Phase 2 Lok Sabha elections 2024 | Over 63% voter turnout recorded

Over 63% polling was reported in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections covering 88 seats across 13 states amid few complaints of EVM glitches and bogus voting in some states.

Voters in some villages of Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, Rajasthan’s Banswara and Maharashtra’s Parbhani were boycotting the polls over various issues but were later persuaded by authorities to cast their franchise.

The Election Commission (EC) said polling remained largely peaceful. The tentative figure at 8 pm of voter turnout was 63.50%. It is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained, the EC said. - PTI

The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in eight constituencies in Maharashtra concluded peacefully without any major untoward incidents. The voter turnout averaged at 53.71% until 6 p.m.

Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh, will vote in three more phases between May 7 and May 20.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X, “Phase Two has been too good! Gratitude to the people across India who have voted today. The unparalleled support for NDA is going to disappoint the Opposition even more.” “Voters want NDA’s good governance. Youth and women voters are powering the strong NDA support.” 

The prime minister had made a similar assertion after phase one of voting on April 19, saying the ruling alliance has seen a great response.

It is clear that people across India are voting for the NDA in record numbers, he had said. - PTI

Tripura continues to lead the voter turnout charts in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections with 77.53% voting till 5 p.m., while Uttar Pradesh has registered the lowest turnout with 52.74%, according to the data released by the Election Commission of India.

Manipur - 76.06%

West Bengal - 71.84% 

Chhattisgarh - 72.13% 

Assam - 70.66% 

Maharashtra - 53.51% 

Bihar - 53.03%

Madhya Pradesh - 54.83%

Rajasthan - 59.19%

Kerala - 63.97%

Karnataka - 63.90%

Jammu and Kashmir - 67.22%

- ANI

A voter turnout of 52.74% was recorded till 5 p.m. in the eight parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh where voting was held in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26, officials said.

The polling was slated to continue till 6 p.m. The constituencies that went to polls in this phase are Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and Mathura.

According to the Election Commission (EC), 61.89 per cent polling was recorded in Amroha till 5 p.m., followed by 55.49% in Meerut, 52.74% in Baghpat, 48.21% in Ghaziabad, 51.66 in Gautam Buddh Nagar, 54.34 in Bulandshahr, 54.36% in Aligarh and 46.96 in Mathura.

There are more than 1.67 crore voters, 7,797 polling stations and 17,704 polling booths in these eight parliamentary constituencies. - PTI

The ruling alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on April 26 held a meeting to review preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha poll rally in Pune on April 29.

A massive crowd of two lakh will attend the rally to hear the PM’s speech, senior Maharashtra BJP leader Chandrakant Patil said.

Mr. Patil, who is state higher and technical education minister, attended the meeting along with Deputy CM Pawar, Rahul Kul and Vijay Shivtare.

“PM Narendra Modi will hold a rally in Pune on April 29 at Race Course. We are expecting 2 lakh people for the rally. Party functionaries from Pune, Maval, Baramati, Shirur will be present on April 29. We held a meeting today to review preparations.” “PM Modi will stay at Raj Bhavan in Pune on April 29. There are no plans about the PM’s roadshow. MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit will also attend the rally,” Mr. Patil said. - PTI

Nearly 60% voter turnout was recorded till 5 p.m. in 13 Lok Sabha seats of Rajasthan where polling is underway under the second phase on April 26.

Barring a few incidents of confrontation and complaints of fake voting in Barmer-Jaisalmer, the voting is being held peacefully.

According to the official data, 59.19% voter turnout was recorded in 13 constituencies of Barmer-Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Chittorgarh, Banswara, Kota-Bundi, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran.

At the same time, 73.25% voting took place in the byelection for Bagidora assembly constituency of Banswara district. - PTI

The process of filing nomination papers for five Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 Odisha Assembly segments to be held on May 20 started on April 26 with the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) issuing the notification in this regard.

The five Lok Sabha constituencies are Bargarh, Sundergarh (ST), Bolangir, Kandhamal and Aska Lok Sabha constituencies along with 35 assembly segments under the Lok Sabha constituencies. 

As per the notifications, May 3 is the last date for making nominations while scrutiny of nominations will be done on the next day. Candidates can withdraw their nominations on or before May 6. - PTI

The Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency recorded a voter turnout of 69.48% till 3 p.m. on Friday, as polling remained peaceful so far, an official said.

Voters came out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right since morning, Additional Chief Electoral Officer S. Bandopadhyay said.

The poll percentage was 54.98 till 1 p.m., he said. - PTI

More than 57% voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours of polling in the Jammu constituency in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, officials said.

The voting began at 7 a.m. in 2,416 polling stations in the constituency and is going on peacefully, the officials said and added that 57.76% votes were polled till 3 p.m.

There are more than 17.80 lakh eligible voters in this constituency.

Electors are casting their votes to decide the fate of 22 candidates, including sitting MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, who is eyeing a third term after winning the seat for the BJP in 2014 and 2019. The INDIA bloc has fielded Jammu and Kashmir Congress working president Raman Bhalla.

- PTI

The youngest Lok Sabha candidate in Delhi from among the three prominent parties in fray, Kuldeep Kumar of the Aam Aadmi Party, said this election is a matter of emotions and anger over the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

From distributing newspapers during his student days to becoming a councillor, then an MLA and subsequently AAP’s Lok Sabha candidate from East Delhi constituency, Kumar told PTI in an interview he has seen a life full of struggles.

Lok Sabha elections in Delhi will be held on May 25.

- PTI

For the first time, the newly settled Bru voters of Tripura exercised their franchise for the General Elections to Lok Sabha 2024 on April 26. Earlier, they had voted in the assembly elections held last year in March. The Bru migrants who had been staying in six relief camps of North Tripura district till 2020 now received permanent settlement in 12 locations across the state.

Since morning, eligible voters from the Bru community turned up in large numbers at the polling stations. At the Goenang Para polling station in the Tirthamukh area under the Gomati district, hundreds of Bru voters cast their votes. Speaking to media persons after casting his vote, a Bru community voter said, “We have never voted in the MP elections of Tripura. We are very happy to participate in the democratic exercise. The total number of voters in this particular polling station stands at 609.”

- ANI

Thirty-nine candidates have filed nominations for four Lok Sabha seats and 266 nominees submitted papers for 28 assembly segments in Odisha for elections to be held on May 13.

In the first round of simultaneous elections in the state, the polling will take place in Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Berhampur Lok Sabha constituencies and the 28 assembly segments under the jurisdiction of these parliamentary seats.

“Thirty-nine candidates have filed 75 nominations for the four Lok Sabha constituencies and 266 others submitted 483 papers for the 28 assembly segments in the first phase of elections in the state on May 13. A candidate submits multiple nomination papers,” an election official said.

- PTI

A voter turnout of 63.92% was recorded till 3 p.m. in three Lok Sabha constituencies, all having Naxalite presence, in Chhattisgarh in the second phase of general elections, an official said.

“Amid tight security, polling began in Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituencies at 7 a.m. and was underway smoothly. Till 3 p.m., 63.92% polling has been registered,” the official said.

Voting concluded at those places where polling time was till 3 pm, he said.

- PTI

A voter turnout of 48.68% was recorded till 3 p.m. in six Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh in the second phase of general elections, an official said.

The polling began at 7 a.m. and is going on peacefully in all the six Lok Sabha seats, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan told PTI.

A voter turnout of 44.24% was recorded till 3 p.m. in the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar where polling was underway in the second phase, officials said.

Polling started at 7 a.m. in Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur and Banka constituencies, and would continue till 6 p.m., they said.

50 candidates are in the fray in these five seats, and over 93 lakh people are eligible to decide their fate, they added.

- PTI

An estimated 60.32% of 77,26,668 voters exercised their franchise till 3 p.m. in the five parliamentary constituencies of Assam, where polling is underway in the second phase, election officials said.

The highest polling of 64.43% was recorded in Darrang-Udalguri, closely followed by 60.74% in Diphu (ST), 60.56% in Nagaon, 60.36% in Karimganj and 53.06% in Silchar, they said.

- PTI

A voter turnout of 43.01% was recorded till 3 p.m. in eight constituencies in Maharashtra in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, officials said.

Voting started at 7 am in Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha and Yavatmal-Washim seats in Vidarbha (eastern Maharashtra) and Hingoli, Nanded and Parbhani constituencies in the central Marathwada region, and will end at 6 pm.

Wardha recorded 45.95% turnout, Akola 42.69%, Amravati 43.76%, Buldhana 41.66%, Hingoli 40.5%, Nanded 42.42%, Parbhani 44.49% and Yavatmal-Washim 42.55%, election officials said.

- PTI

105-year-old Tipu Devi posing for a picture at the selfie zone in a polling station at Mount Abu (Sirohi district), forming part of Jalore Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan. 

A voter turnout of 44.13% was recorded till 3 p.m. in the eight parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, according to officials.

The polling began at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m.

Voting in Uttar Pradesh in the second phase is underway in Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and Mathura constituencies.

- PTI

The country’s unemployed people, farmers, women and other deprived sections must consider that they have brought “acche din” (good times) to the BJP but “what happened to their much publicised promise to bring acche din to you”, BSP chief Mayawati said. 

Like the Congress slogan of “Garibi Hatao”, the BJP, too, has failed to keep its promises, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo added in her post on X as she urged voters to exercise their franchise on the polling day for second phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

- PTI

Over 39% voter turnout was recorded in the first six hours of polling amidst reports of EVM glitches and bogus voting in some booths in Kerala and West Bengal.

Voters in four villages of Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, Rajasthan’s Banswara and Maharashtra’s Parbhani boycotted polls over various issues.

Polling started at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m. Election officials said the highest voting percentage was recorded in Tripura which registered 54.47% polling till 1 p.m., while the lowest turnout was in Maharashtra at 31.77%.

An estimated 46.31% of 77,26,668 voters exercised their franchise till 1 p.m. in the five parliamentary constituencies of Assam, where polling is underway in the second phase, election officials said.

The highest polling of 49.72% was recorded in Darrang-Udalguri, closely followed by 49.14% in Karimganj, 46.40% in Diphu (ST), 44.48% in Nagaon and 40.23% in Silchar, they said.

Polling began at 7 a.m. and will continue till 5 p.m.

- PTI

As of 1 p.m., Maharashtra recorded the lowest voter turnout in Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections, standing at 31.77%.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Centre of depriving West Bengal of funds for social welfare schemes and said that her government will arrange the money.

Addressing an election rally in support of party candidate Dev in Ghatal, she alleged that the BJP was attempting religious polarisation.

- PTI

While addressing a public meeting at Forbesganj in Araria of northeast Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal.

Mr. Modi said first they (Congress- RJD) cast doubt over EVM but Supreme Court just an hour or two ago has given a big jolt to them. They should apologise to the country now.

PM Modi also alleged that Congress and RJD want to cut into 27% reservation quota of OBC (Other Backward Class) and give it to their vote-bank Muslims as they tried to do it in Karnataka but in light of Supreme Court’s directive that religion based reservation cannot be done they brought all Muslims under OBC category there.

About 38.96% of voters cast their ballots till 1 a.m. in six Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh in the second phase of general elections on April 26, an official said.

The polling began at 7 a.m. and is going on peacefully in all the six Lok Sabha seats, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan told PTI.

Residents of a village in the Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency decided to boycott the elections on Friday to protest against the issue of encroachments, prompting the collector to visit the place and appeal to them.

Parbhani Collector and returning officer Raghunath Gawde arrived at Balsa Khurd village, located around 7 km from Parbhani city, and interacted with villagers, urging them to vote.

The village, which has 1,200 voters, boycotted the elections over the longstanding issue of encroachments.

The collector held a meeting with villagers, who sought assurance from the administration that the problem would be solved.

- PTI

Gujarat Congress suspends Surat Lok Sabha seat candidate Nilesh Kumbhani from the party for six years. His papers were rejected after three proposers denied having signed his nomination papers.

NDA’s objective is to empower people, but INDIA bloc wants to loot country and its people, PM Modi said at a poll rally in Bihar.

Congress, RJD trying to snatch reservations provided to SC, ST and poor people, he added.

- PTI

SC judgment on cross-verification of votes setback for opposition INDIA bloc, PM Modi said at a rally in Bihar.

Mr. Modi termed it as a victory for democracy.

Amid the ongoing second phase of the election former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent inheritance tax remark labelling him as a “liar”.

Mr. Baghel said, “PM Modi is a liar. He has no knowledge of history or the rules. Indira Gandhi donated all her property to the government in 1970. She also donated Anand Bhavan. And even after this, he’s still lying. He hasn’t done anything in 10 years except spread slogans, and since he can’t get votes based on his achievements, all he can do is criticize Congress. What else does he (PM Modi) have besides that?”

- ANI

Accusing the Election Commission of not ensuring transparency in parliamentary elections in the Bengaluru Rural constituency, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress candidate had distributed gift coupons with QR codes to voters.

HDK accuses D K Suresh of giving gift coupons to voters in Bengaluru Rural seat

BJP candidate and noted cardiologist C.N. Manjunath, who is pitted against Congress candidate D.K. Suresh in the constituency.

There has been a substantial increase in voter turnout in Tripura, as the State recorded a 36.42% voting percentage till 11 a.m., as per the Election Commission of India. 

Chhattisgarh (35.47), Manipur (33.32), and West Bengal (31.25) also registered a high voter turnout.However, Maharashtra recorded 18.83% turnout. 

Voting percentages for other states participating in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls at 11 am are-- Assam - 27.43%, Bihar -21.68%, Jammu and Kashmir- 26.61%, Karnataka- 22.34%, Kerala- 25.61%, Madhya Pradesh- 28.15%, Rajasthan- 26.84%, and Uttar Pradesh--24.31 per cent. - ANI

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti was up in arms after a group of parties, including the BJP, wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone elections for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.

“The ECI order to the J&K administration (to assess accessibility in Anantnag-Rajouri) has shocked me. It’s after a long time that the people of J&K have reposed faith in democracy. This government has snatched everything. Don’t snatch the ballots too. Don’t repeat 1987, which left Kashmir burning, filled graveyards and impacted generations,” she said.Read the report here.

The Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency recorded 24.48% voting till 11 a.m. for the Lok Sabha election. A total of 15 candidates are in the fray for the Gautam Buddha Nagar seat, with over 26.75 lakh electors eligible to decide their fate. The constituency is spread across five assembly segments of Noida, Dadri and Jewar, Khurja and Sikandrabad. According to figures shared by the district information office for voter turnout till 11 am, Noida had recorded 21.3 per cent, Dadri (24.80%), Jewar (25.87%), Sikandrabad (27.17%) and Khurja (26.22%). - PTI

Madhya Pradesh recorded 28.15% voter turnout till 11 a.m. in the second phase of polling for six parliamentary seats in the State, according to the data released by the Election Commission of India. The polling for the six parliamentary seats -Tikamgarh (SC), Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa and Hoshangabad began on Friday at 7 a.m.

Of these, Hoshangabad is leading the voter turnout charts with 32.40% voting followed by Satna (30.32%), Khajuraho (28.14%), Tikamgarh (26.96%), Damoh (26.84%), and Rewa (24.46%) till 11 am in the state. - ANI

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor has said the fight was for “the ideal of India as a secular and democratic nation, and not any one party or individual.”

Speaking to journalists after casting his vote in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Tharoor said the aim was to defeat the BJP’s polarising and divisive agenda. He said the Congress would heal the divisions and unite the people.​Read the report here.​

FM Nirmala Sitharaman criticized the Congress for advocating an inheritance tax like law, stating that it could nullify India’s progress over the last decade. 

“I remember earlier in 1968 there was a compulsory deposit scheme where people’s deposits were all 18%, 20%. Something was taken away. There was no justification given at that time... If such wealth creators are going to be punished purely because they have some money kept behind, India’s progress in the last ten years would just go for a zero. And we’ll probably be going back to that era when Congress imposed a 90% tax. You’ll probably not believe that the current generation, wouldn’t even remember or know anything about it. There was India where under the Congress rule we paid 90% of all that was earned by us as tax. That’s the socialist model which the Congress party is comfortable with,” she said after casting her vote in Bengaluru.

She said the inheritance tax directly impacts the middle class and aspirational class. “It (the inheritance tax) directly hits the middle class. It directly hits the aspirational class. They work hard, sweat and toil of theirs are saved in small savings here and there, or they buy a house, a dream house, and keep some fixed deposits. All this is going to be exposed to the so-called property tax,” she said. Read more.

Prominent persons, including senior politicians and candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha polls, turned up during the initial hours of polling in Kerala for the general election. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V.D. Satheesan, BJP state president K. Surendran, saffron party candidates Suresh Gopi, Anil Antony, the Congress’ K.C. Venugopal and Shafi Parambil were seen casting their votes early in the morning.

Besides them, Congress stalwart A.K. Antony, KPCC president K. Sudhakaran, LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan and CPI(M)‘s Thomas Isaac also came in the morning to exercise their right to vote. - PTI

BSP president Mayawati targeted the BJP over its promise of bringing good days for farmers, poor and other deprived people, asking why the lives of crores of poor, SC, ST, OBC, and minorities continue to lead a miserable life? 

In a post on X, Ms. Mayawati said, “In the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in the country today, especially the poor, unemployed, farmers, women and other deprived people must think that you have brought the good days of BJP but what happened to their much-publicized and tempting promise of bringing ‘good days’ for you? Rather, why is their life so troubled?”“Like Congress’ Garibi Hatao, BJP too has broken a big promise, whereas the government’s basic duty is to run the country under the humanitarian and welfare objectives of the Constitution and ensure the development of the Dalits. Then why are the lives of crores of poor, SC, ST, OBC, minorities continuously helpless and miserable?” she said.

She appealed to people to exercise their universal franchise without fear and elect a government. “The country’s and people’s interest lies in voting for bringing poverty and unemployment-free ‘good days’ for the country and its nearly 125 crore hardworking people rather than for any particular person or party. Come forward to vote for a ‘good government’ that is pro-Bhaujan in the country. Hence ‘first vote, then refreshment’,” Mayawati added.- ANI

The Supreme Court has denied a plea for 100% cross verification of EVM-VVPAT vote counts with paper slips. It also denied a plea to give voters VVPAT paper slips to put physically into the ballot boxes. Details here.

Tripura is witnessing a high voter turnout after 16.65% voting percentage was recorded till 9:00 AM, as per the data released by the Election Commission of India. Other states like West Bengal (15.68%), Manipur (15.49%) and Chhattisgarh (15.42%) are also witnessing high voter turnout. Maharashtra recorded the lowest turnout at 7.45% as of 9 a.m. Assam (9.71%), Bihar (9.84%), Jammu and Kashmir (10.39%), Karnataka (9.21%), Kerala (11.98%), Madhya Pradesh (13.82%), Rajasthan (11.77%), and Uttar Pradesh (11.67%) also witnessed brisk voting. Notably, the overall voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was over 67%. - ANI

In Assam, five parliamentary constituencies are voting today. An estimated 9.15% of 77,26,668 electors voted till 9 a.m., officials said. The highest polling of 14.13% was recorded in Diphu (ST), followed by 9.61% in Karimganj, 9.16% at Darrang-Udalguri, 9.07% in Nagaon and the lowest 5.49% in Silchar, they said. The prominent candidates who exercised their franchise are Assam Minister for Excise, Transport and Fisheries Parimal Suklabaidya and his Congress rival Surya Kanta Sarkar in Silchar (SC), Congress candidate Joyram Engleng in Diphu (ST) and sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi in Nagaon. Sixty-one candidates are in the fray in this phase. - PTI

Brisk polling is underway in West Bengal. Nearly 15.7% of 51.17 lakh voters in three constituencies exercised their franchise till 9 a.m., an Election Commission official said.

Polling began at 7 a.m. in Darjeeling, Balurghat and Raiganj constituencies and will continue till 6 p.m. 

Raiganj registered the highest voter turnout of 16.46 per cent, while Darjeeling recorded 15.74 per cent and Balurghat 14.74 per cent, till 9 am, he said. So far, the ECI has registered 241 complaints, mostly related to EVM malfunctioning, the official said.“The polling has been peaceful thus far. Out of the 241 complaints, 43 have been resolved,” he added. - PTI

BJP’s candidate from Meerut and popular ‘Ramayana’ actor Arun Govil hoped the party would cross 400 seats in the elections. The BJP has replaced three-term MP Rajendra Agarwal and pitted Ramayana actor Arun Govil against Samajwadi Party’s Sunita Verma and BSP’s Devratt Kumar.

“I want to tell people to cast their vote. We must exercise our vote. We have full hope that this time the BJP will cross 400,” he said as the voting is underway in the constituency. Further, responding to the opposition’s allegations that he is an outsider contesting from the Meerut seat, Mr. Govil said, “I was born and brought up and even did my studies here, so how am I an outsider?” - ANI

The polling started on a dull note with an average of 7.45 % voter turnout in all eight Lok Sabha constituencies in the first two hours. At 9 a.m., 9.72% voter turnout was recorded in Parbhani, followed by 7.73% in Nanded and 7.23 % in Yavatmal-Washim and Hingoli parliamentary constituencies. Wardha and Akola recorded 7.18% and 7.17%, respectively. The voter turnout was 6.61 % in Buldhana and 6.34 % in Amravati. - Abhinay Deshpande

Reasi District Election Officer (DEO) Vishesh Paul Mahajan on Friday joined early voters to exercise his democratic right as polling began in Jammu Lok Sabha constituency in the second phase. 

The DEO said queues have started forming outside polling stations and he is hopeful of a good voter turnout in the district. 

Mahajan, who hails from the Bahu area of Jammu, cast his vote at a pink booth at Government Higher Secondary School in the district headquarters immediately after the voting started at 7 am. 

Reasi district is part of Jammu parliamentary constituency with more than 17.81 lakh voters eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 22 candidates.IncumbentMP Jugal Kishore Sharma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing a third straight term in the Lower House of Parliament after he won the seat in the 2014 and 2019 elections. His main contender is Congress candidate and former minister Raman Bhalla. 

The polling continues till 6 pm. 

“I have cast my vote, fulfilling my duty and right despite being on official on duty here. I am feeling very proud to be part of this dynamic democratic process, the biggest in the world which is happening today,” Mahajan, who took over as deputy commissioner of Reasi district in November last year, told reporters. 

A total of 425 polling stations including 97 vulnerable and 16 critical have been set up across the district.- PTI

Polling in all the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala for the 2024 general election commenced at 7 a.m. People started arriving early in the morning at the over 25,000 polling booths in the State to avoid the hot weather that was likely as the day progressed. The State recorded 5.62% by 8.20 a.m. Here are the latest updates.

Karnataka is voting in two phases this election, and polling for 14 constituencies has started. The other 14 constituencies will vote in the third phase, scheduled on May 7. Here are the latest updates.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, software industry icon N R Narayana Murthy, his wife and Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty, former cricketer Rahul Dravid and actor Prakash Raj were among the early voters in Bengaluru. 

Many booths reported brisk voting in the first hour of polling as people sought to “beat the heat”. Polling began at 7 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m. A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the first phase in 14 segments covering most of the southern and coastal districts, where more than 2.88 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 30,602 polling stations. - PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the Lok Sabha elections are going to decide the fate of the country, and added that each vote will decide whether the next government will be of “a few billionaires” or of 140 crore Indians. 

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “My dear countrymen! Today is the second phase of this historic election which is going to decide the fate of the country. Your vote will decide whether the next government will be of ‘a few billionaires’ or of ‘140 crore Indians’. Therefore, it is the duty of every citizen to step out of their homes today and become a ‘soldier of the Constitution’ and vote to protect democracy.” - ANI

​

Voting has begun in Jammu and Kashmir’s Jammu constituency amid tight security arrangements. More than 17.81 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 22 candidates. The polling began at 7 am at all 2,416 polling stations across the constituency and it is going on smoothly, officials said. Voters were seen headed towards polling stations early in the morning, they said, adding that long queues of voters were seen at various polling stations in Jammu city. More than 15,000 polling staff, including reserves, have been deployed while security arrangements are foolproof to ensure free-and-fair polls.

Incumbent MP Jugal Kishore Sharma of the BJP is eyeing a third straight term in the Lower House of Parliament. 

This is the second Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir to go to polls. Earlier, polling was held in the Udhampur seat on April 19, recording a voter turnout of more than 68%. - PTI

Five constituencies in Bihar -- Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur and Banka -- are going to polls today. Over 93 lakh voters, including 45.15 lakh women and 306 belonging to the third gender, will decide the fate of 50 nominees, including three women, in these seats. 

Young voters form more than one-third of the electorate, with 13.77 lakh in the age group of 18-19 years and another 20.86 lakh aged between 20 and 29 years.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), a BJP ally, is contesting all the five seats. The elections are taking place when the State is reeling under an intense heat wave, with the mercury shooting past the 40-degrees Celsius mark in most parts. Officials have made arrangements for tents and drinking water at the polling centres. - PTI

Voting for the Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency began at 7 am. Nearly 14 lakh voters, will decide the fate of nine candidates who are contesting in this seat. The key contest is between BJP’s Kriti Devi Debbarman and INDIA bloc nominee Rajendra Reang, a former CPI(M) MLA.

Three constituencies in northern West Bengal -- Darjeeling, Balurghat and Raiganj -- are going to polls today. A total of 47 candidates, including state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, are in the fray, with 51.17 lakh people eligible to decide their fate.

Polling for the remaining part of the Outer Manipur parliamentary seat commenced today. Voting is underway in 857 polling stations, spanning 13 assembly segments in eight districts. Parts of the Outer Manipur seat, covering 15 assembly segments, and 32 assembly segments of the Inner Manipur, went to polls on April 19. Security measures in the seat have been enhanced significantly, with approximately 87 companies of central paramilitary forces and 4,000 state forces personnel deployed to ensure free and fair elections. Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023. - PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to cast their votes in record numbers in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls and said a high voter turnout strengthens democracy. 

Asserting that their vote is their voice, Mr. Modi told young voters and women voters to turn up at the polling booths in great numbers. - PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been travelling non-stop as he campaigns for BJP candidates in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. In this exclusive interview, he speaks to Nistula Hebbar on a range of issues.

We will never feel the need to change the basic structure of the Constitution: Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh interview: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh campaigns for BJP candidates, discusses key issues during visit to Vishakhapatnam.

Electorates in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra have started casting their votes to elect their representatives in the Parliament. 

The constituencies include five in the Western Vidarbha area — Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, and Yavatmal-Washim — and three in the drought-prone Marathwada region — Hingoli, Nanded, and Parbhani. — Abhinay Deshpande

A total of 1,198 candidates are contesting across all constituencies today. We looked into their affidavits and examined data from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and MyNeta.info. Here’s what we found.

Lok Sabha election 2024: Analysis of Candidates contesting in phase 2 polling

Analysis of Lok Sabha Phase 2 candidates reveals criminal cases, assets, and gender distribution among major parties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s controversial speech on the Congress party’s plans to “redistribute wealth” was the highlight of the high-voltage campaign for the second phase of the Lok Sabha election which ended on April 24.

The Congress, on its part, has approached the Election Commission and formally lodged a complaint seeking action against Mr. Modi. It alleged that the Prime Minister invoked religion and religious symbols to create enmity between groups.

2024 Lok Sabha polls phase 2 | As PM Modi targets Congress, campaign ends on a sour note

High-voltage campaign for Lok Sabha election's second phase, with PM Modi's controversial speech on wealth redistribution.