General election 2019: Nearly 66% voter turnout in Phase 3

Besides all seats in Gujarat (26) and Kerala (20), voting is being be held in four seats in Assam, five in Bihar, seven in Chhattisgarh, 14 each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, six in Odisha, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, five in West Bengal, two in Goa, and one each in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Tripura.

April 23, 2019 06:57 am | Updated December 04, 2021 11:53 pm IST

Bhagwan Shevde, a lookalike of the late Bal Thackeray, arrives to cast his vote in Satara. Mr. Shevde is popularly known as 'Satara's Balasaheb'.

Bhagwan Shevde, a lookalike of the late Bal Thackeray, arrives to cast his vote in Satara. Mr. Shevde is popularly known as 'Satara's Balasaheb'.

Nearly 66% voter turnout was recorded in the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission said.

In the third phase, voting was held in 116 Lok Sabha seats, including all constituencies in Gujarat and Kerala, with BJP president Amit Shah, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and several Union Ministers among prominent candidates in the fray.

Voter turnout in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections is 65.61% till 8.00 p.m., a mobile application launched by the EC said.

This was by far the biggest phase in terms of constituencies.

Here are the latest updates:

9:50 pm

Nearly 66% voter turnout in Phase 3 of LS polls: EC

New Delhi: In the first two phases, election was held to 91 and 95 seats on April 11 and April 18 respectively. Election to 543 seats is being held in seven phases. The counting of votes will be on May 23.

The third phase of polls was marred with violence in West Bengal where a person was hacked to death in Murshidabad.

In Kerala, 11 deaths, all due to 'natural' reasons, were reported, Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain told reporters in New Delhi.

He said, out of the total 2.81 lakh ballot units deployed, 1593 were replaced. Similarly, out of 2.11 lakh control units, 1225 were replaced.

Of total 2.11 lakh paper trail machines, 4725 were replaced, Jain said.

He said this was by far the biggest deployment of paper trail machines since the concept was introduced after a Supreme Court directive in 2013.

"When a control unit or a ballot unit is replaced, the paper trail machines have to be replaced along with it. Thus the higher number of replacements," Mr. Jain said.

At least one control unit and one ballot unit make up for an electronic voting machine. — PTI

7:45 pm

Almost 65% polling in 7 Lok Sabha seats till 5 p.m. in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: A voter turnout of 64.68% was registered till 5 p.m. in the third and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday covering seven seats where polling was by and large peaceful amid heavy presence of security personnel.

Initially, a low turnout was witnessed at the polling booths, but as the day progressed, people came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise braving scorching heat, an election official said.

“An estimated 64.68% voting has been recorded till 5 p.m. The final turnout figure may go up as we are still compiling the data,” the official said.

Queues of voters were seen at several booths even after the 5 p.m. deadline in the Lok Sabha constituencies covered under the third and last phase of polling — Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (SC), Surguja (ST) and Raigarh (ST), he added.

The turnout was 55.29% till 3 p.m., up from 30% till noon and 12% till 9:30 a.m., the official said.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ramvichar Netam and former Assembly speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal, among other prominent leaders, cast their votes in the State.

In many places, newly married couples, in wedding attire, reached polling booths to exercise their franchise, the poll official said.

As many as 123 candidates are in the fray in the seven seats where the main fight is between the ruling Congress and the BJP, which lost power in last year’s state polls.

Altogether 1,27,13,816 voters — 64,16,252 men, 62,96,992 women and 572 members of the third gender — were eligible to exercise their franchise in the seven seats, where a total 15,408 polling booths were set up, the official said.

Raipur and Bilaspur seats have the maximum number of candidates (25 each) followed by Durg-21, Jangir-Champa-15, Raigarh-14, Korba-13 and Surguja-10.

Around 60,000 security personnel consisting of state and paramilitary forces were deployed for smooth conduct of voting.

No major incident of violence was reported from anywhere in the constituencies that voted in the third phase.

Chhattisgarh has a total of 11 Lok Sabha seats.

The Naxal-hit Bastar (ST) constituency went to the polls in the first phase on April 11, while voting in three other seats — Rajanandgaon, Kanker (ST) and Mahasamund — was held in the second phase on April 18. — PTI

7:15 pm

Violence, EVM glitches mar third phase of LS polls in eastern, northeastern States

Kolkata: A man was on Tuesday hacked to death outside a polling booth in West Bengal, amid the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 21 seats across across five eastern and north eastern states, officials said.

Voting is also under way in 42 Assembly constituencies in Odisha, along with the Lok Sabha polls.

According to the latest data available from the Election Commission, an estimated 61% polling was recorded in Odisha, 78.97% in West Bengal, 71.47% in Assam, 54.91% in Bihar and 77.28% in Tripura.

A 52-year-old man, reportedly a Congress activist, was killed outside the booth during polling in Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency, a senior State police officer said.

Two other persons were also injured in the attack which, the Congress alleged, was perpetrated by workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.

The polling process was also briefly hampered with reports of EVM malfunctioning in some States, and the arrest of two polling agents of the ruling BJP in Tripura, an election official said.

Bombs were reportedly hurled outside a booth in Balurghat seat of West Bengal, leading to commotion, he said, adding, central forces also allegedly lathicharged a mob in Suti area of Jangipur. — PTI

7:13 pm

59% voter turnout till 5 p.m. in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: An estimated 59% voter turnout was registered till 5 p.m. on Tuesday for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, where polling was by and large peaceful barring a few stray incidents, said officials.

Key political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, party veteran L.K. Advani, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Congress leader Ahmed Pateland Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani exercised their franchise at different places in the State.

According to the latest data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), 58.96% of the total registered voters across Gujarat cast their ballots between 7 a.m. and 5 a.m., a figure lower than 2014.

BJP President Shri Amit Shah and his wife after casting their votes in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

BJP President Amit Shah and his wife after casting their votes in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

In the 2014 polls, the total voting percentage was 63.6% in the home State of Mr. Modi.

Barring a few incidents, the polling remained largely peaceful, said the officials.

In Junagadh, two persons were arrested by the police for allegedly threatening voters in the Ambedkarnagar area of the city, said the officials, who swung into action after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

“Based on a complaint given by local Congress leaders, the police rushed to the spot and arrested two persons who can be seen in the video,” said Junagadh Collector Sourabh Pardhi.

In Dahod, a mob of around 20 people barged into a polling booth at Zalod and allegedly beat up two persons who were deployed there for election duty, said the police, adding no one has been arrested yet in the case.

In another incident, workers of the Congress and the BJP engaged in a brawl at Dhanikhunt polling booth in Fatehpura taluka of Dahod district, said the police.

After casting his vote, Mr. Shah, the BJP candidate from Gandhinagar, urged people to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise during the “festival of democracy”.

According to Gujarat’s Additional Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Manek, some EVM machines were replaced after they experienced technical problems during polling.

“Some EVM machines malfunctioned in some parts of the state. We quickly replaced them. Voting was not affected by this,” said Mr. Manek.

A detailed report about such EVMs will be released after the voting gets over in the evening, he said. — PTI

Date | Time

57.01% voter turnout in Maharashtra by 5 p.m.

Mumbai: An average 57.01% turnout was recorded at the end of voting hours across 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra which went to the polls in the third phase of elections on Tuesday.

The polling began at 7 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m.

Final figures will be available later as queues of voters were being seen at several centres at 5 p.m.

The Kolhapur Lok Sabha constituency had recorded 65.70% voting till 5 p.m., followed by Hatkanangale at 64.79%, according to the State election office.

The voting figures in other constituencies at 5 pm were as follows: Jalgaon 52.28%, Raver 56.98%, Jalna 59.92%, Aurangabad 58.52%, Raigad 56.14%, Pune 43.63%, Baramati 55.84%, Ahmednagar 57.75%, Madha 56.41%, Sangli 59.39%, Satara 55.40% and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg 57.63%.

State BJP president Raosaheb Danve (Jalna) and NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule (Baramati) are among the prominent candidates in the fray. — PTI

6:30 pm

Man hacked to death outside booth during polling in W.B.

Murshidabad: A 52-year-old man, claimed to be a Congress activist, was hacked to death outside a booth during polling in Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency, a senior State police officer said.

Two other persons were also injured in the attack which, the Congress alleged, was perpetrated by workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

“One person was killed in poll violence in Murshidabad,” ADG (Law and Order) Siddihathnath Gupta told PTI .

The victim, identified as Tiyarul Sheikh, went to vote at a booth in Baligram Primary School under Bhagwangola police station limits when a group of men attacked him with sharp weapons following an altercation, police sources said.

When taken to hospital, he was declared brought dead.

“Two other persons were also injured in the attack. They were admitted to hospital,” the sources said.

The Election Commission sought a report from the Murshidabad District Magistrate, a senior official said.

Congress candidate of Murshidabad Lok Sabha seat, Abu Hena, claimed, “Tiyarul was our party worker. TMC goons killed him when he went to cast his vote. The TMC men were indulged in malpractices inside the booth when Tiyarul reached there. There was an altercation between them following which he was attacked.” — PTI

4:15 pm

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shows his ink-marked finger after casting his vote in Guwahati on Tuesday.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shows his ink-marked finger after casting his vote in Guwahati on Tuesday.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and wife cast their votes at Dispur Government Higher Secondary School in Guwahati. Though the couple live in New Dehi, they are registered as voters under Dispur Assembly segment of Gauhati Lok Sabha seat.

Dr. Singh has been representing Assam in Rajya Sabha since 1991.

4:00 pm

Woman dies while standing in queue

A 46-year-old tribal woman collapsed while standing in a queue to cast her vote in Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh and later died at hospital, police said.

The woman, Anjela Toppo, was waiting for her turn to exercise her franchise at polling booth no.3 in police line area in the Raigarh district headquarter when she collapsed, said Raigarh Additional Superintendent of Police Abhishek Verma.

Toppo was rushed in a police vehicle to district hospital where she died during treatment, he said.

3:50 pm

Presiding officer Gaur Prasad Barman of Gauripur Bani Vidyamandir polling station under Dhubri Lok Sabha seat arrested for letting people vote without ID card. Voting resumed after his replacement.

3:20 pm

U.P. records over 35% voter turnout till 1 p.m.

Braving scorching heat, an estimated 35.49 per cent of voters exercised their franchise till 1 pm in 10 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh even as EVM snags were reported at some booths.

Moradabad witnessed the highest turnout of 39.24 per cent till 1 pm.

There were reports of EVMs malfunctioning in some booths which have been promptly attended to it, the Chief Electoral Officer said.

1:05 pm

Poor turnout in Anantnag

The polling booths at the Anantnag district of the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, the hometown of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Mehbooba Mufti, wore a deserted look on Tuesday while people queued up outside booths in Congress candidate G. A. Mir’s assembly segment of Dooru.

 

1:00 pm

SP leaders allege polling violations

As polling gets underway in Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party leaders accused their rivals of violating the model code of conduct.

Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Badaun, Dharmendra Yadav, claimed his rival candidate Sanghmitra Maurya’s father and state minister Swami Prasad Maurya was still camping in Badaun, which was a violation of the model code of conduct.

In Rampur, SP candidate Mohd Azam Khan told reporters that more than 300 EVMs were not functioning properly and the district officials were delaying their replacement as a result of which voting was slow.

Mr. Khan also alleged that his voters were being prevented from coming out of their houses.

12:45 pm

Congress, AAP raise concern over faulty EVMs in Goa

The opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that EVMs and VVPAT machines malfunctioned at some polling booths in Goa.

Expressing concern over faulty EVMs in Cuncolim and Quepem Assembly segments, Leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar said, “During mock polling, all votes were getting registered in the BJP’s name despite pressing buttons of other parties. I will be filing a complaint with the Election Commission. This is foul play by the BJP.”

AAP’s South Goa Lok Sabha seat nominee Elvis Gomes also claimed that during the mock drill at a booth in Cuncolim, the votes registered were more than those polled.

12.40 pm

Mehbooba Mufti’s hometown in boycott mode

The polling booths at the Anantnag district of the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, the hometown of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Mehbooba Mufti, wore a deserted look on Tuesday while people queued up outside booths in Congress candidate G. A. Mir’s assembly segment of Dooru.

The highly volatile Anantnag segment went to polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, in the third phase of the ongoing 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

A policeman stands guard as people wait in queues to cast their votes outside a polling station during the third phase of general election in Verinag in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

A policeman stands guard as people wait in queues to cast their votes outside a polling station during the third phase of general election in Verinag in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

 

Around 4.79% turnout was recorded till 11 a.m., according to the office of the chief electoral officer.

In the throes of raging militancy, street protests and public anger, the first four hours witnessed single digit or no polling in several booths of Anantnag. Former chief minister Ms. Mufti cast her vote from Anantnag’s Bijbehara town.

 

12:35 pm

The overall polling percentage stood at 24.04% at 12 noon. The highest was recorded in West Bengal (35%), while the lowest was in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir (4.72%)

12:25 pm

Third phase of polling largely peaceful in West Bengal

Polling is largely peaceful in the third phase of polls in West Bengal. Since the first two phases was marred by violence, about 92% of the booths are covered by Central Forces.

As many as 61 candidates are contesting in five constituencies in North & Central Bengal in this phase.

The Presiding Officer has been removed from Booth Number 79 in Malda North Constituency after the Opposition alleged that he was not "blocking vote rigging."

The BJP and TMC blamed each other for intimidating voters in Kushmandi of Dakshin Dinapur. Both sides alleged that voters were "threatened" and the polling was slowed down.

The voter turnout was 35 per cent till 12 noon.

11.45 a.m.

Akhilesh Yadav alleges EVM malfunction across India

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav at Saifai polling booth to cast their votes on Tuesday.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav at Saifai polling booth to cast their votes on Tuesday.

 

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that EVMs were “malfunctioning or voting for the BJP” across the country, terming it a criminal negligence.

“EVMs across India malfunctioning or voting for the BJP. DMs say poll officials untrained to operate EVMs. 350+ being replaced. This is criminal negligence for a polling exercise that costs Rs 50,000 crs. Should we believe DMs @ECISVEEP, or is something far more sinister afoot?” Mr. Yadav said in a tweet, tagging the Election Commission. - PTI

11.25 am

26.5% votes polled in Goa till 11 a.m.

Goa has recorded 26.5 per cent votes till 11 am. By-elections for three Assembly constituencies are also being held along with parliamentary elections.

Here is the constituency-wise polling percentage:

North Goa 26.52%

South Goa 26.58%

Overall: 26.55%.

Bypolls:

Shiroda 29.16%

Mapusa 26.81%

Mandrem 25.60%

11.15 am

 

Twenty families from North Durgapur village in Khowai sub division under the East Tripura Lok Sabha constituency have boycotted the polls to protest the alleged assault of a local youth by troops of a paramilitary force on Tuesday morning.

 

10.40 am

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik casts his vote

As polling continued in six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly constituencies in the third phase in Odisha, Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik cast his vote at a booth under Ekamra Assembly segment in Bhubaneswar.

The Lok Sabha seats where polling is underway since 7 am are Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur and Keonjhar. The 42 Assembly segments came under these Parliamentary constituencies.

 

10.30 am

Polling at four booths in East Tripura stalled due to EVM malfunction

Polling has been stopped at a polling centre in Hrisyanmukh area under East Tripura parliamentary constituency due to snags in the EVM.

Bride Shraddha Bhagat arrives at a municipal school in Narayan Peth, Pune, to cast her vote  before her wedding ceremony on Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Bride Shraddha Bhagat arrives at a municipal school in Narayan Peth, Pune, to cast her vote before her wedding ceremony on Tuesday, April 23, 2019

 

Polling at at second booth in East Tripura -- the Anath Choudhury Para booth in Asharambari -- has also been stalled due to EVM malfunction.

Polling is yet to begin at Jubaraj Nagar and Bhagyapur centres in Dharmanagar under East Tripura. EVMs are being replaced after malfunctions were reported, according to election officials.

Congress candidate in East Tripura Pragya Debbarman has alleged that vote rigging occured in several polling booths. Mr. Debbarman said he has lodged a complaint with the election observers.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress has alleged bogus voting & booth capturing in Booth No. 61 to 65 at Bhimdad, which falls under the Botad Assembly constituency & Bhavnagar Lok Sabha constituency. Party officials also said election officials are helping the BJP candidate. The party has written to Election authorities, they said.

10.15 am

Some sporadic violence has been reported in West Bengal, where five parliamentary constituencies are voting in the third phase. In some places opposition agents were stopped from going to booths, reports our correspondent Suvojit Bagchi.

Murshidabad clocked 17.5% polling till 9 am, while Malda North and South registered 16.2%. Jangipur saw a 17.54% turnout.

Local Trinamool Congress leaders criticised PM Narendra Modi, saying his taking a covoy to the voting booth was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. "Look at the way the Prime Minister voted. First took a convoy to polling booth and then made statement close to booth. This is in violation of electoral Code of Conduct. But Election Commission officials have not said a thing. Did not try to stop him," said TMC leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows his inked finger after voting in Ahmedabad on April 23, 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows his inked finger after casting his vote for in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday April 23, 2019. The results are set to be declared on May 23, 2019.

 

10.00 am

 

 

 

9.00 am

12.38% voter turnout in Assam

As of 9 am, Assam has clocked 12.38% voter turnout in the four Parliamentary constituencies polling today.

Dhubri - 14.52%

Kokrajhar - 10.14%

Barpeta- 11.71%

Gauhati - 12.38%

Goa polls at around 13%

North Goa polls a voting tunout for 13.14%, while South Goa clocks at 13.12%

Shiroda 13.18%

Mapusa 14.47%

Mandrem 13.05%

Maharashtra sees an overall turnout of 8.21%

Pune 5.70

Baramati 8.54

Madha 6.85

Jalgaon 7.81

Raver 8.48

Aurangabad 8.77

Jalna 9.21

Ahmednagar 7.37

Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg 10.17

Kolhapur 9.97

Satara 6.84

Sangli 7. 04

Hatkanangale 8.98

8.40 am

PM Modi casts his vote

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his vote in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections at a booth here and appealed to people to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

Mr. Modi arrived at the polling station set up in Nishan High School, located in the Ranip area of Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city, in an open jeep in the morning and exercised his democratic right.

BJP president Amit Shah, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from the Gandhinagar seat, welcomed him outside the school and accompanied him to the booth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting his vote in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday April 23, 2019. Photo: Twitter/@BJP4India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting his vote in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday April 23, 2019. Photo: Twitter/@BJP4India

“I feel blessed to have exercised my franchise in this biggest festival of democracy. The power of the voter ID is much more than IED of terrorism,” Mr. Modi later said, and urged people to come out in large numbers to vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls

"Urging all those voting in today’s Third Phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to do so in record numbers. Your vote is precious and will shape the direction our nation takes in the years to come," PM Modi tweeted.

 

8.30 am

12 candidates in the fight for two constituences in Goa

12 aspirants are in the fray for two Lok Sabha seats namely North Goa and South Goa and 16 candidates contesting the three Assembly bypolls from Mapusa, Shiroda and Mandrem constituencies.

Among the key contestants for the general elections, four—term BJP MP and Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik takes on state Congress president Girish Chodankar for the North Goa seat, while in South Goa sitting BJP MP Narendra Sawaikar is contesting against former Chief Minister and Congress candidate Francisco Sardinha.

In the bypolls, Congress’ Joshua D’Souza, son of former deputy Chief Minister late Francis D’Souza whose death necessitated the bypoll at Mapusa assembly seat, is contesting against Congress’ Sudhir Kandolkar.

 

In Mandrem, BJP’s Dayanand Sopte is facing a challenge from Congress’ Babi Bagkar and independent candidate Jeet Arolkar, while in the Shiroda Assembly bypoll, BJP’s Subhash Shirodkar, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s Deepak Dhavalikar and Congress’ Mahadev Naik are engaged in a tri-corner contest.

According to Chief Electoral Officer Kunal 11,35,811 voters, which includes 5,55,768 male voters and 5,80,043 female voters are eligible to cast ballot at the 1,652 polling stations across the coastal state.

“We are targetting 80% voting throughout the state,” Mr. Kunal said on Monday. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the polling percentage was 76.82%.

- IANS

8.20 am

Four PCs in Assam, Tripura East PC begin voting

Four Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam and the Tripura East parliamentary constituency began polling, with high security at the Tripura East PC. 

Polls are being held across 9,577 polling centres in the Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Barpeta and Dhubri constituencies. A total of 74,77,062 eligible voters including 36,61,570 females and 157 third gender voters are expected to seal the fate of 54 candidates

Seventeen candidates are in the fray for Guwahati, 15 for Dhubri, 13 for Barpeta and nine for Kokrajhar.

In Assam, 10 Lok Sabha constituencies have already gone to the polls — five each in the first and second phase of polling held on April 11 and April 18.

Election officials with polling materials travel on a country boat to reach a polling center in a remote river island in the River Brahmaputra in Kamrup district, west of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, April 22, 2019.

Election officials with polling materials travel on a country boat to reach a polling center in a remote river island in the River Brahmaputra in Kamrup district, west of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, April 22, 2019.

 

In Tripura, a total of 1, 257, 944 electorate, including 620,291 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the electoral fate of 10 candidates, including two women.

A total of 1,645 polling stations, including 31 to be managed by only women polling officials and security personnel, have been set up to hold the polls in the tribal reserved seat.

Though there are 10 contestants in the Tripura East seat, but the three main contenders are Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) sitting MP Jitendra Choudhury, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rebati Tripura and Maharaj Kumari Pragya Deb Barman from the Congress. - IANS

8.00 am

Polling begins on dull note in Anantnag

Voting began on a dull note in the Anantnag district of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, where polling will be held in three legs, amidst tight security measures, officials said.

Residents in most parts of the district in restive south Kashmir have stayed indoors so far, an official said.

While polling is underway in Anantnag district, voting in Kulgam district will be held on April 29 while Pulwama and Shopian districts will go to polls on May 6.

The Election Commission has curtailed the polling duration for Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency by two hours following a request from the state police to this effect.

The voting will be held in south Kashmir areas from 7 am to 4 pm.

Election officials carry election material as they leave for their polling stations, on the eve of Lok Sabha elections, in Anantnag district, Monday, April 22, 2019.

Election officials carry election material as they leave for their polling stations, on the eve of Lok Sabha elections, in Anantnag district, Monday, April 22, 2019.

 

The Anantnag district has 5,29,256 electors including 2,69,603 males, 2,57,540 females, 2,102 service electors and 11 transgender voters. The Anantnag constituency has 13,97,272 registered voters including 7,20,337 males, 672879 females and 35 transgender voters.

The EC has also established 1,842 polling stations to facilitate smooth polling, the official said.

There are 18 candidates in the fray for Anantnag constituency including PDP president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti. The Congress has fielded its state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir while former High Court judge Hasnain Masoodi is contesting on the National Conference ticket.

The other prominent candidate in the fray is former MLC Sofi Yousuf of BJP. - PTI

7:00 am

Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi in the fray

Polling began on Tuesday for the third and largest phase of Lok Sabha election in 116 seats, including all constituencies in Gujarat and Kerala, with BJP president Amit Shah, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and several Union Ministers among prominent candidates in the fray.

The stakes are high for the ruling BJP and its allies as they bagged 66 seats out of these 116 spread across 14 States and Union Territories in 2014 general election, while the Congress and its alliance partners won 27, and the rest went to other opposition parties and Independents.

Besides all seats in Gujarat (26) and Kerala (20), voting is being held in four seats in Assam, five in Bihar, seven in Chhattisgarh, 14 each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, six in Odisha, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, five in West Bengal, two in Goa, and one each in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Tripura.

An election official sits with election materials as paramilitary personnel stand guard in Guwahati, Assam on April 22, 2019.

An election official sits with election materials as paramilitary personnel stand guard in Guwahati, Assam on April 22, 2019.

 

In the first two phases, election was held to 91 and 96 seats on April 11 and April 18 respectively. Elections are being held in seven phases and with the completion of third phase, the election process will be completed in southern States.

BJP chief Amit Shah, who replaced L.K. Advani as the party nominee from Gandhinagar, and 370 other candidates are in the fray in the 26 Lok Sabha seats all of which were won by the party in the last election. Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Jaswantsinh Bhabhor is the BJP nominee from Dahod seat.

In Kerala, Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Wayanad besides his traditional Amethi seat has added new interest to the fight between rivals UDF and LDF for the 20 seats. The BJP has also aggressively campaigned in the hope of opening its account in the southern State by capitalising on the Sabarimala shrine women entry issue.

Union Minister Alphons Kannamthanam is seeking to make his Lok Sabha debut from Ernakulam. Sitting Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is facing a triangular contest in Thiruvananthapuram, where the BJP has fielded former Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan and the CPI C. Divakaran.

It is a do-or-die battle for both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the Opposition Congress-headed UDF in most of the 20 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP-led NDA is posing a formidable challenge to the two traditional fronts in at least three constituencies — Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur.

In Karnakata, the battle lines clearly delineated for a bipolar contest between the ruling Congress-JD(S) combine and the BJP.

The BJP that has considerable presence in these constituencies aims to improve its tally banking on what it calls the "Modi wave" and the support of dominant Lingayat community, considered as its vote base.

It is also a test for Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy in the State.

The third phase of polling for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh will decide the electoral fate of four members of the SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's clan, besides those of senior party leader Azam Khan and film actor and BJP candidate Jaya Prada.

The BJP had won seven out of the 10 seats in 2014, while the SP bagged three. Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his two nephews Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav are seeking re-election from Mainpuri, Badaun and Firozabad seats respectively. Mr. Mulayam has said this will he his last contest.

Voting will be held in seven Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, of which the BJP had won six in 2014. The Congress, buoyed by its victory in the Assembly elections last year, is hoping to improve its tally in the State.

In Goa, there are 12 candidates in the fray for the two Lok Sabha constituencies, including Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik from North Goa where he is pitted against State Congress chief Girish Chodankar.

In Bihar, close to nine million voters will be deciding the fates of 82 candidates in five Lok Sabha seats of Bihar. Four sitting MPs Ranjeet Ranjan (Supaul), her husband Pappu Yadav (Madhepura), Sarfaraz Alam (Araria) and Mehboob Ali Kaiser (Khagaria) would seek to retain their respective seats.

In the six seats in Odisha, the main contest in between the State's ruling BJD and the BJP. The BJD had won all the six seats in 2014.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, BJP and Congress are the main contenders in the five seats — Balurghat, Maldaha North, Maldaha South, Jangipur and Murshidabad.

Four seats will see four-cornered contests between the three parties and the Left Front. It will be a three-cornered contest in Maldaha South as no Left party is in the fray in the seat.

In Assam, prominent candidates in the fray are two sitting MPs AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal in Dhubri and Independent Naba Sarania in Kokrajhar, State social welfare minister Pramila Rani Brahma of BPF from Kokrajhar and Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque.

In the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, the BJP had bagged both seats in the last election.

The Lok Sabha polls are being held in seven-phases for 543 seats and the counting of votes will be on May 23.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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