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

10:54 AM

General Elections 2024 updates: 12.02 per cent turnout recorded in Bastar Lok Sabha seat till 9 am

Polling in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency started at 7 am. Till 9 am, 12.02 per cent polling has been registered, a poll official said. Polling is underway smoothly and peacefully, he added.

10:44 AM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: 14.12% turnout till 9:00 am across six seats in Madhya Pradesh

Around 14.12 per cent of voters exercised their franchise across six seats in Madhya Pradesh till 9:00 am, an official said. The polling began peacefully in all the six constituencies for the first phase, the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan said.

10:41 AM

General Elections 2024 LIVE updates: Mizoram records 10.27% voter turnout till 9:00 am

Around 10.27 per cent of the over 856,000 voters exercised their franchise for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram till 9 am, a poll official said. Six candidates, including a woman, are in the contention for the Lok Sabha polls.

10:30 AM

Apply balm of your vote on the wounds inflicted on soul of the country in the last 10 years: Rahul Gandhi

As voting began in the first phase of the General Elections today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged voters to strengthen democracy and open 'Mohabbat ki Dukaan' in every corner of the country by defeating hatred. "Go out and strengthen democracy by applying the balm of your vote on the wounds inflicted on the soul of the country in the last 10 years," he said. Open 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' in every corner of the country by defeating hatred, the Congress leader added.

10:26 AM

INDIA bloc will win all 39 seats in TN, says Congress leader P Chidambaram

After casting his vote in Sivaganga this morning, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said he is "absolutely confident" that the INDIA bloc will win all 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu. The former Union minister's son, Karti Chidambaram, is the Congress' sitting MP from Sivaganga and he is pitted against the BJP's Devanathan Yadav and A Xavierd of the AIADMK.

10:09 AM

General Elections 2024 update: 5 Lok Sabha seats in Assam record voter turnout of 11.15%

A voter turnout of 11.15 per cent was recorded during the first two hours in the five Lok Sabha seats in Assam where polling is  underway in the first phase today. The polling, which began at 7 am, would continue till 5 pm. Sonitpur registered a turnout of 12.69 per cent, followed by 12.27 per cent in Jorhat, 10.97 per cent in Lakhimpur, 10.34 per cent in Kaziranga, and 9.62 per cent in Dibrugarh.

10:05 AM

General Elections 2024 updates: Over 15% votes polled till 9 am in 3 Bengal LS seats

Over 15 per cent of 5.6 million voters of three Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal exercised their franchise till 9:00 am today, an a poll official said. "Till 9 am, voter turnout in Coochbehar is 15.26 per cent while that in Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri is 15.91 per cent and 14.13 per cent respectively," the official said here.

 

 

 

10:00 AM

Choose strong, decisive government, says Home Minister Amit Shah on Lok Sabha elections

Union Home Minister Amit Shah 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. Shah added this vote was not only meant to determine the fate of a Lok Sabha or a candidate but also to shape a bright future for India.

9:51 AM

General Elections 2024 LIVE updates: Rahul Gandhi urges people to vote to "strengthen democracy"

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked everyone eligible to exercise their franchise underscoring that each vote is going to "decide the future of Indian democracy and the coming generations." "Today is the first phase of voting! Remember, each of your votes is going to decide the future of Indian democracy and the coming generations. So come out and strengthen democracy by applying the power of your vote to the wounds inflicted on the soul of the nation in the last 10 years. Defeat hatred and open the 'Muhobbat ki Dukan' in every corner," the Congress leader posted on X.

9:42 AM

Lok Sabha polls: Ex-Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath casts vote, says "have full faith in people of Chhindwara"

Chhindwara along with five other parliamentary seats - Sidhi, Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla and Balaghat, went to polling on today morning from 7:00 am. While going to the polling station, Kamal Nath told news agency ANI, "I have full faith in the people of Chhindwara. They are the witness of history of the last 44 years and I have full hope that they will stand by the truth.

9:39 AM

Fight to protect our Constitution and democracy begins today, says Congress Chief Kharge on LS polls

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge asked 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'. "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." 

9:30 AM

Google Doodle marks commencement of Lok Sabha elections with index finger voting symbol

Google has released a doodle on Friday to mark the start of Lok Sabha polls in India. Google replaced the  “Google” logo on its homepage with one which shows an uplifted index finger marked with indelible ink – a symbol that represents the Indian electoral process.

9:26 AM

Lok Sabh Elections 2024: Polling underway amidst tight security in Tripura

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. Altogether 1.4 million voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.

 

9:15 AM

Lok Sabha polls LIVE update: Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma, LS candidates cast votes early

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and the two Lok Sabha MPs of the state, who are also candidates, cast their votes early in the morning today."I reached the booth at 6.30 hoping to vote first. But I was pleasantly surprised that there were many people before me. It is a healthy trend. Voting is a right of every citizen," said the chief minister who drove himself to reach the polling station.

9:09 AM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: RSS chief Bhagwat casts ballot in Nagpur, urges voters to exercise their franchise

Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat was among the early voters who cast their ballots today in Nagpur as polling began in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. “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.