Elections LIVE: At 69%, Bengal leads other states in voting percentage

Voting in 7 states for 51 seats in Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 is underway. Catch LIVE updates on General elections

Voting for the fifth round of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 began with reports of violence from West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. A grenade was thrown towards a polling booth in Pulwama, while a school building designated as polling booth was set on fire in Shopian early this morning. In West Bengal, BJP candidate from Barrackpore alleged that he was attacked by Trinamool Congress workers after he voted. Reports of EVM malfunctioning in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were reported in the phase 5 of the Lok Sabha elections today.

656 candidates are in the fray from 51 constituencies. Among the prominent candidates for Phase 5 Lok Sabha elections 2019 are Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, all contesting from Uttar Pradesh. Other key candidates include Union Minister and former Olympian Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Samajwadi Party's Poonam Sinha, who is the wife of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, and parliamentarian Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

Result of Lok Sabha elections 2019 will be declared on May 23.

7:08 PM

Voting concludes for the 5th phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 in Jaipur

7:06 PM

BJP complains to EC against Akhilesh over children in campaign

The BJP lodged a complaint against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday for allegedly deploying two minor boys for campaigning in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district.

 

In a statement, state BJP vice-president J P S Rathore said the complaint had been submitted to the state chief electoral officer that Yadav had deployed two minor boys, which on whose bodies campaign material of the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party was written. Read more

 

6:57 PM

Pictures: Voting concludes at Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh

6:44 PM

Moderate to brisk polling in fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections

Till late afternoon, a voter turnout of nearly 64 per cent was recorded in West Bengal, 60 in Jharkhand, 55 in Madhya Pradesh, 51 in Rajasthan, 45 each in UP and Bihar and about 16 in J&K, according to the Election Commission.

6:42 PM

West Bengal BJP writes to Election Commission over poll related violence

6:27 PM

BJP attacks Oppn over 'TV clip showing Tej Bahadur Yadav willing to kill PM Modi for Rs 50 crore'

6:22 PM

57.86% voter turnout recorded in Bihar in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, till 6pm (Source: ANI)

6:20 PM

Kejriwal campaigns for AAP's South Delhi candidate Raghav Chadha

6:05 PM

42% polling in Amethi till 5 pm

More than 40 per cent people had voted in Amethi till 3 pm on Monday, officials said as acrimony marked the keenly-watched election with BJP candidate Smriti Irani alleging that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was "ensuring booth capturing".

 

According to officials, the turnout till 3 pm was 42.18 per cent in the constituency, long considered a Gandhi family turf.

6:00 PM

West Bengal records highest voter turnout in fifth phase

With voting for the fifth phase drawing to an end in the seven states, West Bengal has so far recorded a voter turnout of 69.48 per cent, highest among all states that went to poll in this phase.

 

As of 5 PM, Jharkhand has recorded a turnout of 58.07 per cent whereas 57.76 per cent people have polled their votes in Madhya Pradesh.

5:54 PM

State-wise polling figures till 4 pm

Polling percentage recorded till 4 pm: Bihar: 44.08%, Rajasthan: 50.44%, West Bengal: 63.57%, Jharkhand: 58.07%, Uttar Pradesh: 44.89%, Jammu and Kashmir: 15.51% (Source: ANI)

5:31 PM

BJP ally SBSP quits Yogi Adityanath government in UP

In the midst of Lok Sabha elections, a BJP ally on Monday claimed to have walked out of the Yogi Adityanth government.

 

Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar told reporters in Ballia that he has resigned from the Yogi Adityanath government. Read more

5:30 PM

'Frustrated' BJP trying to create fissures in SP-BSP alliance: Mayawati

BSP supremo Mayawati Monday said the "frustrated" leaders of the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi were trying to create fissures in the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

 

Mayawati was reacting to Modi's speech at an election rally in Pratapgarh on Saturday alleging that the Samajwadi Party was "going soft" on the Congress, as opposed to the Bahujan Samaj Party which was attacking the grand old party.

5:09 PM

Cyclone Fani: Why should I share dais with an expiry prime minister during election time, asks Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said that she was unable to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi's calls made to her office as she was then camping at Kharagpur to closely monitor the possible advent of Cyclone Fani in the state.

 

Prime Minister Modi has said that he had called Banerjee twice on Saturday but his calls were not returned. Read more

5:07 PM

Petrol bomb hurled at polling station in south Kashmir’s Shopian