesting from the constituency. Party leader Dharmendra Yadav said the Director General of Police was “misusing” government machinery to help the BJP.
“We demanded from the EC to remove him immediately,” Yadav told reporters
3:26 pm ISTOver 40% polling in Bihar till 2 pm
Ignoring heatwave like conditions, 40.08 per cent voting was recorded in Bihar’s five Lok Sabha seats till 2 p.m. on Monday, an official said.
Voting started at 7 am in Begusarai, Ujiarpur, Darbhanga, Munger and Samastipur constituencies. “Long queues were seen at polling booths in rural as well as urban pockets of these constituencies despite heatwave-like conditions,” the official said.
3:19 pm IST7.5 % voting in Anantnag Lok Sabha seat till 2 pm
7.5 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Monday until 2 p.m. in the second and penultimate phase of voting in the troubled Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said 6.7 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 p.m. in Kulgam district where four segments of Kulgam, Noorabad, Devsar and Homshalibugh went to vote.
2:55 pm ISTCongress leader Jitin Prasada’s sister find her vote is already cast
Former union Minister Jitin Prasada said on Monday that his sister was unable to vote because her vote had already been cast by the time she reached the polling booth in the Dhaurhara Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.
“When my sister went to the polling booth, she found her name had been ticked and the presiding officer told her that vote had been cast. This is how fake voting is taking place,” he said.
2:35 pm ISTActor Ranbir Kapoor casts his vote in Mumbai’s Bandra
Actor Ranbir Kapoor cast his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai’s Bandra.
Three poll staffers die in Madhya Pradesh
Three government employees, including a woman, engaged in poll duty died in separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Monday.
2:16 pm IST‘Law and order is state subject’: Mamata Banerjee condemns police firing in Bengal
Condemning firing by a central force personnel inside a booth, Mamata Banerjee said in a public meeting, “I have heard that central force personnel have entered a booth in Dubrajpur and opened fire. Law and order is a state subject. They cannot do it.”
Police allegedly fired in the air in Poduma area Dubrajpur in Birbhum constituency to bring the situation under control after villagers threw stones at the security personnel. The bullet hit a wall of the polling station.
2:13 pm IST38.63% voter turnout recorded in phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls till 2 pm
38.63% voter turnout has been recorded in phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls till 2 pm.
2:01 pm ISTSachin Tendulkar casts vote in Mumbai’s Bandra
Sachin Tendulkar, his wife Anjali Tendulkar, daughter Sara Tendulkar and son Arjun Tendulkar cast their votes at polling center number 203 in Mumbai’s Bandra. Sara Tendulkar and Arjun Tendulkar are first time voters.
1:53 pm ISTMumbai: Sachin Tendulkar, his wife Anjali Tendulkar, daughter Sara Tendulkar, and son Arjun Tendulkar after casting their vote at polling center number 203 in Bandra. Sara Tendulkar and Arjun Tendulkar are first time voters. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/0dNVhNR8mg
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Bihar records 32.48 per cent voting till 1 PM
An estimated 32.48 per cent voters of the 87.74 electorate cast their ballots till 1 PM in Bihar, where polling for five Lok Sabha seats is underway on Monday, an election official said.
A total of 66 candidates, including three women nominees, are in the fray from Darbhanga, Ujiarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai and Munger constituencies in the fourth phase of polling in the state.
1:50 pm ISTUP leaders ask people to brave sun, come out to vote
With the mercury steadily rising, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior leaders Monday appealed to the electorate not to bogged down by soaring temperatures and exercise their franchise.
Polling is underway in 13 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
In a tweet, Adityanath said, “Temperatures are high, take care of yourself but definitely cast your vote..every single vote of yours help formation of the government.” “For a prosperous and strong Bharat, for a strong and decisive government, for fulfilling a dream, come out of houses today and vote. Remember, first voting and then breakfast,” he said.
BSP president Mayawati also took to twitter to exhort people to vote.
“Polling is taking place for the fourth phase of election for the 17th Lok Sabha. It is an appeal to voters to first discharge their duty of casting votes. This effort of theirs is important for their welfare and interest,” the former UP chief minister said.
1:47 pm ISTSalman Khan casts vote in Mumbai’s Bandra
Actor Salman Khan cast his vote at polling booth number 283 in Mumbai’s Bandra.
1:35 pm ISTMaharashtra: Actor Salman Khan casts his vote at polling booth number 283 in Bandra, Mumbai. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/dg7TvYsyQL
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Ranveer Singh casts vote in Mumbai’s Bandra
Actor Ranveer Singh cast his vote in Mumbai’s Bandra. Actor Hrithik Roshan and singer Asha Bhosle also cast their votes.
Amitabh Bachchan along family cast vote in Mumbai’s Juhu
Amitabh Bachchan along with his family cast vote at Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai’s Juhu.
NCP’s Sharad Pawar votes in Mumbai, urges people to elect stable govt
NCP chief Sharad Pawar pitched for a stable government at the Centre and urged citizens to come out in large numbers to cast their votes as he exercised his democratic right here on Monday.
“Today is an important day for the country. It is required that a stable government is formed. It is expected that Mumbaikars will not lag behind, and will exercise their voting right by coming out in large numbers and voting decisively,” Pawar, the former Union minister, tweeted in Marathi.
1:21 pm ISTHema Malini cast her vote in Mumbai’s Vile Parle
BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Mathura, Hema Malini and her daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol cast their votes in Mumbai’s Vile Parle.
1:10 pm ISTMumbai: BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Mathura, Hema Malini and her daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol after casting their vote in Vile Parle. pic.twitter.com/tXToH6ek1k
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
‘Modi wave has overtaken the country’: Union minister Piyush Goyal after casting vote
Union minister and BJP leader Piyush Goyal cast his vote at Walsingham School, Malabar Hill in Mumbai: “This election is now a Tsunami election. North South,East and West, Modi wave has overtaken the country. PM Modi is the tallest leader today in the country,”said Goyal after
1:01 pm ISTPolice fire in the air after villagers pelt stones at them in Bengal
Central forces personnel allegedly fired once in the air in Poduma area Dubrajpur in Birbhum constituency to bring the situation under control after villagers threw stones at the security personnel. The bullet hit a wall of the polling station.
The incident took place in booth number 259 in Kandihi village.
The clash erupted following the reluctance of a few voters to leave their cellphone behind before entering a booth. A few phones deposited with the personnel dropped to the ground triggering a quarrel.
This is the first instance of central forces pulling the trigger in the four phases of polling in Bengal.
Polling was held up for about 90 minutes after the incident.
12:54 pm ISTKareena Kapoor casts vote
Kareena Kapoor, Kangana Ranavat, Prem Chopra, Rekha and Sanjay Duty with wife Manyata casting their votes in Mumbai’s Bandra.
Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray cast vote in Mumbai’s Gandhi Nagar
Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, his wife Rashmi Thackeray and son Aditya Thackeray cast their vote at a polling booth in Gandhi Nagar, Mumbai.
Poonam Mahajan BJP’s candidate from Mumbai North Central LS seat was also present.
12:48 pm ISTMaharashtra: Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, his wife Rashmi Thackeray and son Aditya Thackeray after casting their vote at a polling booth in Gandhi Nagar, Mumbai. Poonam Mahajan BJP's candidate from Mumbai North Central LS seat also present. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/vgsQjca0a1
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar cast their vote in Mumbai
Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar cast their vote in Mumbai.
Maharashtra: Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar cast their vote in #Mumbai. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/I4fzIRSjWF
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
India’s film and finance capital took centre stage in the fourth of seven rounds of voting with 72 constituencies across the nation taking part. Final results are to be released on May 23.
At least 40,000 police and security personnel were deployed across the city of 20 million people while workers were given a holiday so they could vote for Mumbai’s six lawmakers.
Long queues were waiting when the 10,000 polling stations opened at 7.00am
12:44 pm ISTAlleged bogus voting by three in Kerala referred to EC
The controversy over two women and a man casting bogus vote in Kannur district of Kerala has been referred to the Election Commission.
Since Saturday, after TV channels started airing the visuals of the bogus voting “caught on camera” in the Kasargod Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress took up the issue before Chief Electoral Officer Tikka Ram Meena.
Meena asked for a detailed report from the district collectors of Kannur and Kasargod where these incidents were reported.
Kerala voted on April 23 for all 20 Lok Sabha seats.
12:29 pm IST23.48% voter turnout recorded in phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls till 12 pm
23.48% voter turnout has been recorded in phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls till 12 pm.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has high stakes in this phase. Of the 72 seats voting today, it won 45 in 2014. Its allies won another 11 seats. The Congress’s tally was just two. In 2009, the BJP-Congress breakup in these seats was 9-29.
12:23 pm ISTTMC to meet EC over ‘illegal action’ of central forces
Trinamool Congress announced (on its official twitter handle) that its Parliamentary delegation will meet the EC at 1:15 pm in Delhi to protest the illegal action of central forces and BJP candidates who allegedly broke the model code of conduct.
Earlier in the day, BJP said that a delegation including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Vijay Goel & Anil Baluni will meet Election Commission today over the issue of poll-related violence during polling in West Bengal.
BJP candidate Babul Supriyo’s car was vandalised during poll related violence in Bengal’s Asansol on Monday. There were also reports of clash between Trinamool workers and security personnel at a polling booth in Asansol.
Also Read | BJP candidate Babul Supriyo’s car vandalised in Bengal poll violence
12:22 pm ISTErstwhile King of Jodhpur casts vote
Erstwhile King of Jodhpur Gaj Singh cast his vote at booth number 127 in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur. BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Congress’ Vaibhav Gehlot are the candidates from the Jodhpur LS constituency.
12:19 pm ISTRajasthan: Erstwhile King of Jodhpur, Gaj Singh casts his vote at booth number 127 in Jodhpur. BJP's Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Congress' Vaibhav Gehlot are two of the candidates from the Jodhpur LS constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/x6VAJ0C1FU
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Anand Mahindra casts vote in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill
“We all have been infected by the virus of progress and growth. Even if a coalition govt comes, it should work towards progress and growth of the country,” said Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra after casting his vote in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill.
12:16 pm IST#Mumbai: Chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra after casting his vote in Malabar Hill, says, "We all have been infected by the virus of progress and growth. Even if a coalition govt comes, it should work towards progress and growth of the country." pic.twitter.com/Mcf1q7CmCW
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
20.87 per cent polling in Jharkhand till 11 am
An estimated 20.87 per cent of the 45.26 lakh electorate cast their votes till 11 am on Monday in three Lok Sabha constituencies of Jharkhand, in the first phase of elections in the state.
Women voters were seen in large numbers at many booths in Lohardaga (ST), Palamu (SC) and Chatra constituencies, where voting began at 7 am, election officials said.
12:11 pm ISTPeople of MP will vote for BJP to teach Congress a lesson: Shivraj Chouhan
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that there were two major issues in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections - National security and welfare of people.
“Only the leadership of PM Narendra Modi could help create a stable government. The Congress government that came in four months ago in the state has created a chaotic environment in the state and people are also feeling that they have done a mistake by not electing a BJP government. People will surely vote for BJP to teach a lesson to the Congress government in the state,” the former Madhya Pradesh CM said.
12:04 pm IST18.39% voter turnout recorded till 11 am in Maharashtra
18.39% voter turnout recorded on 17 parliamentary constituencies in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections, till 11 am.
The last 17 of Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha seats are voting on Monday, with political heavyweights, their family members, and Marathi and Hindi film actors in the fray.
12:01 pm ISTOver 21% voting recorded till 11 am in UP
An estimated 21.15 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 11 am in 13 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections Monday, reported news agency PTI.
Seats where polling is underway are Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheri, Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi and Hamirpur.
Polling in this phase is specially important for the ruling BJP as it is aiming for a clean sweep by winning all 13 seats, including Kannauj which was the only seat the Samajwadi Party had managed to win in 2014.
11:57 am IST17% polling in Odisha as EVM glitches mar polling process
Voting for the fourth and final phase of polling for 6 Lok Sabha and 41 Assembly constituencies in Odisha began this morning amid reports of technical glitches in Electronic Voting Machines and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) machines leading to severe disruption.
Officials in Chief Electoral Officer said 17% of the voters had cast their votes by 11 am.
11:46 am ISTKangana Ranaut casts vote in Mumbai’s Khar
Actor Kangana Ranaut cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai’s Khar.
11:40 am IST#Mumbai: Actor Kangana Ranaut after casting her vote at a polling booth in Khar. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/L4nXhMbyvj
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
29.40% voting recorded till 11 am in Rajasthan
Over 29 per cent voting was recorded in the first four hours of polling in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Rajasthan which began at 7 am on Monday.
The Barmar parliamentary constituency recorded the maximum voter turn out of 33.53 per cent, while the overall voting percentage at 11 am was 29.40 per cent, according to the office of the chief electoral officer.
11:32 am ISTPriya Dutt casts vote in Mumbai’s Bandra
Priya Dutt cast her vote at a polling booth at St. Anne’s High School in Mumbai’s Bandra for the 4th phase of Lok Sabha elections, She is the Congress candidate from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat. Poonam Mahajan is the BJP candidate from the constituency.
11:24 am ISTMumbai: Priya Dutt after casting her vote at a polling booth at St. Anne's High School in Bandra for the 4th phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 She is the Congress candidate from the Mumbai North Central LS seat, Poonam Mahajan is the BJP candidate from the constituency. pic.twitter.com/3Ac7qg9bab
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
First time voter casts vote in Rajasthan’s Kota despite undergoing ligament tear surgery
A first time voter cast his vote in Rajasthan’s Kota despite undergoing ligament tear surgery.
The Congress and BJP are going to face each other again Rajasthan in the Lok Sabha election after the grand old party came back to power following a tight contest in last year’s assembly polls in one of the key states in the Hindi heartland.
In the last general election, the Bharatiya Janata Party won all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan and in the 2018 November-December assembly poll the Congress bagged 100 out of the 200 state seats and BJP 73.
11:18 am IST11% voting recorded in Madhya Pradesh till 10 am
Madhya Pradesh recorded around 11.39 per cent voting in the first three hours of polling for the six Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh on Monday till 10 a.m., officials said.
In Sidhi, 11.24 per cent voting was recorded, Shahdol saw 11.90 per cent, Jabalpur 10.96 per cent, Madla 10.87 per cent, Balaghat 12.14 and Chhindwara 11.51 per cent.
In 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party had won five seats barring Chhindwara, which was won by Congress’ Kamal Nath.
11:09 am ISTManish Malhotra, Imran Hashmi, Gulzar cast their votes
Fashion designer Manish Malhotra, actor Imran Hashmi and Gulzar cast their votes in Mumbai’s Bandra.
Clashes erupt between BJP workers and CISF jawans in Kanpur
Clashes erupted between BJP workers and CISF jawans who stopped them for asking people to vote fpr BJP inside the polling centre.
BJP leader Achal Gupta was issued a red notice, which means that he would stay back home.
10:57 am ISTActor Anupam Kher casts his vote in Mumbai’s Juhu
Actor Anupam Kher cast his vote at polling booth no.235-240 in Mumbai’s Juhu.
#Mumbai: Actor Anupam Kher casts his votes at polling booth no.235-240 in Juhu. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/o7ZGITSzrF
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Actors Bhagyashree and Sonali Bendre also cast their votes at a polling booth in Vile Parle.
10:48 am IST#Mumbai: Actors Bhagyashree and Sonali Bendre after casting their votes at a polling booth in Vile Parle. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/cJFwpTtgKA
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Woman cop helps 80-year-old voter to E-shed polling booth in Mumbai’s Byculla
A woman police officer was seen helping an 80-year-old Indubai Shingar to the polling booth at E-shed in Darukhana, Byculla in Mumbai. Shingar said she cast her vote for the first time 40-45 years ago and has never missed a single election since.
E-shed is one of the critical polling stations in Mumbai South.
Congress moves SC over alleged poll code violations by PM Modi, Amit Shah
Congress MP Sushmita Dev has filed a petition before the Supreme Court, seeking urgent and necessary directions to the Election Commission to take a decision on the complaints filed against PM Modi and BJP President Amit Shah over alleged violations of electoral laws.
10:44 am ISTBJP to meet EC over poll violence during polling in Bengal
BJP delegation including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Vijay Goel & Anil Baluni will meet Election Commission today over the issue of poll-related violence during polling in West Bengal.
BJP candidate Babul Supriyo’s car was vandalised during poll related violence in Bengal’s Asansol on Monday. There were also reports of clash between Trinamool workers and security personnel at a polling booth in Asansol.
10:30 am ISTEVM glitch in Maharashtra’s Patlipada
An EVM glitch has been reported from Maharashtra’s Patlipada. The machine was replaced after one hour. However, most of the voters went home after waiting for an hour.
Another EVM snag was reported in Mumbai’s Panvel where an EVM stopped working at Gujarati Shala pool booth. It was replaced in an hour.
10:27 am ISTWoman poll staffer dies of heart attack in Madhya Pradesh
A 50-year-old woman poll staffer died after suffering a heart attack ahead of voting in Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat of Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Monday.
Sunanda Kotekar, who was deployed at Lodhikheda polling booth in Saunsar area of Chhindwara, felt uneasy on Sunday night, Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao said.
She died of the heart attack even before she could be provided any medical assistance, he added.
10:18 am ISTActor Dia Mirza casts her vote at Khar Danda polling booth in Mumbai
Actor Dia Mirza cast her vote at Khar Danda polling booth in Mumbai.
Maharashtra is holding elections in 17 seats in the fourth round of the seven-phased general election on Monday.
This phase includes three parliamentary constituencies from western Maharashtra, four from Konkan region, four from north Maharashtra and six seats from Mumbai. Polling in 31 seats has already been held in the first three phases.
Also Read | Priyanka Chopra, Anil Ambani among early voters in Mumbai
10:13 am IST10.27% voter turnout recorded in phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls till 9am
10.27% voter turnout has been recorded in phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls till 9am across 9 states.
6.82% polling in Maharashtra (17 seats), 11.11% polling in Madhya Pradesh (6 seats), 9% polling in Odisha (6) and 16.90% in West Bengal (8 seats) have been recorded till 9 am in phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections.
10:11 am ISTAmir Khan casts vote at polling booth in Mumbai’s Bandra
Amir Khan with wife Kiran Rao casting their votes at polling booth in Mumbai’s Bandra.
Polling percentage till 9 am in phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls
6.82% polling in Maharashtra (17 seats), 11.11% polling in Madhya Pradesh (6 seats), 9% polling in Odisha (6) and 16.90% in West Bengal (8 seats) have been recorded till 9 am in phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections.
9:47 am ISTClash erupts between TMC workers and security personnel in Bengal
A clash has erupted between TMC workers and QRF and security personnel outside polling booth number 125-129 in Asansol, after disagreement erupted between BJP & CPI(M) workers after TMC workers insisted on polling despite absence of central forces, reported news agency ANI.
9:38 am ISTMarkets closed due to elections in Mumbai
All major markets, including BSE, National Stock Exchange, forex and money markets are closed Monday due to elections in Mumbai.
9:33 am IST‘TMC wants to confine me to a single place’: Babul Supriyo
“They (TMC) want to confine me at a single place. I have to move to other places. Even those residing in buildings in front of the polling station could not cast their votes,” alleged Babul Supriyo after his car was vandalised outside a polling booth in Barabani in Asansol Lok Sabha constituency.
9:25 am ISTUnion minister Babul Supriyo’s car vandalised in Asansol
Union minister Babul Supriyo’s car has been vandalised outside a polling station in West Bengal’s Asansol. Supriyo is the BJP candidate from Asansol.
A clash has broken between TMC workers and security personnel at polling booth number 199 in Asansol. A TMC polling agent said, “no BJP polling agent was present at the booth.”
West Bengal: BJP MP candidate from Asansol, Babul Supriyo's car vandalised in Asansol. A TMC polling agent says, there is no BJP polling agent here. pic.twitter.com/kBNmpXCvPD
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
9:15 am IST#WATCH Clash between TMC workers and security personnel at polling booth number 199 in Asansol. A TMC polling agent said, 'no BJP polling agent was present at the booth.' BJP MP candidate from Asansol, Babul Supriyo's car was also vandalised outside the polling station. pic.twitter.com/goOmFRG96L
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Voting yet to begin at a booth in Rajasthan’s Kannauj due to EVM glitch
Voting is yet to begin at booth number 35&435 of Chhibramau area in Kannauj. People waiting in queue at the polling station say, “Voting has not started because of a glitch in EVM.”
The Congress state party control room in Rajasthan has received 140 complaints of EVM malfunctioning so far.
9:11 am IST#LokSabhaElections2019 : Voting is yet to begin at booth number 35&435 of Chhibramau area in Kannauj. People waiting in queue at the polling station say, "Voting has not started because of a glitch in EVM." pic.twitter.com/CDddeijNOi
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 29, 2019
Police baton charge agitators at a polling booth in Bengal’s Bardhaman
Police baton charged agitators at a polling station in Bardhaman’s Jemua in Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal.
A section of the voters in the polling booth were agitating since morning saying therewill be no polling if sufficient central forces were not deployed. They also alleged that only five central forces personnel were deployed for five booths.
Rapid Action force, state police personnel and central force personnel reached the polling station to restore law and order. situation
“We are confident of winning. Those who are not confident (read Trinamool Congress) are creating trouble,” said BJP candidate Babul Supriyo about the agitation.
9:02 am ISTOldest person in Mumbai’s Chembur casts her vote
Oldest person in Mumbai’s Chembur Swarnambal Krishnaswamy cast her vote.She is 103 years old.
Shankar Mahadevan casts vote at Vashi in Navi Mumbai
Singer Shankar Mahadevan along with his wife cast his vote for Lok Sabha Election 2019 at Vashi in Navi Mumbai. Film director Vishal Bharadwaj cast his vote at Andheri. “This is the only time in five years when we can bring a change in this country. Everyone should understand the importance of this,” Vishal Bhardwaj said after voting in Andheri.
Urmila Mataondkar casts vote in Mumbai’s Bandra
Congress MP candidate from Mumbai North, Urmila Mataondkar casted her vote at polling booth number 190 in Bandra.
8:45 am IST#Mumbai: Congress MP candidate from Mumbai North, Urmila Mataondkar casts her vote at polling booth number 190 in Bandra. pic.twitter.com/caqMEX9Njk
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
EVM glitch in Mumbai’s Malad West
Voting is yet to begin at booth number 162 of Malad West in Mumbai after a glitch in EVM was detected.
Earlier, EVM glitches were reported in polling booths in Rajasthan’s Pali, Deoli, and Bhinai in Ajmer district.
8:39 am ISTPolling suspended at polling station in Asansol’s Jemua in Bengal
Villagers at Asansol’s Jemua polling booth number 222&226 are boycotting polls citing absence of central forces at the polling station. Polling has been suspended at the polling station as voters are protesting.
8:37 am ISTWest Bengal: Villagers boycott polls at Jemua's polling booth number 222&226 in Asansol due to absence of central forces at the polling station. Polling has been suspended at the polling station as voters are protesting. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/ZlelPIKMB0
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Kanhaiya Kumar arrives to cast his vote in Bihar’s Begusarai
CPI candidate from Begusarai, Kanhaiya Kumar arrived to cast his vote at a polling centre in the city, says, “Those who defame Begusarai will be defeated.” He is contesting against BJP leader Giriraj Singh in Begusarai.
8:32 am ISTKamal Nath casts vote in Shikarpur in MP’s Chhindwara
Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath has cast his vote at polling booth number 17 in Shikarpur, Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.
#LokSabhaElections2019 :Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath casts his vote at polling booth number 17 in Shikarpur, Chhindwara. pic.twitter.com/4liBH70BYb
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
With 29 seats, and a direct contest between the two national parties, Madhya Pradesh is emerging as the big battleground of Lok Sabha 2019 as polls enter the fourth phase. In 2014, the BJP swept the state winning 27 seats. Four years later, it lost power at the state-level to the Congress. And thus the question that animates voters in MP is whether 2019 will be a repeat of 2014, or a replication of 2018.
8:30 am IST‘Every vote is a voice that counts’: Priyanka Chopra after casting her vote
“This is the moment that matters.... Every vote is a voice that counts,” tweeted actor Priyanka Chopra after casting her vote in Mumbai’s Versova.
8:08 am ISTThis is the moment that matters.... Every vote is a voice that counts. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/L0AHJLL4uY
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 29, 2019
Voters in Chacha village in Rajasthan boycott polling demanding divider on highway
The villagers of Chacha village near Pokaran in Rajasthan are boycotting polling demanding a divider on highway.
Rajasthan is going to polls for the first time in the ongoing seven-phase general elections, with 13 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats up for grabs on Monday.
The high-profile seats of Barmer, Nagaur, Jodhpur and Rajsamand will be among the parliamentary constituencies that will vote in the fourth phase of the 17th general election.
8:00 am IST‘Vote to create an Ayushman Bharat’: Amit Shah
Your vote helps in securing a leadership in realising the dream of a prosperous India. Every poor house, every household gets toilets, electricity, gas and water through your vote. I appeal to the voters of the fourth phase to vote to remove darkness from the lives of millions of countrymen and create an Ayushman Bharat,” tweeted BJP chief Amit Shah.
7:52 am ISTRavi Kishan waits in queue to cast his vote at a polling booth in Goregaon
Ravi Kishan was seen waiting in queue to cast his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai’s Goregaon.
7:48 am IST#Mumbai: BJP MP candidate from UP's Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan waits in queue to cast his vote at a polling booth in Goregaon pic.twitter.com/Ji85dcyKNt
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
‘Water first, vote later’: People demonstrate outside polling booth in Rajasthan’s Tonk
Some people are demonstrating outside a polling booth in Tonk with their demand for water. They are saying ‘water first, vote later’.
7:56 am ISTVeteran actor Rekha casts her vote at polling booth in Mumbai’s Bandra
Veteran actor Rekha cast her vote at polling booth number 283 in Mumbai’s Bandra.
7:42 am IST#Mumbai: Veteran actor Rekha casts her vote at polling booth number 283 in Bandra. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/z14VraA06W
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das waits in queue to cast his vote in Mumbai’s Peddar road
Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das was seen waiting in queue to cast his vote at polling booth number 40 & 41 at Peddar Road.
7:39 am IST#Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das waits in queue to cast his vote at polling booth number 40 & 41 at Peddar Road. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/OGJMvQUE6A
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
EVM glitches reported in Rajasthan polling booths
EVM glitches have been reported in polling booths in Rajasthan’s Pali, Deoli, and Bhinai in Ajmer district.
30 complaints of EVM glitch have been reported in 40 minutes.
Rajasthan is going to polls for the first time in the ongoing seven-phase general elections, with 13 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats up for grabs on Monday.
The high-profile seats of Barmer, Nagaur, Jodhpur and Rajsamand will be among the parliamentary constituencies that will vote in the fourth phase of the 17th general election.
7:27 am ISTVasundhara Raje, her son cast their vote at Jhalawar
Former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, her son and sitting BJP MP Dushyant Singh cast their vote at a polling booth in Jhalawar.
Jodhpur BJP candidate and sitting MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has also cast vote along with his family.
7:24 am ISTRajasthan: Former Rajasthan CM and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje Scindia casts her vote at polling booth number 33 in Jhalawar. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/9iNp9geKtQ
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Cong candidate in Baharampur constituency alleges district authorities working to help TMC candidate
Congress candidate in Baharampur constituency Adhir Chowdhury arrived at a polling station before 7 am so that his party’s polling agents could enter the booths. He alleged that the district authorities are working to help the Trinamool Congress candidate.
7:20 am ISTAnil Ambani casts vote at voting centre in Mumbai’s Cuff Parade
Anil Ambani cast his vote at voting centre number 216 at GD Somani School in Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade.
7:16 am ISTMumbai: Anil Ambani casts his vote at voting centre number 216 at GD Somani School in Cuffe Parade. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/II9VZJvjmV
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Giriraj Singh casts his vote at polling booth in Bihar’s Barahiya
Union Minister and sitting MP from Nawada Giriraj Singh cast his vote at polling booth number 33 in Barahiya of Lakhisarai district.
7:11 am ISTBihar: Union Minister and sitting MP from Nawada, Giriraj Singh, cast his vote at polling booth number 33 in Barahiya of Lakhisarai district. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/babrOKVG36
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
‘Your vote will help shaping of a New India’: Rajnath Singh
“The polling for the 4th phase of General Elections begins today. I appeal to the voters to ensure a record turnout. Your vote will not only strengthen the pillars of democracy but it will also help shaping of a New India, tweeted Rajnath Singh.
7:05 am ISTThe polling for the 4th phase of General Elections begins today. I appeal to the voters to ensure a record turnout. Your vote will not only strengthen the pillars of democracy but it will also help shaping of a New India.
— Chowkidar Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) April 29, 2019
Voters queue outside polling booth in South Mumbai
Voters are queuing outside polling booth number 40 and 41 in South Mumbai parliamentary constituency.
#Mumbai: Voters queue outside polling booth number 40 & 41 in South Mumbai parliamentary constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/tRnHiTURvo
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
Seventeen seats in Maharashtra will vote on Monday, which is the largest among the states going to polls in the fourth phase. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won all of these seats in 2014, an increase of 11 seats from its 2009 tally.
6:56 am ISTVoters begin to queue up outside polling booth in Kannauj
Voters have begun to queue up outside polling booth number 256 in Kannauj. Thirteen parliamentary constituencies in the state go to polls in the fourth phase of general elections.
6:51 am IST#LokSabhaElections2019 : Voters begin to queue up outside polling booth number 256 in Kannauj. 13 parliamentary constituencies in the state go to polls in the fourth phase of general elections. pic.twitter.com/GWOaBzBAca
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 29, 2019
‘Break voting records of previous three phases’: PM’s message to voters
“Another phase of the General Elections begins today. I hope those voting today do so in large numbers and break the voting records of the previous three phases. A special appeal to young voters to head to the polling booth and exercise their franchise,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Another phase of the General Elections begins today. I hope those voting today do so in large numbers and break the voting records of the previous three phases.
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2019
A special appeal to young voters to head to the polling booth and exercise their franchise.
Also Read | PM Modi tweets as India votes in phase 4
6:46 am ISTRajasthan to go to polls for 1st time in ongoing 7-phase general elections
Rajasthan will go to polls for the first time in the ongoing seven-phase general elections, with 13 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats up for grabs on Monday.
The high-profile seats of Barmer, Nagaur, Jodhpur and Rajsamand will be among the parliamentary constituencies that will vote in the fourth phase of the 17th general election.
6:42 am ISTFirst 3 phases have seen polling in 303 of 543 seats in Lok Sabha
The first three phases have seen polling in 303 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha.
A total of 963 candidates from across parties in the nine states will be testing their luck. Among these 963 candidates, 210 are facing criminal charges with 158 having serious cases and 12 of them being convicted in criminal cases.
6:39 am ISTFinal six out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha will go to polls today
The final six out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha will go to polls on Monday, alongside the remaining 42 out of 142 assembly seats. The Lok Sabha constituencies where polling will be conducted include Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapara and Jajpur.
The region going to the polls is considered a stronghold of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which had won all six Lok Sabha seats and 37 of the 42 assembly seats in the 2014 elections.
6:13 am IST17 of Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha seats to vote today
The last 17 of Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha seats will vote on Monday, with political heavyweights, their family members, and Marathi and Hindi film actors in the fray.
Squabbles between alliance partners Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maharshtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s anti-BJP campaigning in the state have made this an eventful election so far.
6:00 am ISTVoting on 72 Lok Sabha seats in phase 4 to begin shortly
Seventy-two seats across nine states will go to polls in the fourth phase of 2019 general elections on Monday.