LS polls Highlights: Nearly 60% polling till 5 pm in phase one, says EC

General Elections 2024 news updates: Catch all the news updates on the announcements related to Lok Sabha polls here

Lok Sabha polls 2024 LIVE: A voter turnout of 68.35 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in Tripura where polling underway in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls today, officials said.

Sporadic incidents of violence marred the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in the three parliamentary constituencies in Bengal, as TMC and the BJP workers clashed with each other in various parts of violence-prone Cooch Behar seat. Both the TMC and the BJP lodged 80 and 39 complaints, respectively, related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents in the first few hours of polling, sources from both parties said.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asked citizens to choose a strong and decisive leadership that has shown the determination to free the country from corruption, nepotism and appeasement while fulfilling its promises. 

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday 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," Kharge stated 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," Kharge added.

 Voting has commenced for 102 Lok Sabha seats, constituting nearly a fifth of the total 543 seats, across 18 states and three Union Territories including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. The phase one of the Lok Sabha polls is the largest of its seven phases with voting also to be held for 82 assembly seats.

The Election Commission on Thursday said it has deployed over 1.8 million polling personnel across 187,000 polling stations where over 166.3 million (16.63 crore) voters will exercise their franchise, including 84 million men, 82.3 million women and 11,371 third gender. There are as many as 3.56 million first time voters, besides 35.1 million voters in the 20-29 year age cohort.The EC has also put into service 41 helicopters, 84 special trains and nearly 100,000 vehicles to ferry polling and security personnel. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers as the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls started with polling being held in 102 constituencies. He especially called upon the young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. "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

In the elections held five years ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious on 40 seats, with an additional eight seats secured by its former allies.

8:26 PM

LS polls: 60.03% aggregate voter turnout at 7 pm in phase one, says EC

60.03 per cent aggregate voter turnout at 7 pm in phase one of Lok Sabha polls: EC

 

7:41 PM

LS polls: 4 EVMs damaged by unidentified people at different Manipur booths

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.

7:14 PM

Congress urges EC to take note of BJP's 'blatant violation' of MCC

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.

7:01 PM

LS Elections: West Bengal records 77.57% voter turnout till 5 pm

West Bengal is leading the voter turnout charts after it recorded a 77.57 voting percentage in the state till 5 pm as per the data released by the Election Commission of India. According to Election Commission data at 5 pm, Tripura recorded a 76.10 poll percentage. It was 63.92 per cent for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam (70.77 per cent), Chhattisgarh (63.41 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (65.08 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (63.25 per cent) Manipur (68.58 per cent), Meghalaya (69.91 per cent), Mizoram (52.91 per cent), Nagaland (55.97 per cent), Puducherry (72.84 per cent), Sikkim (68.06 per cent).

6:52 PM

LS polls: 63.41% turnout till 5 pm in Naxal-hit Bastar

A voter turnout of more than 63 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Friday in Chhattisgarh's Naxal-affected Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which saw the death of a CRPF constable after a grenade accidentally went off and injury to an officer in an IED blast, officials said. Polling in the Bastar seat started at 7 am and was held in different time slots amid tight security in the first phase of elections.

6:23 PM

Nearly 60% polling till 5 pm in phase one of Lok Sabha polls, says EC

Nearly 60 per cent polling till 5 pm in phase one of Lok Sabha polls: EC.

5:50 PM

Mayor of MP's Chhindwara backs Congress' Nakul Nath days after joining BJP

Vikram Ahake, the Chhindwara Mayor who recently joined the BJP made a U-turn on the day of polling in the high-profile Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh and urged people to vote for Congress' Nakul Nath. The Chhindwara mayor joined the BJP on April 1 in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the state party president Vishnu Dutt Sharma in the state capital.

5:37 PM

Tripura, Bengal lead in LS poll voter turnout at 3 pm; moderate polling in Bihar, Rajasthan

Parliamentary seats in northeastern states and West Bengal recorded high voter turnout till 3 pm in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on Friday with polling percentage also picking up in constituencies in some other states and union territories which went to the polls. Polling percentage was relatively less in Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand. Voting is being held in 102 seats in the first phase of Lok Sabha election.

5:01 PM

General Elections 2024: Around 60% turnout recorded in 5 seats in Assam till 3 pm

A total of 60.70 per cent of over 8.64 million voters in five Lok Sabha seats in Assam exercised their franchise till 3 pm on Friday, poll officials said. Jorhat registered the highest turnout of 64.84 per cent, followed by Sonitpur (60.29), Dibrugarh (60.83), Lakhimpur (59.53) and Kaziranga (58.33), they said.

4:55 PM

CRPF jawan on poll duty killed in accidental explosion of grenade launcher shell in Chhattisgarh

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

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

4:51 PM

General Elections 2024: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi files nomination from Hyderabad

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and candidate from Hyderabad constituency, Asaduddin Owaisi files nomination for General Elections.

4:49 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 phase 1 updates: In a first, people of Andaman's vulnerable Shompen tribe cast vote

For the first time in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, seven members of the Shompen tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTGs) of Great Nicobar Islands exercised their franchise for the lone Lok Sabha constituency in the union territory.

4:33 PM

Lok Sabha polls: Mizoram registers over 49 per cent polling till 3 pm

More than 49 per cent of total 856,000  voters in Mizoram have exercised their franchise for the lone Lok Sabha seat till 3 pm on Friday, election officials said. Mizoram recorded 49.77 per cent voting till 3 pm, according to an election official.

4:30 PM

Lok Sabha polls: Over 47.44% voter turnout registered in 8 LS seats of UP till 3 pm

An average voter turnout of 47.44 per cent was registered in the first eight hours of polling today in eight western Uttar Pradesh constituencies where voting is currently underway.  According to the Election Commission of India (EC), till 3 pm, 53.31 per cent voting was reported in Saharanpur, 46.28 per cent in Moradabad, 48.92 per cent in Kairana, 48.15 per cent in Nagina, 49.06 per cent in Pilibhit, 47.70 per cent in Bijnor, 42.77 per cent in Rampur and 45.18 per cent in Muzaffarnagar.

4:14 PM

Voters, polling agents facing hooliganism across the state, says Tripura Cong lawmaker

Tripura Congress lawmaker Sudip Roy Barman today stated that voters and polling agents were facing hooliganism across the state. Barman added that although the Election Commission had succeeded in stopping "large-scale false voting" like in previous years, rampant hooliganism at polling centers was not being curbed.