LS polls highlights: 'Opportunistic INDI Alliance' failed to strike a chord with voters, says PM

Lok Sabha polls LIVE: The voting started at 7 AM and will continue until 6 PM. The results for the elections will be declared on June 4

PM Modi says The opportunistic INDI Alliance failed to strike a chord with the voters. They are casteist, communal and corrupt. This alliance, aimed to protect a handful of dynasties, failed to present a futuristic vision for the nation. Through the campaign, they only enhanced their expertise on one thing- Modi bashing. Such regressive politics has been rejected by the people.

The seventh and the final phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections on June 1 across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh saw a voter turnout of 58.34 per cent till 5 pm, the Election Commission (ECI) said on Saturday. As per the ECI, West Bengal is leading the voter turnout charts at 69.89 per cent till 5 pm.

Other states where polling is underway in the seventh phase are Bihar- 48.86 per cent, Chandigarh- 62.80 per cent, Odisha-- 62.46 per cent, Punjab- 55.20 per cent, Uttar Pradesh-54 per cent and Himachal Pradesh 66.56 per cent.

INDIA bloc parties will get more than 295 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday, asserting that they had arrived at the figure after feedback from people.

Addressing reporters here after a meeting of top leaders of the opposition bloc at his residence here, Kharge said the leaders of the alliance met for about two and a half hours and discussed a host of issues, especially the precautions to be taken on counting day and the instructions they have to give to their parties' workers.Votes for the seven-phase general elections will be counted on June 4.

A voter turnout of 49.68 per cent was recorded till 3 pm on Saturday in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission (EC) said.

Polling is being held for 57 constituencies spread across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, including Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha.

The voting is being held in all 13 seats of Punjab and four of Himachal Pradesh, 13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha and three in Jharkhand, besides Chandigarh. Polling for the remaining 42 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and bypolls to six Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh are also taking place simultaneously.

Till 3 pm, the approximate polling percentage was 49.68, according to the EC's voter-turnout app.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his unprecedented 45-hour meditation session at the serene shores of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on Saturday.
 

Earlier in the day, he performed the 'Surya Arghya' during sunrise at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, officials said. PM Modi carried out 'Surya Arghya,' a ritual associated with spiritual practice involving salutations to the Almighty, manifested in the form of sun.

A voter turnout of 40.09 per cent was registered till 1 pm on Saturday, June 1 in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission (EC) said. Polling is being held for 57 constituencies spread across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Polling is also being conducted for the key seat of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha.

Uttar Pradesh registered a voter turnout of 28.02 per cent till 11 am as voting for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha election began at 7 am on Saturday, PTI reported citing data from the Election Commission of Indai (ECI). Citizens are voting in 13 constituencies of the state, including the key seat of Varanasi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha.

 

The marathon Lok Sabha elections will conclude with the seventh phase of polling today, June 1. The seventh phase will see 57 constituencies from eight States/Union Territories go to the polls. This will be the last phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections. Himachal Pradesh and Punjab will see voting for all of their 4 and 13 constituencies respectively in this phase. The Union Territory of Chandigarh will also be voting in this phase. PM Narendra Modi is also in fray from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in the seventh phase.

Key constituencies  going to poll today include Patna Sahib where senior BJP leader and incumbent MP Ravi Shankar Prasad will fight to retain his constituency as he banks on PM Modi’s popularity. Congress, meanwhile, has fielded Anshul Avijit, the son of former Lok Sabha speaker, Meira Kumar. From the seat of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, actress turned politician Kangana Ranaut will contest on a BJP ticket. Ranaut will face Congress candidate and the royal scion of the erstwhile Rampur Bushahr princely state Vikramaditya Singh. Singh is the son of six-time former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh. Other major seats include, Hamirpur, Mayurbhanj, and Amritsar. Click here for full details



 

10:19 PM

Exit poll predictions extremely heartening, says MP CM; BJP will win 370 seats, asserts Chouhan

The predictions of exit polls broadcast by various channels on Saturday, which gave a clear majority to the BJP-led NDA and a third term to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were extremely heartening, Madhya Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said. Former CM and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan hoped the NDA would win more than 400 seats when results are declared on June 4. "We fought this polls under the leadership of PM Modi with the slogan 'phir ek baar Modi sarkar'.

9:50 PM

LS polls: BJP 'misused' administration in UP, EC 'slow' to take action, says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused the ruling BJP of misusing the administration in Uttar Pradesh and said the Election Commission was slow in taking action. In a press statement issued from the SP headquarters, former UP chief minister Yadav alleged, "Today, when it was the last phase of voting, the BJP did not stop its habitual misuse of the administration." Giving the example of booths of Mirzapur and Barhaj of Deoria district, he said many complaints have been registered against the BJP for intimidating the voters, obstructing voting and threatening or chasing away the polling agents on the strength of power.

8:51 PM

Lok Sabha polls: Counting of votes to begin from 8 am on June 4, says ECI

The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections and state assemblies of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and the assembly by-polls will commence at 8 AM on June 4, the Election Commission said on Saturday. The counting of votes for the assembly polls in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh will start from 6 AM on Sunday, it said. The counting of votes for the assembly polls in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh was advanced from June 4 to June 2 as the term of the two assemblies are ending on June 2 and a new House has to be constituted by that day.

8:22 PM

LS polls: 'opportunistic INDI Alliance' failed to strike a chord with voters, says PM Modi

The opportunistic INDI Alliance failed to strike a chord with the voters. They are casteist, communal and corrupt. This alliance, aimed to protect a handful of dynasties, failed to present a futuristic vision for the nation. Through the campaign, they only enhanced their expertise on one thing- Modi bashing. Such regressive politics has been rejected by the people.

7:45 PM

PM face to be decided as per situation, says Sitaram Yechury after attending INDIA bloc meeting

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc will be decided "as per the situation," while CPI General Secretary D Raja predicted that the results of the Lok Sabha elections are going to be "one-sided". Ahead of the exit polls, the opposition-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc today held a meeting at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital.

7:36 PM

'Deeply humbled' by voters who turned up at polling stations: EC after last phase of LS polls

The Election Commission on Saturday said it was "deeply humbled" by the voters who made it to polling stations overcoming many challenges and dilemmas they might have. The Commission's remarks came after the votes were cast for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections which were announced on March 16. The first phase was held on April 19.

7:27 PM

LS polls: 4 security personnel on election duty in Bihar die of heatstroke

Four security personnel deployed for the Lok Sabha elections have died due to heatstroke over the last one week in Bihar's Rohtas district, an official said on Saturday. Five security personnel, including two from Nagaland, have died in the last one week in Rohtas, and of them, four died due to heatstroke, said DIG Naveen Chandra Jha.

7:09 PM

LS polls: BJP will win over 370 seats, NDA over 400, says BJP chief Nadda

People have voted for a capable, powerful, developed and self-reliant India and to put aside appeasement, nepotism and corruption, BJP chief JP Nadda said on Saturday, exuding confidence that his party will win more than 370 Lok Sabha seats and the NDA more than 400. His remarks came on a day when polling was held for the seventh and last phase of the general elections. Counting of votes will be conducted on June 4.

6:55 PM

Lok Sabha polls: 7-phase General Elections conclude; counting of votes on June 4

The seventh and the final phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections on June 1 across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh saw a voter turnout of 58.34 per cent till 5 pm, the Election Commission (ECI) said on Saturday. As per the ECI, West Bengal is leading the voter turnout charts at 69.89 per cent till 5 pm.

6:49 PM

LS polls: Over 58% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in phase 7 for 57 constituencies

A voter turnout of 58.34 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Saturday in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls with incidents of violence between TMC and BJP supporters reported in Sandeshkhali region of West Bengal, and complaints of EVM glitches and rigging at some booths lodged. Polling is underway in seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh for 57 constituencies, including Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha.

6:05 PM

Widespread violence in Sandeshkhali in final phase of LS polls in West Bengal

Widespread violence between TMC and BJP supporters over alleged electoral malpractices was reported during polling in strife-torn Sandeshkhali region of Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday, resulting in numerous injuries. Police resorted to lathicharge and tear gas shelling to control the situation. In the remaining eight parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, which went to the polls in the seventh and final phase, sporadic incidents of violence were reported. Although the poll panel claimed that voting has been peaceful so far, it said it has received 1,899 complaints until 2 pm from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths.

5:37 PM

LS polls: 'We are united, we will remain united, says Kharge after India Bloc meeting

5:26 PM

LS polls: INDIA bloc meeting underway at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi

The opposition-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc meeting is underway at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital on Saturday. The meeting is being held on the polling day of the last phase of Lok Sabha polls. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already said she would not attend the meeting due to the polls in the state and to review the impact of cyclone Remal.

4:33 PM

LS polls: Over 43% polling recorded in eight seats in Bihar till 3 pm

Over 43 per cent of 1.62 crore voters exercised their franchise in the eight Lok Sabha seats in Bihar till 3 pm on Saturday, officials said. Voting began at 7 am in Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Arrah, Karakat, Jehanabad, Buxar, Nalanda and Jehanabad Lok Sabha seats and will continue till 6 pm. Patliputra recorded the highest turnout at 49.89 per cent, followed by Buxar (45.90), Karakat (45.06), Sasaram (44.80), Jehanabad (43.46), Arrah (40.98), Nalanda (38.49) and Patna Sahib (36.85) till 3 pm. Overall, the voting percentage was 42.95 per cent at 3 pm, they said.

4:30 PM

LS elections: Over 58% voter turnout recorded in 9 seats in West Bengal till 3 pm

A voter turnout of 58.46 per cent was recorded till 3 pm on Saturday in nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in the seventh and final phase of elections, an EC official said. Polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. The highest polling of 66.76 per cent was registered in the Basirhat seat, followed by Mathurapur at 63.66 per cent, Jaynagar at 62.24 per cent, Diamond Harbour at 61.08 per cent, and Barasat at 59.69 per cent, he said.