Exit poll highlights: It's DMK in TN, LDF in Kerala; TMC has edge in Bengal

Exit poll results 2021 highlights: Pollsters give an edge to TMC in West Bengal; clean sweep for DMK and LDF in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively. BJP is likely to retain Assam and Puducherry

5:01 PM

Assam exit poll results 2016: Almost all pollsters get it right

In Assam, where most exit polls indicated a win for the BJP, the predictions were close to the actual results. Here C-Voter forecast 57 seats for the BJP, which eventually walked away with 60 seats on its own and 86 with its allies. Today’s Chanakya and India Today-Axis had foreseen a comfortable win for the BJP with 90 and 79-83 seats in the 126-seat assembly. ABP News-Nielsen too had predicted 81 seats for the BJP in the north-eastern-state.

4:57 PM

Tamil Nadu exit poll results 2016: C-Voter’s assessment of 139 seats for AIADMK

In the 234-seat assembly in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK was expected to lose to an anti-incumbency vote, but C-Voter’s assessment of 139 seats for the J Jayalalitha-led party, which eventually bagged (134) came closest. Today’s Chanakya had given the party 90 to 99 seats while India Today-Axis predicted 89-101 for the party and 124-140 for its arch rival the DMK.

 

4:50 PM

Exit poll results 2016: Chanakya nailed West Bengal, Assam and Kerala

 The pollster that had apologised for getting the Bihar assembly results wrong, after hitting headlines for getting right two general elections, managed to pip its competitors in getting the seat haul for Assam, West Bengal and Kerala nearly correct. However, it erred in giving AIADMK, which swept back to power with (134) seats, only 90-99 seats.

 

4:42 PM

West Bengal election: Preliminary probe has revealed that firecrackers were set off outside central Kolkata

Preliminary probe has revealed that firecrackers and not bombs were set off outside central Kolkata's Mahajati Sadan: Official

 

4:35 PM

West Bengal election 2021: Voting underway at polling stations under 168 Kashipur-Belgachia constituency

West Bengal election 2021: Voting underway at polling stations under 168 Kashipur-Belgachia Assembly Constituency

4:26 PM

Tamil Nadu govt extended night curfew and complete lockdown on Sundays until further orders

Tamil Nadu govt extended night curfew and complete lockdown on Sundays until further orders

4:11 PM

West Bengal election: TMC writes to ECI over 'inadequacies' in its direction for counting of votes on May 2

Trinamool Congress writes to Election Commission of India regarding 'inadequacies' in its direction for counting of votes on May 2; says no provision has been made for submission of negative RT-PCR test by polling officers and CAPF personnel

4:08 PM

West Bengal election: TMC supporters gherao car of BJP candidate Kalyan Chaubey in Maniktala, North Kolkata

3:59 PM

West Bengal election: BJP candidate from Malda accuses TMC, Congress of April 18 attack

Days after being allegedly shot at during campaigning for the West Bengal Assembly elections, BJP candidate from Malda, Gopal Chandra Saha termed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC governance in the state 'jungle raj' and said that the attack was either carried out by the TMC or Congress 'goons'.

 

His remarks came after casting his vote for the eighth and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections at a polling booth in Malda on Thursday.

 

Speaking to ANI after casting his vote, Saha said, "There was a public rally on April 18 in Sahapur where I was shot at. It was done by either TMC or Congress goons. There is 'jungle raj' here".

 

Saha was allegedly shot at while he was returning from campaigning on April 18. Saha, who received a bullet injury on his neck, was taken to Maldah Medical Hospital where he underwent an operation.

3:51 PM

68.46% voter turnout recorded till 3.37 pm in West Bengal election 2021: ECI

3:44 PM

Tamil Nadu election 2021 LIVE: Contest between AIADMK-led front and DMK-led front

The election has five fronts in the fray, but the contest could ultimately between the ruling AIADMK-led front (which includes the BJP, PMK, Tamil Maanila Congress and other smaller parties) and the DMK-led front (which includes the Congress, Left parties, MDMK, VCK and other parties). Besides, a front led by Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) founded by actor Kamal Haasan, another led by Sasikala’s nephew T.T.V. Dinakaran (Amma Makkal Munetra Kazhagam) and the Tamil nationalist party Naam Thamizhar are also in the race. There are also smaller players like Puthiya Thamizhagam’s Krishnasamy, who left the AIADMK alliance after his demands were not met, and former IAS officer Sahayam is contesting in alliance with smaller parties.

3:34 PM

West Bengal assembly polls: Bomb hurled in north Kolkata, EC seeks report

With polling for the eighth phase in the West Bengal Assembly underway on Thursday, a bomb was hurled near Mahajati Sadan Auditorium in north Kolkata today.

 

Election Commission has sought details of the incident.

 

The bomb was allegedly hurled by unknown miscreants from the moving car. Read on...

3:29 PM

UP Panchayat polls: 10.51% voter turnout till 9 am

Uttar Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 10.51 per cent till 9 am across 17 districts in the fourth and final phase of the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections, according to the State Election Commission (SEC).

 

Voting began at 7 am. People were seen queued up to cast their votes at various polling booths while following Covid-19 protocols.

 

The polls are being held for the posts of members of zila panchayats and kshetra panchayats.Over 527,000 candidates are in the fray for more than 210,000 seats across 17 districts in this round of the election. More than 2.98 crore voters will be casting their votes in the final phase of the polls.

 

Voting is being held in the districts of Ambedkar Nagar, Aligarh, Kushinagar, Kaushambi, Ghazipur, Farrukhabad, Bulandshahr, Basti, Bahraich, Banda, Mau, Mathura, Shahjahanpur, Sambhal, Sitapur, Sonbhadra and Hapur.

3:27 PM

Stray violence, attack on candidates mark last phase of West Bengal

Stray incidents of violence were reported on Thursday from several areas where voting is underway for the eighth and last phase of assembly elections in Bengal, but the overall polling process has been peaceful with 37.80 per cent turnout till 11 am, EC officials said.

 

Voting is being held in 11,860 polling stations of 35 constituencies -- 11 each in Murshidabad and Birbhum, six in Malda and seven in north Kolkata.

 

Earlier in the day, one person was killed and two others injured as a car hit them in Murshidabad district, triggering tension in the area, a police officer said.

 

The CPI(M) alleged that its member Kader Mondal (42) was killed, and two others -- Asim Al Mamoon (43) and Lal Chand Mondal (42) -- sustained injuries after TMC candidate Jafikul Islam ran his car over them.

 

Islam, the TMC's Domkal seat candidate, rubbished the allegation, claiming that he was nowhere near the site of the incident.

 

Chief Election Officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab has sought a report from district authorities in the matter.

3:26 PM

'Surprised' that EC didn't make Covid negative report mandatory for poll officers, CAPF: TMC

A day after the Election Commission announced that candidates or their agents will not be allowed inside counting halls without a negative Covid-19 report, the TMC on Thursday said it is "surprising" that the directions are not applicable to polling officers and Central Armed Police Forces' (CAPF) personnel.

 

This, the Trinamool Congress said in a letter to the Election Commission, endangers the life and health of thousands of CAPF personnel who will be deployed outside counting halls.

 

In its latest guidelines issued on Wednesday for the counting of votes for assembly polls in four states and one union territory on May 2, the EC said that candidates or their agents will not be allowed inside counting halls without a negative coronavirus report or without having taken both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine within 48 hours of the start of counting.

 

Issued amid spiralling coronavirus cases in the country, the guidelines bar public gatherings outside venues during the counting process, but allow candidates to name a fresh agent if the first one tests positive for Covid-19.