A 28-year-old security personnel on election duty in Mizoram died due to cardiac arrest on Friday, officials said.

Lalrinpuia, who was in the second Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn), was found dead on Friday morning at Vangchhia polling station in Champhai district when other security personnel tried to wake him up, they said.

He died due to cardiac arrest around 4.45 am, the officials said.

His body was sent to his native Kawlkulh village in Khawzawl district after an autopsy at Champhai district hospital, they said.

-PTI

At least four Electronic Voting Machines were damaged at different polling booths in conflict-hit Manipur on Friday where polling was held in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, according to sources.

“EVMs have been damaged at four places in Imphal East and West. At one of the polling booths, an EVM was set ablaze by unidentified miscreants,” a source said.

According to the sources, incidents of intimidation and firing were reported from several places in the Inner Manipur constituency where voting for the Lok Sabha polls took place on Friday.

-PTI

An estimated 65 per cent of the total 16.23 lakh registered voters cast their ballot by 5 pm on Friday in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Udhampur, officials said, as Jammu and Kashmir witnessed an incident-free polling in what was its first major electoral battle since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Braving inclement weather in most parts of the constituency due to heavy rains and strong winds, early voters were seen heading for polling stations before the start of voting, the officials said, adding more than 11,000 polling staff, including reserves, have been deployed while security arrangements are foolproof to ensure free and fair elections.

-PTI

Both the BJP and the Congress on Friday accused each other of unleashing violence and breaching the election Model Code of Conduct in Manipur during the polls.

BJP’s state unit general secretary K Sarat Kumar told reporters that Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, the Congress candidate of Manipur Inner LS seat, accompanied by large number of his supporters, visited several polling stations and provoked officials and voters leading to multiple commotions.

On the other hand, the Congress has blamed the BJP for violence during voting in Inner Manipur.

Kh Devbrata, working president of the state unit of the Congress told reporters, “We strongly condemn the acts of armed unidentified men entering polling stations and intimidating voters and indulging in proxy voting.” “We haven’t seen the government try to conduct the polling peacefully in a free and fair manner,” Singh said.

-PTI

An elderly voter in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar on Friday threw an electronic voting machine (EVM) on the ground, demanding voting take place through ballot paper, police said.

The EVM was a bit damaged but it was not replaced as it continued to function, they said.

Randhir, 70, was taken into custody after information was received about the incident at booth number 126 of the Jwalapur Inter College polling station, police said.

He picked up the EVM when his turn to vote came and threw it on the ground, shouting that he opposes EVMs and elections should be conducted through ballot paper only, they said and added it is suspected that the man is mentally ill. Randhir was released after a few hours of detention, Jwalapur Deputy Superintendent of Police Shantanu Parashar said and added that EVM, though damaged, kept functioning and polling took place.

-PTI

The Congress on Friday accused the ruling BJP of violating the Model Code of Conduct by using “one particular issue” on social media as an appeal to voters and urged the Election Commission (EC) to take immediate note of it and put a stop to such practices.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh urged the EC to take note of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “flagrant and blatant violation” of the Representation of the People Act, but did not mention the issue being highlighted by the ruling party on social media.

In a post on X, Ramesh said the BJP is using “one particular issue” on social media as an appeal to voters.

-PTI

The unique Malogam polling station in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh recorded cent per cent polling with the lone female voter, exercising her constitutional right on Friday, officials said.

The 44-year-old Sokela Tayang cast her vote around 1 pm, a district official said.

For the single voter, a team of polling officials trekked nearly 40 km on foot through treacherous terrain and set up a voting booth in the remote polling station.

The residents of Dhadkahi, known as the “silent village” in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district due to its large deaf-and-dumb population, exercised their right to vote in the Lok Sabha polls on Friday in the hope of getting basic amenities, such as roads, water, healthcare facilities and education.

However, they warned of boycotting future elections if their demands are not met.

Located amidst snow-clad mountains, Dhadkahi is primarily inhabited by members of the Gujjar community, known for their agricultural practices and nomadic lifestyle. The unique characteristic of the village is that more than half of its population has faced challenges in hearing and speaking due to congenital medical conditions since 1950.

Despite these challenges, more than 35 per cent of the eligible voters in the village cast their votes at two polling booths by the afternoon.

-PTI

Poor drinking water facilities at many polling booths, mostly in rural areas, remain a concern for voters, who turned up in large numbers to exercise their democratic right in the Lok Sabha polls on Friday.

While the water cans at booths located in the city and in towns were found with water dispensers or tumblers, 20-litre water cans were just placed on booths in rural areas without water dispensers or cups to enable voters to drink water.

Read the full story here

A voter turnout of 77.57 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in the three Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal where elections were held in the first phase on Friday, an official said.

Polling started at 7 am in Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduars seats, where a total of 56.26 lakh people are eligible to vote, they said.

Over 50 per cent voter turnout was recorded up to 5 pm on Friday in 12 parliamentary constituencies of Rajasthan where voting is underway in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election, officials said.

The highest voter turnout of 60.29 per cent was recorded in Ganganagar Lok Sabha seat while Karauli-Dholpur saw the lowest turnout of 42.53 per cent, it said. Jaipur had recorded a poll percentage of 56.57.

The voting percentage was 48.87 in Bikaner, 56.52 in Churu, 44.97 in Jhunjhunu, 48.85 in Sikar, 48.67 in Jaipur Rural, 53.31 in Alwar, 45.63 in Dausa, 45.48 in Bharatpur and 49.92 in Nagaur till 5 pm.

-PTI

A total of 70.77 per cent of over 86.47 lakh voters in five Lok Sabha seats in Assam exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Friday, poll officials said.

The turnout is expected to increase as people in queue till 5 pm will be allowed to cast their votes.

Jorhat recorded the highest turnout of 76.20 per cent, followed by Dibrugarh (70.65) Sonitpur (69.84), Kaziranga (68.90) and Lakhimpur (68.34), they said.

Manipur recorded a voter turnout of 68.62 per cent till 5 pm amid incidents of shooting and intimidation, officials said.

The Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, which comprises 32 of the 60 assembly segments in the state, recorded 72.32 per cent turnout, while 15 of the 28 assembly segments of Outer Manipur that went to polls during the day registered a turnout of 61.98 per cent.

Wangkhem in Thoubal district recorded the highest turnout among the 32 assembly constituencies under Inner Manipur at 82.41 per cent.

In Outer Manipur, Chandel, which has both Naga and Kuki voters, recorded the highest turnout at 85.54 per cent.

A voter turnout of 63.25 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Friday in six Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, where elections were underway in the first phase, an official said.

In Balaghat, 71.08 per cent voting was recorded, in Chhindwara 73.85 per cent, Jabalpur 56.74 per cent, Mandla 68.31 per cent, Shahdol 59.91 per cent and Sidhi 51.24 per cent, the official said.

Voting in Baihar and Paraswada assembly constituencies under the Balaghat Lok Sabha seat was held between 7 am and 4 pm for security reasons in view of the Naxal menace, he said, adding that a centre in the Dublai area of Baihar saw 100 per cent voting as all 80 voters cast their votes.

Poll officials in Madhya Pradesh on Friday put their best foot forward to ensure high voting in the Lok Sabha elections with initiatives like offering flowers and applying ‘tilak’ on the foreheads of those exercise their franchise.

In Shahdol, poll staff welcomed elderly voters with flowers and garlands and applied tilak, leaving several of those who braved the heat to exercise their franchise very happy, eyewitnesses said.

Kavita, who got married on Thursday night in Bemhori village in Shahdol’s Budhar tehsil, ensured she voted before leaving for her marital home in Padmania village.

Kavita cast her vote in her wedding attire, a kin said, adding her parents and in-laws were happy with her decision.

In tribal Mandla district’s Nainpur’s Makke booth no. 55, youth Durgesh Bhanvre came to vote with turmeric smeared on his face and clothes after taking part in pre-wedding rituals.

A bunch of transgender persons voted in the afternoon in booth number 161 in Kohaliya in Junnardeo, which is part of Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat.

Criticising the Congress for becoming “outdated” and losing relevance in the country’s political landscape, senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Friday said the BJP does politics for the sake of nation building and not merely to come to power.

Addressing a party gathering before Union Minister Kishan Reddy filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls, Singh also attacked the Congress party citing former Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao’s book in which he wrote that there was pressure to present a “rosy picture” of the economy during UPA rule.

He claimed that due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention, the war between Russia and Ukraine was stopped for over four hours to facilitate India to evacuate its citizens.

The Braille voter information slip introduced in 2019 has allowed visually impaired persons to exercise their franchise in secrecy unlike earlier times when they had to take help from those with sight, several persons associated with the initiative said.

Incidentally, the number of visually impaired voters in Maharashtra has gone up from 48,000 to 1,16,518 in the past five years, including 10,835 in Pune district, 8,590 in Thane, 3371 in Mumbai’s suburban district and 1,253 in the island city, officials pointed out.

An NAB official said visually impaired voters were sent to Ruia College in March to check EVMs as part of poll training, adding that Braille voter information slip is being given to polling centres across all districts in Maharashtra.

-PTI

63.25% voting was recorded in the six Lok Sabha constituencies of Madhya Pradesh until 5 p.m., with Chhindwara witnessing the highest 73.85% of polling, whereas Sidhi has seen the least voter turnout so far at 51.24%.

Polling personnel in six eastern districts of Nagaland waited for nine hours in booths, but not one of the four lakh voters of the region turned up following a shutdown call given by an organisation to press for its demand for ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ (FNT).

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday affirmed that the state government does not have any problem with the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation’s (ENPO) demand for FNT as it has already recommended autonomous powers for the region.

Officials said there is no movement of people or vehicles on major streets in eastern Nagaland except those of the district administrations and other emergency services.

-PTI

A 32-year-old jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed on poll duty in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district was killed on April 19 when a shell of Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) exploded accidentally, police said.

The incident took place near Galgam village under Usoor police station limits when a team of security personnel was out on an area domination operation half a kilometer away from a polling booth, said an official.

Bijapur district comes under the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency where voting is underway in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections.

Read the full story here

Amid reports of violence from a few districts in Arunachal Pradesh, over 53 per cent of 8.92 lakh electors cast their votes till 3 PM on Friday in the northeastern state where polling for two Lok Sabha seats and 50 assembly constituencies is underway, officials said.

Supporters of two candidates clashed near a polling station in the Bameng constituency in East Kameng district, Inspector General of Police (Law & Order) Chukhu Apa said, adding that the situation was brought under control and polling is continuing, Incidents of EVM damage were also reported from three polling stations in East Kameng, Kurung Kumey and Upper Subansiri districts, the police officer said.

Polling resumed there after the replacement of machines and the situation is “now peaceful”, he said.

The turnout, which was moderate in the morning hours due to inclement weather, improved later in the day.

An average voter turnout of 54.85% was recorded till 5 p.m. on Friday in five constituencies in Maharashtra where voting is underway in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election. The voter turnout stood at 64.95% in Gadchiroli-Chimur, followed by 56.87% in Bhandara-Gondia. Chandrapur recorded a turnout of 55.11%. Whereas Ramtek and Nagpur recorded a turnout of 52.38% and 47.91%, respectively.

There will be “chaos” if the Supreme Court starts entertaining petitions against rejection of nomination papers, an apex court bench said on Friday while dismissing the plea of a man from Bihar who intended to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate but his papers were rejected.

The bench said the remedy lay in filing election petitions against such rejection of nomination papers and not in approaching the top court with the grievance.

“There will be chaos if we start entertaining petitions under Article 32 (it confers the right to constitutional remedies for enforcement of fundamental rights) under the Constitution against rejection of the nomination papers,” a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala said.

The bench, however, permitted lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava, representing Jawahar Kumar Jha, whose nomination as an Independent candidate for the Banka seat for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls was rejected by the returning officer (RO), to seek appropriate legal remedy.

-PTI

The voter turnout stood at 41 % in Gadchiroli-Chimur, followed by 34.56% in Bhandara-Gondia. Chandrapur recorded a turnout of 30.96%. hereas, Nagpur and Ramtek recorded a turnout of 28.75% and 28.73%, respectively at 1 p.m.

Nearly 44.7% of the 95 lakh eligible voters have cast their ballots till 3 p.m. in the five Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra where polling is underway in the first phase of the general election 2024.

A voter turnout of 53.40% was recorded till 3 p.m. in six Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, where elections are underway in the first phase on Friday, an official said.

The constituency-wise polling percentage is: Balaghat 63.69%, Chhindwara 62.57, Jabalpur 48.05, Mandla 58.28, Shahdol 48.64 and Sidhi 40.60, the official said.

Voting in Baihar and Paraswada assembly constituencies under the Balaghat Lok Sabha seat was held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for security reasons due to Naxal influence, he said, adding that a centre in Dublai area in Baihar constituency saw 100% voting, with all 80 voters there exercising their franchise.

The early voters in the state included former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, his son Nakul Nath, who is contesting from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat, and their spouses.

A voter turnout of more than 58% was recorded till 3 p.m. on Friday in the Naxal-hit Bastar Lok Sabha constituency of Chhattisgarh, which saw the death of a CRPF jawan after a grenade accidentally went off and injury to an officer in an IED blast, officials said.

Amid tight security, polling in the Bastar seat started at 7 a.m. and 58.14% turnout was registered till 3 p.m., an election official said.

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan deployed on security duty was killed when a shell of an under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) accidentally exploded in Galgam village under Usoor police station limits in Bijapur district, a police official said.

The incident took place when security personnel were out on an area domination exercise near a polling booth, the official added.

A total of 60.70% of over 86.47 lakh voters in five Lok Sabha seats in Assam exercised their franchise till 3 p.m. on Friday, poll officials said. Jorhat recorded the highest turnout of 64.84%, followed by Sonitpur (60.29), Dibrugarh (60.83), Lakhimpur (59.53) and Kaziranga (58.33), they said.

Prominent candidates include Union minister and BJP nominee Sarbananda Sonowal, who is contesting from Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat against Opposition nominee Lurinjyoti Gogoi, and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader of Opposition Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress, who is contesting from Jorhat against BJP’s sitting MP Topon Gogoi.

The estimated voter turnout at 3 p.m. in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday was around 49.78%, the Election Commission said.

A spokesperson of the poll panel said the figures were only approximate.

In a statement earlier in the day, the poll watchdog had described the voter turnout till 1 p.m. as “substantial”. Polling was progressing “smoothly and peacefully” across 17 States and 4 Union Territories, it had said.

A voter turnout of over 57.09% was registered till 1 3.m. on April 19 in the Udhampur-Doda constituency.

Amid multi-tier security arrangements, ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power) was on display at the all-women staffed booths known as ‘pink booths’, in the Doda district of the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency. These ‘pink booths’ attracted more women voters, especially from the Muslim community.

An average voter turnout of 47.44% was recorded in the first six hours of polling on April 19 in eight western Uttar Pradesh constituencies where voting is underway in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election.

Pilibhit District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh said, “We have received information that some villagers are boycotting the polls over local issues. The officials concerned have been directed to visit these villages to talk to them and ensure that they participate in the voting process.” Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Harendra Singh Malik alleged booth capturing in a village in Muzaffarnagar district, urging the EC for the deployment of paramilitary personnel.

The former Rajya Sabha MP shared a letter on social media that he addressed to the chief election commissioner in Delhi for sending paramilitary personnel to Kutba Kutbi, the village of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sanjeev Balyan, alleging “booth capturing” by “agents” of the saffron party.

A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targeted Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and asked why he was not interrogated or arrested by Central agencies, the Left leader on April 19 said he was not afraid to go to jail, unlike Congress leaders.

Mr. Gandhi, while addressing multiple election campaigns in the State, had on Thursday lashed out at Mr. Vijayan and wondered why the Left leader was targeting him while he was fighting against the BJP.

Addressing a massive election rally at Kozhikode, where the CPI(M) has fielded senior leader Elamaram Kareem, Mr. Vijayan said Rahul’s grandmother, Indira Gandhi had put most of the Left leaders, including him, in jail during Emergency. “Your grandmother had jailed most of us for more than one-and-a-half years. We have experienced and seen enough interrogation and jailing. We are not afraid of jails. So don’t try to threaten us with investigations and jails, and we are not worried,” he said.

– PTI

“Substantial” voter turnout was reported till 1 p.m. in many States and Union Territories where voting is underway in phase one of Lok Sabha elections on April 19, the Election Commission said.

Polling was progressing “smoothly and peacefully” across 21 States and Union Territories, it said.

Congress leaders of Kerala should advise Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his statement inviting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to arrest Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has said.

Speaking at a Meet-the-Press programme organised in Kochi on April 19 (Friday), Ms. Karat said Mr. Gandhi’s statement was “uncharitable and shocking.”

“It is unbecoming of a Congress leader to incite ED action against Mr. Vijayan who is leading the LDF government in Kerala. The statement of Mr. Gandhi was condemnable and shameful, especially at a time when Central government agencies, including the ED, the Income Tax department and the CBI, are out targeting Opposition leaders,” she said.

Click here to read more…

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on April 19 said that the Opposition’s INDIA bloc with cross the majority mark of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha polls adding that Congress will win more seats than Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan.

“There is an atmosphere of change in the entire country and State and based on what I am seeing, I think that the performance of Congress will be much better than before and INDIA alliance will get a majority on June 4. It makes no sense to give a guarantee to cross 200,300,500 seats, all I can say is that in Rajasthan, we will get more seats than the BJP and INDIA alliance will cross the majority mark of 272 seats in the country,” Sachin Pilot told ANI.

Two-time MP Naba Kumar Sarania filed nomination from the ST-reserved Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat on April 19, a day after Gauhati High Court finds his ST certificate invalid and declared him ineligible for contesting the polls.

The High Court had dismissed a writ petition by Mr. Sarania, challenging a State Level Scrutiny Committee’s order striking down his Scheduled Tribe (Plains) status. “The honourable court dismissed his writ petition, and did not give him any further relief, effectively debarring him from contesting from any constituency that is reserved for ST or other categories,” said Assam’s advocate general Devajit Saikia.

Mr. Sarania has been representing the Kokrajhar (ST) constituency in the Lower House of Parliament since 2014 as an independent, and had announced contesting for a third successive term from the same seat when it goes to polls on May 7.

– Rahul Karmakar

In Madhya Pradesh, 44.43 voting was recorded until 1 p.m. on the six seats of Madhya Pradesh that are polling in the first phase. of 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While Balaghat Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest percentage at 52.83%, Sidhi has witnessed 34.65% voter turnout so far.

– Mehul Malpani

In Uttar Pradesh, 36.96% voting was recorded till 1 p.m., with Kairana recording 37.49%, Muzaffarnagar 34.51%, Bijnor 36.08%, Nagina 38.28%, Moradabad 35.25%, Rampur 32.68%, Pilibhit 38.51% and Saharanpur 42.32%.

The Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) alleged that Muslim voters at many booths in constituencies like Rampur, Moradabad, Kairana and Saharanpur are being prevented from exercising the voting rights with administration acting as the BJP agents.

– Mayank Kumar

Four polling officials were suspended from service for allegedly failing to prevent outside interference in the voting process at the house of a 92-year-old woman during the Lok Sabha polls in Kannur district of Kerala, officials said on April 19.

District Collector Arun K. Vijayan, also the District Election Officer, suspended the special polling officer, polling assistant micro observer, special police officer, and videographer in connection with the incident reported from Kalliasseri grama panchayat.

Click here to read…

India bloc leaders on April 19 met Tripura CEO to lodge complaint against irregularities specially in Ramnagar Assembly constituency in Agartala where by-election is taking place.

They alleged several polling agents of CPIM candidate Ratan Das were either driven out or prevented from entering polling booths. BJP by-election candidate Dipak Majumder denied the charges.

– Syed Sajjad Ali

Assam reported EVM malfunctioning at three polling booths of Bihpuria in Lakhimpur, one each in Hojai, Kaliabor and Bokakhat, and one in Naharkatia of Dibrugarh, an official said.

“Most of the glitches were noticed during the mock poll, which started 90 minutes before the commencement of actual voting. Those glitches were rectified immediately. Voting started sometime late in those booths and now it is going smoothly,” officials said.

The state saw a polling percentage of 45.12%.

A average voter turnout of 37% was recorded till 1 p.m. on April 19 in eight parliamentary constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh where voting is underway in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election.

According to the Election Commission, till 1 p.m., 42.32% voting was reported in Saharanpur, 35.25% in Moradabad, 37.92% in Kairana, 38.28% in Nagina, 38.51% in Pilibhit, 36.08% in Bijnor, 32.86% in Rampur and 34.51% in Muzaffarnagar.

Among the prominent candidates in the fray in this phase are the BJP’s Jitin Prasada from Pilibhit, Union minister Sanjeev Balyan from Muzaffarnagar and Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Azad from Nagina.

In Chhattisgarh, more than 28% of the electorate cast their votes in the first four hours of polling in the Naxal-hit Bastar Lok Sabha constituency where an assistant commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Bijapur district.

A CRPF jawan deployed on poll security duty was also injured when a shell of an under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) accidentally exploded in Bijapur district. – PTI

A voter turnout of over 43% was registered till 1 p.m. on April 19 in the Udhampur-Doda constituency, in spite of wet weather in many pockets of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts.

– Peerzada Ashiq

A voter turnout of 27.22% was recorded till 11 a.m. in the five Lok Sabha seats in Assam where elections were underway in the first phase on April 19, officials said.

Sonitpur recorded a turnout of 28.12%, while 29.51% was recorded in Jorhat, 26.14% in Lakhimpur, 26.88% in Kaziranga, and 25.41% in Dibrugarh. – PTI

The six Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh where polling is being held on April 19 in the first phase of general elections recorded a voter turnout of 30.46% till 11 a.m., an official said.

The constituency-wise polling is Balaghat 35.64%, Chhindwara 32.51%, Jabalpur 27.41%, Mandla 32.03%, Shahdol 29.57% and Sidhi 26.03%, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan told PTI, adding that polling was going on peacefully in all the six constituencies.

Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Geromic George on Friday denied reports that extra votes were polled for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a mock poll held in connection with the commissioning of electronic voting machines (EVM) in Kerala’s capital district.

Mr. George has lodged a complaint with Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Sanjay Kaul against an online media platform which allegedly published a report saying that the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips had displayed extra votes for the BJP in the mock poll.

Read the full story here.

Despite stringent security arrangements, violence marred voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the Inner Manipur constituency on April 19.

Shooting by miscreants broke out at a polling station at Thamanpokpi under the Moirang Assembly segment. Three people are reportedly injured, prompting authorities to swiftly reinforce security measures in the area.

Vandalism has also been reported at a polling station under the Thongju Assembly seat in the Imphal East district.

Read the whole story here.

10.67% voting was recorded during the first two hours in Rajasthan. The highest 14.14% turnout was recorded in Sriganganagar, followed by Alwar with 12.03%. A total of 2.54 crore voters are set to cast ballots in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in the first phase in the desert State today.

Despite stringent security arrangements, violence marred voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the Inner Manipur constituency on Friday.

Shooting by miscreants broke out at a polling station at Thamanpokpi under the Moirang Assembly segment. Three people are reported to have been injured grievously, prompting authorities to swiftly reinforce security measures in the area.

Vandalism has also been reported at a polling station under the Thongju Assembly seat in the Imphal East district.

More than 100 complaints have been received by the Election Commission in West Bengal during the first three hours across three Lok Sabha seats of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri where polling is underway today.

Voting for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland started on schedule on April 19 amid an indefinite shutdown across six districts called by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO).

The ENPO shutdown, effective from 6 p.m. on April 18, was enforced across the Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak, and Shamator districts in protest against the delay in implementing its demand for a Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT).

The shutdown was authorised under the Eastern Nagaland Public Emergency. The six districts encompassing 20 Assembly segments have 4,00,632 out of Nagaland’s 13,25,383 electors.

The shutdown attracted a show cause notice from the State’s Chief Electoral Officer, Vayasan R., to the ENPO president. The notice highlighted the gravity of the situation, citing Sub-Section (1) of Section 171C of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

This section pertains to undue influence during elections, stating: “Whoever voluntarily interferes or attempts to interfere with the free exercise of any electoral right commits the offence of undue influence at an election.”

Three candidates are contesting for the Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency —Chumben Murry of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, S. Supongmeren Jamir of Congress, and independent Hayithung Tungoe.

Report by Rahul Karmakar, The Hindu.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP’s candidate from Nagpur Lok Sabha cast his vote on Friday.

Last time the voting percentage was 54% and this time our resolve is to take the number to 75% in Nagpur, the Union Minister said.

“We are celebrating the nation’s grandest festival with immense enthusiasm, and I am confident of winning this election by a significant margin,” he added.

Read here, The Hindu’s exclusive interview with Mr. Gadkari days before the first phase of voting.

Over 8.64% of the total 3,15,148 voters in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have exercised their franchise till 9 a.m. on Friday for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the Union Territory, an official said.

A total of 12 candidates, including two women and five independents are in the fray for the lone Lok Sabha seat. However, the contest is mainly between Congress candidate and sitting MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma and the BJP nominee Bishnu Pada Ray.

PTI

Over 15% of 56.26 lakh voters of three Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal exercised their franchise till 9 a.m. on Friday, an Election Commission official said.

In the first phase of elections, voting is underway in Cooch Behar, Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri seats.

“Till 9 a.m., voter turnout in Coochbehar is 15.26% while that in Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri is 15.91% and 14.13% respectively,” the official said here.

All three seats are reserved, with Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri for SCs and Alipurduars for STs.

Read:​ ​Tea and identity politics dominate the first phase of elections in West Bengal​​

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju cast their votes on Friday at their native villages as the polling for two Lok Sabha seats and 50 assembly constituencies is underway, officials said.

Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein also exercised his franchise in his village in the Chowkham assembly segment.

Mr. Rijiju cast his vote in his village Nafra in the newly created Bichom district, while Khandu exercised his franchise in the Mukto constituency in the Tawang district, the officials said.

Mr. Khandu and Mr. Mein are among the ten BJP candidates who have been elected unopposed to the 60-member Assembly.

Arunachal Pradesh Assembly 2019 Results

A Flourish data visualization by Netalert

As the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls began on Friday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged voters to cast their ballots carefully and asserted that a new era of economic empowerment and equal opportunities beckons them.

“The fight to protect our Constitution and Democracy begins today,” he said in a post on ‘X’.

“My dear citizens, from 21 States and UTs who are voting in the First Phase of the Lok Sabha elections, I request you to carefully cast your vote. A future where NYAY (justice) awaits you. A new era of Economic Empowerment and Equal Opportunities beckons you,” the Congress chief said.

“I am sure you will vote for the ‘jobs revolution’ through YUVA NYAY, rather than a continuation of the past 10 years of record unemployment,” Mr. Kharge said.

According to the information by the Election Commission of India, Assam on Friday recorded 5.89% voting at 9 a.m.

Till 9 a.m., the voting percentage in the four Lok Sabha seats of Bihar were at- Jamui- 9.12 %, Gaya- 9.30%, Nawada- 7.10% and Aurangabad- 6.1%.

The polling started on a dull note with an average of 6.98 % voter turnout in all five Lok Sabha constituencies in the first two hours. At 9 a.m., 8.43 % was recorded in Gadchiroli-Chimur, followed by 7.44 % at Chandrapur and 7.22 % at Bhandara-Gondia. Nagpur recorded 6.41 % voter turnout, while it was 5.82 % in Ramtek.

With less than a week left for the first round of Lok Sabha polls in eight seats of western Uttar Pradesh, caste is casting its shadow on Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindutva juggernaut.

Miffed at being sidelined in ticket distribution at the expense of Gurjars and Jats, and their self-esteem being crushed by irresponsible remarks from BJP MPs and MLAs, Thakur leaders are holding panchayats across the region. Going by the footfall, it appears that the discontent is taking electoral shape.

Read the full story here.

The changing colours of symbols and flag positions during an election tell a story. At the Rashtriya Lok Dal head office near the bustling Mahavir Chowk in Muzaffarnagar, the party’s green and white flag is flying above the Bharatiya Janata Party’s flag. At the recent road show of RLD chief Chaudhary Jayant Singh and the BJP candidate Sanjeev Balyan, the saffron party’s lotus symbol took on the unusual shades of green and white.

It appears that the BJP is allowing its small but influential partner to take the lead in this critical constituency in western Uttar Pradesh that it won by a whisker in 2019, when Mr. Balyan defeated Mr. Singh’s father and the RLD’s then-supremo Ajit Singh, who was then a joint candidate of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, by only 6,500 votes.

Ajit Singh, who worked for Hindu-Muslim unity after the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013, died of COVID in May 2021. This time round, his son is not just seeking support for Mr. Balyan, who emerged as a Hindutva leader after the riots, against the Samajwadi Party’s senior Jat leader Harinder Malik; he is also making it a prestige issue, as a sort of return gift for the BJP’s decision to bestow the Bharat Ratna on his grandfather and former Prime Minister Charan Singh.

Read the full story here.

Voting is underway in J&K’s Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, with many polling booths witnessing early queues, especially in Udhampur and Kathua districts, on Friday.

“All should come and vote. We need to celebrate voting as a festival,” said Shanti Devi, among the first to cast votes in Udhampur district.

Wet weather in the upper reaches of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban is likely to dampen the enthusiasm.

The Udhampur-Doda seat is witnessing a contest between the BJP and the INDIA bloc candidates.

BJP’s Jitendra Singh, a Union Minister considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will take on Congress’ Chaudhary Lal Singh and Democratic Progressive Azad Party’s G.M. Saroori.

Twelve candidates are in the fray. It’s the demography of voters that throws an interesting dynamic, with the Ramban, Doda and Ramban districts comprising the majority of Muslim votes and the plains of Kathua and Udhampur districts as Hindu-majority districts.

The poll narrative has been around the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, with the National Conference (NC) and the Congress highlighting the delay in granting Statehood to J&K and Assembly elections and, on the other hand, the BJP focussing on the positive impact of the Centre’s move to end J&K’s special status.

Around 16.23 lakh voters are set to participate in the polls, including 8.45 lakh male votes and 7.77 female votes. The young voters, aged 18-19 years, stand at 84,468, including 45,825 male voters and 38,641 females. The voter population is mainly spread in rural areas and hill areas, with 2,457 polling stations declared as rural and only 180 as urban.

-Peerzada Ashiq, The Hindu, reporting from J&K’s Udhampur

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat was one of the early voters to cast his ballot in Nagpur on Friday as the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections got underway.

“Voting is our responsibility and right as well. We kind of chart out the future of our country for the next five years. Hence, today, the first thing I did was to vote,” he said after exercising his franchise at a polling booth in the Mahal area.

-Abhinay Deshpande, The Hindu

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma reached the Walbakgre polling station in Tura to cast his vote at 6:30 a.m. and was in the queue. He waited for almost three hours to cast his vote.

The voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha election has begun in 102 constituencies across India at 7 a.m. The voting will be held up to 4 p.m. today.

Speaking to media, Mr. Conrad Sangma said that he reached the polling station with the hope to cast his vote early but he was surprised that people had lined up early to vote.

He appealed to people to come out and exercise their democratic rights.

He drove his vehicle from home to reach the polling station this morning. Speaking to journalists, he expressed his optimism on the turnout. He said that he relieved his security, driver and other members of his team to enable them to cast their votes.

“Everyone from my team has been sent to cast their votes. A few security personnel from the district, who already cast their votes are with me,” he said.

Meghalaya Chief Minister’s sister Agatha K. Sangma has been renominated by the NPP for the Tura Lok Sabha which was once held by her late father P.A. Sangma.

Congress candidate Gaurav Gogoi cast his vote in Assam on Friday.

While campaigning in Majuli on April 4, Gaurav Gogoi had expressed confidence that he would win the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat, asserting that Topon Gogoi would “definitely lose if the number of selfies clicked with him (Gaurav) by the people convert into votes”. Gaurav Gogoi is the sitting MP from the Kaliabor constituency, which was rechristened as Kaziranga after delimitation. Following this, he was assigned the task of taking on the BJP in Jorhat, which has become a stronghold of the ruling party over the last 10 years.

In Nagpur, Congress’ Vikas Thakre, MLA and former city mayor, is fielded against Union Minister and BJP stalwart Nitin Gadkari.

Mr. Gadkari, is eyeing a third term after winning the Nagpur seat for BJP in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Nagpur is the home city of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideology parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

-Abhinay Deshpande, The Hindu

Google on Friday, April 19, 2024, marked the beginning of the first phase of the general elections in India with a doodle that featured an inked finger. When clicked it led the users to top stories on the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Google doodle’s reach comes on the day the world’s largest democratic exercise kicked off in the day.

Read the full story here.

Polling is underway for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland on Friday, officials said.

Congress nominee S. Supongmeren Jamir, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidate Chumben Murry and Independent Hayithung Tungoe Lotha are contesting the elections.

PTI

Voting for four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar began on Friday morning, amid tight security arrangements, a senior official said.

Tight security arrangements are in place at Nawada and Aurangabad, besides reserved seats of Gaya and Jamui, where nearly 5,000 polling booths have been marked as “sensitive”, as these districts have a history of naxal violence.

The main contest, though, is between two debutants. One of them is Arun Bharti, who has been fielded by the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The party’s president Chirag Paswan, whose sister is married to Bharti, has shifted base to Hajipur after having represented the seat for two consecutive terms.

PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers as the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls started with polling being held in 102 constituencies.

“The 2024 Lok Sabha elections commence today! As 102 seats across 21 States and UTs go to the polls, I urge all those voting in these seats to exercise their franchise in record numbers,” he said in a post on X.

He added, “I particularly call upon the young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!” Mr. Modi said.

Voting for five seats in Assam in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections began at 7 a.m. on Friday, amid elaborate security arrangements, an official said.

The constituencies where voting has started are all in upper Assam with three-Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Kaziranga – on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river and two -Sonitpur and Lakhimpur- on the north bank.

The BJP is contesting in all five seats in the first phase of the polls, the Congress in four, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in two and the Trinamool Congress, the Assam Jatiya Parishad and CPI in one each.

PTI

Polling for the two Lok Sabha seats and 50 assembly constituencies began in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, amidst a massive security blanket.

In the Arunachal West parliamentary seat, eight candidates are in the fray, including Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju and State Congress president Nabam Tuki.

Sitting BJP MP Tapir Gao and State Congress vice-president Bosiram Siram are among the six candidates who are contesting from the Arunachal East Lok Sabha constituency.

Candidates in Arunachal Assembly 2024

A Flourish data visualization by Netalert

Polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram is underway across the State under tight security arrangements, officials said.

At least 6,500 polling personnel, over 3,500 policemen and 12 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed for the Lok Sabha polls in the State.

All international borders and inter-state borders have been sealed to ensure peaceful elections, a senior police officer said.

Although there are six contenders, it is believed that the fight will be mainly among ZPM, MNF and Congress.

The ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) nominated debutant Richard Vanlalhmangaiha, while the main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) fielded sitting Rajya Sabha member K. Vanlalvena.

The Congress has fielded former State home secretary Lalbiakzama, who is also a newbie in politics.

PTI

Polling for 32 assembly seats and the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Sikkim began simultaneously at 7 a.m. on Friday.

A total of 146 candidates, including Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, his predecessor Pawan Kumar Chamling, former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, and Tamang’s wife Krishna Kumari Rai are in the fray for 32 assembly constituencies.

Sitting Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba and SDF’s PD Rai are among 14 candidates in the lone Lok Sabha seat.

Candidates in Sikkim Assembly 2024

A Flourish data visualization by Netalert

Voting for Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency and by-election in Ramnagar Assembly constituency began at 7 am on Friday amid tight security, a poll official said.

Although nine candidates are in the fray in Tripura West Lok Sabha seat, the battle will be mainly between BJP candidate Biplab Kumar Deb and State Congress president Asish Kumar Saha, who is supported by the INDIA bloc.

PTI

Polling in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar, Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri seats began on Friday, an Election Commission official said.

Voting began at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m., the official said, adding 56.26 lakh electors are eligible to exercise their franchise.

A total of 37 candidates, including Union Minister and BJP leader Nisith Pramanik, are in the fray in the three constituencies.

All three seats are reserved, with Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri for SCs and Alipurduars for STs. The poll body has declared 746 polling stations as sensitive, including 391 in Jalpaiguri, 196 in Cooch Behar and 159 in Alipurduars.

PTI

Polling for 12 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan began on Friday morning in the first phase of elections.

Voting began at 7 am in Churu, Nagaur, Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu, Bikaner, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur and Dausa constituencies.

It will continue till 6 pm.

PTI

Polling began on Friday morning for the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand, election officials said.

The voting across 11,729 polling stations began at 7 a.m. and will go on till 5 p.m., they said.

The five seats going to polls in Uttarakhand are Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar and the lone reserved seat of Almora.

PTI

Polling got underway Friday morning in six Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, election officials said.

Of the 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in the BJP-ruled state, polling is being held in Shahdol, Mandla (both reserved for Scheduled Tribes), Jabalpur, Balaghat, Chhindwara and Sidhi seats on Friday.

Voting began at 7 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m. in most places, the official said. Due to security reasons, polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Baihar, Lanji and Paraswada assembly segments of the Naxal-affected Balaghat constituency, he added.

PTI

Polling for the first round of Lok Sabha elections in eight constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh began at 7 a.m. on Friday.

The seats include Saharanpur, Bijnor, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina (reserved), Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit. These fall in the Jat and sugarcane belt of the State.

Among the prominent candidates are BJP’s Jitin Prasada from Pilibhit, Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan from Muzaffarnagar and Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Azad from Nagina.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has joined hands with the Rashtriya Lok Dal while the Samajwadi Party has allied with the Congress for the election. The Bahujan Samaj Party has decided to go solo.

A total of 80 candidates — 73 men and seven women — are in the fray in the first phase of polling.

PTI

Today, electorates in five constituencies in Maharashtra will cast their votes to choose their next Members of Parliament.

Constituencies where voting will take place are Nagpur, Chandrapur, Ramtek (SC), Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) and Bhandara-Gondia, all in the Vidarbha region of the western State.

The State sends 48 MPs to the Lower House, the largest number after Uttar Pradesh’s 80, and will vote in five phases starting from Friday.

In Nagpur, Congress’ Vikas Thakre, MLA and former city Mayor, is fielded against Union Minister and BJP stalwart Nitin Gadkari, while in Chandrapur, State Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is taking on Congress’ Pratibha Dhanorkar. The seat was held by her late husband, Suresh ‘Balu’ Dhanorkar, who passed away last year.

In Ramtek, Congress’ Shamsundar Barve faces off against Raju Parwe, a former Congress MLA from Umred who recently switched allegiance to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

And in Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) and Bhandara-Gondia, BJP’s sitting MPs, Ashok Nete and Sunil Mendhe, respectively, are fielded against the grand old party’s Dr. Namdev Kirsan and Prashanth Padole.

As many as 295 polling personnel along with EVMs of 68 booths at sensitive and hypersensitive locations in the Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district were moved to designated areas with the help of helicopters of the Indian Air Force and the Army three days before the polls.

Ramtek, a constituency with a mix of Nagpur’s semi-urban and rural voters, was previously represented by former Prime Minister, Bharat Ratna P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1984 and 1989. It is the only Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra from which a former MP ascended to become the country’s Prime Minister.

In contrast to other areas where polling continues until 6 P.M., five Assembly segments across two Lok Sabha seats in the Naxal-affected areas of Gadchiroli, and Bhandara-Gondia have voting hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

While four of these seats are witnessing head-to-head contests between BJP and Congress candidates, Ramtek is experiencing an electoral showdown between the Congress and Mr. Shinde’s Shiv Sena. According to Maharashtra’s CEO S. Chockalingam, voting is taking place in 10,652 polling centres with 21,527 ballot units, 13,963 control units, and 14,755 VVPAT machines available. In Maharashtra, during the first phase, a total of 9,416 differently-abled voters and 6,630 senior citizens above 85 years are eligible to cast their votes and the poll body has made special arrangements for them.

The high-profile Lok Sabha constituency of Nagpur, has the highest number of registered transgender voters, 222, followed by 55 voters in Ramtek.

Read more here.

35 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed at various places for night patrolling as the state votes in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections today, West Tripura Election Officer Vishal Kumar said.

While speaking to ANI on Thursday, Mr. Kumar said, “Tomorrow (Friday) is the first phase of the election, and all our polling parties have already reached the respective polling stations. We have created webcasting facilities at all the polling stations. You all can see that I, along with West District SP, are patrolling. Along with this, 35 companies of CAPF are in various places for night patrol. And tomorrow also, the strike team will be ready.”

ANI

All 39 Lok Sabha seats of Tamil Nadu and five seats of Uttarakhand, 12 seats in Rajasthan, eight crucial seats in western Uttar Pradesh, and six seats in Madhya Pradesh are among those going to polls on April 19. Voting will also be held in ethnic violence-hit Manipur and Naxal-affected Bastar in Chattisgarh. In Manipur’s Inner Manipur seat, polling will be held on April 19 as well as on April 26, during the second phase.

Polling would also be held in 92 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, where Assembly elections are being held simultaneously.

Some of the high-profile BJP candidates whose fates would be sealed on April 19 are Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Bhupender Yadav, Sanjeev Balyan, and Jitin Prasada. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) A. Raja, Dayanidhi Maran and K. Kanimozhi, and Gaurav Gogoi of Congress, are other heavyweights in the fray.

To know more about the constituencies, click here.

The BJP had won Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri in 2019, but now faces a stiff challenge from the TMC in the region; minimum wages for tea garden workers, land ownership in the estates are key issues.

Read the story here.

With 39 seats from Tamil Nadu and one seat from Puducherry going to the polls on April 19, the largest number of seats in the first phase is from southern India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tamil Nadu multiple times during election campaigns, as the BJP sought a foothold in the State. However, the leading contenders are still the Dravidian majors, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Tamil Nadu has emerged as a riveting battleground owing to the BJP’s high-octane push to open up its traditionally bipolar polity amid the main opposition AIADMK’s continued struggle since J Jayalalithaa’s death.

Click here to read more…

The Election Commission has deployed over 18 lakh polling personnel across 1.87 lakh polling stations where over 16.63 crore voters will exercise their franchise in the first phase of 2024 general elections.

Voting will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.

Voters include 8.4 crore men, 8.23 crore women and 11,371 from third gender. There are as many as 35.67 lakh first time voters, besides 3.51 crore young voters in the age group of 20-29 years.