Election LIVE | First phase records 62% voter turnout; violence, EVM glitches affect voting

#WATCH | Manipur | There was firing and clash by unidentified miscreants at a polling booth in Moirangkampu Sajeb Awang Leikai of Imphal during voting in Lok Sabha elections today; 1 civilian was injured in the incident pic.twitter.com/m2sUyTfQC4

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Over 68% votes cast in Tripura West till 3 pm amid allegations of irregularities

Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency registered a voter turnout of 68.11 per cent till 3 pm on Friday amid allegations of irregularities.

The opposition Congress and CPI(M) alleged that large-scale "rigging" happened in several places across the constituency, with the Election Commission saying that it received some complaints and was looking into those.

In the bypolls to Ramnagar assembly seat, which was being held simultaneously, a turnout of 56.68 per cent was recorded.

"Polling has been largely peaceful. Some complaints of stopping voters from going to booths, driving out of polling agents and malfunctioning of EVMs were received. We are checking all the complaints," Tripura West Returning Officer Vishal Kumar said.

Security forces are keeping a close watch on the situation, he said.

Amidst threats and intimidations of voters and polling agents, a delegation of opposition INDIA bloc met Kumar and urged him to ensure that all eligible voters can exercise their franchise.

"For the past two days, BJP-backed miscreants have been threatening selected polling agents of INDIA bloc in various subdivisions of Tripura West Parliamentary constituency and Ramnagar assembly seat. Many voters were driven out of the voting line. We briefed these matters to the RO for seeking remedial measures", Asish Saha, INDIA bloc candidate for Tripura West Lok Sabha seat told reporters.

Congress-supported CPI(M) candidate in Ramnagar, Ratan Das, alleged that "goons" drove out his agents from most of the booths.

Das said he handed over a letter to the RO informing him about largescale irregularities in several booths of Ramnagar.

"In the Ramnagar assembly seat, voters living along the Indo-Bangla border were threatened on Thursday evening not to go to the polling booths. The BJP workers forcibly took away the voter slips distributed by the EC", Das wrote in the letter.

BJP chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty, however, refuted the allegations of rigging and threats to voters and polling agents.

"Voters were seen in long queues and there was no threat or intimidation. Actually, people have not accepted the electoral tie-up between the CPI(M) and Congress. That's why they did not find their election agents. We are sure that the deposits of INDIA bloc candidates will be forfeited", he said. Altogether 14.61 lakh people are eligible to vote in Tripura.

Congress has pitted Saha against BJP's Biplab Kumar Deb, the former CM, in the Tripura West seat.

In Ramnagar, where 54,669 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise, the BJP has fielded Agartala mayor Dipak Majumder against CPI(M)'s Das.

Low voter turnout in Chennai Central; Dharmapuri logs highest turnout

Polling in Chennai Central, one of the three Lok Sabha constituencies in the city, has been the lowest in the state which went to polls on Friday.

Voter turnout in this constituency was 24.09 percent at 11 am, 32.31 percent at 1 pm and 41.47 percent at 3 pm, Chief Electoral Satyabrata Sahoo said.

As per the status at 3 pm, the state had polled 51.41 per cent, he told reporters. Dharmapuri with 57.86 percent saw the highest turnout in the state at 3 pm followed by Namakkal at 57.67 and Kallakurichi at 57.34 percent.

Eight constituencies (out of 39 in the state) polled below 50 percent at 3pm. These included the three constituencies in the city - Chennai North, Chennai South and Chennai Central- which polled 44.84, 42.10 and 41.47 percent, respectively. The others are Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Sriperumbudur.

53.40% voter turnout recorded across 6 seats in MP till 3 pm

A voter turnout of 53.40 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in six Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, where elections are underway in the first phase on Friday, an official said.

The constituency-wise polling percentage is: Balaghat 63.69 per cent, Chhindwara 62.57, Jabalpur 48.05, Mandla 58.28, Shahdol 48.64 and Sidhi 40.60, the official said.

Voting in Baihar and Paraswada assembly constituencies under the Balaghat Lok Sabha seat was held from 7 am to 4 pm for security reasons due to Naxal influence, he said, adding that a centre in Dublai area in Baihar constituency saw 100 per cent voting, with all 80 voters there exercising their franchise.

The early voters in the state included former chief minister Kamal Nath, his son Nakul Nath, who is contesting from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat, and their spouses.

Chhattisgarh: 58.14% turnout till 3 pm in Bastar; CRPF man killed

A voter turnout of more than 58 per cent was recorded till 3 pm on Friday in the Naxal-hit Bastar Lok Sabha constituency of Chhattisgarh, which saw the death of a CRPF jawan after a grenade accidentally went off and injury to an officer in an IED blast, officials said.

Amid tight security, polling in the Bastar seat started at 7 am and 58.14 per cent turnout was registered till 3 pm, an election official said.

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan deployed on security duty was killed when a shell of an under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) accidentally exploded in Galgam village under Usoor police station limits in Bijapur district, a police official said.

The incident took place when security personnel were out on an area domination exercise near a polling booth, the official added.

"Constable Devendra Kumar, belonging to CRPF's 196th battalion, suffered serious injuries in the blast and was airlifted to Jagdalpur but he died during during treatment," he said.

In another incident, an assistant commandant of the CRPF was injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites exploded in Bhairamgarh police station area of Bijapur district, police said.

The incident occurred near Chihka polling booth under Bhairamgarh police station limits when a team of security personnel was out on an area domination operation in the area in view of polling.

During the exercise, Manu HC, assistant commandant belonging to CRPF's 62nd battalion, came in contact with the pressure IED, triggering a blast that caused injuries on his left leg and hand, he said.

Polling in booths of Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Chitrakot, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta assembly constituencies and 72 booths in Jagdalpur assembly constituency in the Bastar Lok Sabha seat ended at 3 pm, he said.

In Bastar assembly constituency, polling is being held from 7 am to 5 pm, while in Jagdalpur, 175 booths are seeing voting from 7 am to 5 pm, he added.

Officials said long queues of voters were witnessed at several polling stations in Dantewada, Bijapur and Bastar districts. Elderly voters, some in wheelchairs, also arrived at the polling booths to cast their vote.

Newly married couple Devesh Thakur and Gangotri Thakur were the cynosure of all eyes as they came to vote at Guriya booth in Naraynapur district in their wedding attire.

Among the initial voters were Congress candidate Kawasi Lakhma, who cast his vote at the Nagaras polling booth (Sukma), BJP's Mahesh Kashyap in Kalcha (Bastar), state BJP chief Kiran Deo in Shanti Nagar (Jagdalpur- Bastar) and state Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap in Farsaguda (Bastar).

Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P and Commissioner of Bastar Division (Revenue) Shyam Dhawade cast their votes in Haatkachora polling booth in Bastar district.

Sundarraj said that in this battle of "ballot versus bullet", ultimately the ballot would emerge successful, meaningful and powerful.

"Despite repeated boycott and threat calls by Maoists, there is lot of enthusiasm and commitment among the people of Bastar, who are turning out in huge numbers to the polling stations," he said.

The IG appealed to the voters of Bastar to come out to polling stations and exercise their franchise in order to strengthen the democratic values.

Defying a poll boycott call by Naxalites in remote Chandameta in Bastar district, villagers were seen queuing up to cast their votes in the polling booth there.

The Balud polling booth in Dantewada district sported the theme of environment conservation, with officials giving away saplings to voters to create awareness about conservation.

At least 60,000 state and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across the constituency to ensure peaceful polling.

Altogether 14,72,207 voters, comprising 7,71,679 women, 7,00,476 men and 52 transgenders, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the seat for which 11 candidates in the fray, the official said.

As many as 1,961 polling booths have been set up in the constituency, 61 of which have been categorised as vulnerable and 196 as critical, officials said.

The main fight is between the Congress' firebrand leader Kawasi Lakhma and BJP's Mahesh Kashyap, a fresh face, in Bastar, which the saffron party lost in 2019.

The voter turnout in Bastar Lok Sabha seat stood at 66.04 per cent in 2019 polls.

Puducherry records 58.86% polling till 3 pm; pink booths draw crowds

Polling picked up momentum in Puducherry as the union territory gets set to elect their lone representative to the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Official sources said that the polling percentage shot up to 58.86 at 3 p.m. Polling will end at 7 p.m.

The Union Territory has 10,23,699 voters spread over Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam regions.

A visit to some of the polling stations in the rural areas brought to the fore a mixed picture of voter turnout, which was mediocre in some places and high in others.

Kothandapani (89) along with his 86-year-old wife Krishnammal turned up at a booth in the Veerampattinam coastal village in Ariyankuppam Assembly constituency to cast their votes. Kothandapani is the grandfather of the AIADMK contestant G. Tamizhvendhan, family sources told media at the booth.

Voters turned up before commencement of the polls at most of the booths, official sources said. In one of the polling stations in Mudaliarpet assembly constituency, the VVPAT developed some snags and there was a delay of 45 minutes in the commencement of polling. Official sources said that as soon as the VVPAT developed technical snags, the engineers of BEL were called to rectify the defects.

Pink booths were the center of attraction. The green environment at a booth housed on the premises of the more-than-century-old VOC Government Boys school in the town added to the lustre of the arrangements. The elections department distributed gruel, nutritious cereals and millets and also buttermilk to the voters, sources said.

Volunteers were deployed to help aged and disabled voters to approach the booth without difficulties. Police also took care of the senior citizens and helped them get into the booth to cast their votes.

Puducherry recorded 28.10 percent polling till 11 a.m.

There are 26 aspirants in the fray in this seat. The BJP nominee and Home Minister of Puducherry A Namassivayam and the Congress president and sitting member of Lok Sabha VVaithilingam are locking horns in the poll battle.

47.44 pc% turnout in 8 LS seats of UP; booth-capturing alleged in Muzaffarnagar

An average voter turnout of 47.44 per cent was recorded in the first eight hours of polling on Friday in eight western Uttar Pradesh constituencies where voting is underway in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election.

The polling began at 7 am.

According to the Election Commission (EC), till 3 pm, 53.31 per cent voting was reported in Saharanpur, 46.28 per cent in Moradabad, 48.92 per cent in Kairana, 48.15 per cent in Nagina, 49.06 per cent in Pilibhit, 47.70 per cent in Bijnor, 42.77 per cent in Rampur and 45.18 per cent in Muzaffarnagar.

These seats fall in the Jat and sugarcane belt of the state. The voting percentage after seven phases of Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2019 was 59.11.

According to election officials, the poll exercise is underway without any major glitches or law-and-order issues.

People in some areas of Pilibhit district announced a poll boycott as a protest against the lack of civic amenities. The residents of Purana village, located in the Barkheda Police station limits, said they will not vote in protest against the absence of a bridge in the area.

People in Dahgala, Bakshpur and nearby villages boycotted polling as the road leading to the villages through the officers' colony has allegedly been blocked.

In the Neuria area of the district, some villagers said they would not vote as they are aggrieved over the issue of man-animal conflict. They alleged that tigers from the adjoining Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) venture out of the forest and kill villagers but nothing has been done by the administration to prevent such incidents.

Pilibhit District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh said, "We have received information that some villagers are boycotting the polls over local issues. The officials concerned have been directed to visit these villages to talk to them and ensure that they participate in the voting process." Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Harendra Singh Malik alleged booth capturing in a village in Muzaffarnagar district, urging the EC for the deployment of paramilitary personnel.

The former Rajya Sabha MP shared a letter on social media that he addressed to the chief election commissioner in Delhi for sending paramilitary personnel to Kutba Kutbi, the village of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sanjeev Balyan, alleging "booth capturing" by "agents" of the saffron party.

"Sir, I am the Samajwadi Party candidate from the (03) Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha constituency. In Kutba Kutbi village of BJP candidate Sanjeev Balyan, booth capturing is being done by BJP agents and voters are being beaten up and sent away without casting their votes," Malik wrote in Hindi.

However, District Election Officer Aravind Mallappa Bangari denied the allegation and said he, along with the district police chief, is on his way to the village to review the situation.

Average turnout at 44.7% in 5 seats in Maharashtra till 3 pm

Nearly 44.7 per cent of the 95 lakh eligible voters have cast their ballots till 3 pm on Friday in the five Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra where polling is underway in the first phase of the general elections, an official said.

A snake on the premises of the KDK College here briefly disrupted polling at the booth there, said the person who rescued the reptile.

Altogether 97 candidates, including Union minister Nitin Gadkari, are in the fray in Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Bhandara-Gondia, Chandrapur and Naxal-hit Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) constituency, all located in eastern-most parts of the state.

The voter turnout stood at 45.88 per cent in Bhandara-Gondia till 3 pm, the official said. Chandrapur recorded a turnout of 43.48 per cent, Gadchiroli-Chimur 55.79 per cent, Nagpur 38.43 per cent and Ramtek 40.10 per cent till 3 pm, the official said.

The average turnout in the five seats was about 44.73 per cent till 3 pm, he said.

To avoid any technical snags cropping up in Electronic Voting Machines being used in remote polling booths in Gadchiroli, three spare EVMs were dispatched by a helicopter to the Sironcha area of the district, another official said.

Sikkim registers 52.73% polling till 3 pm

Over 50 per cent of the 4.64 lakh voters in Sikkim have exercised their franchise in the 32 Assembly seats and in the lone Lok Sabha constituency till 3 pm on Friday, an official said.

Voting for the 32 Assembly constituencies and in the lone Lok sabha seat in the Himalayan state began at 7 am and will end at 5 pm.

Till 3 pm the Himalayan state has registered 52.73 per cent polling, the official said Polling is underway in 573 polling stations, out of which 88 are in urban and 485 in rural areas, Sikkim Chief Electoral Officer D Anandan said.

Thirteen companies of CAPF have been deployed in Sikkim, of which five companies are from ITBP and eight from SSB, he added.

Over 41% polling recorded in 12 LS seats in Rajasthan till 3 pm

Over 41 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first eight hours of polling on Friday in 12 parliamentary constituencies of Rajasthan where voting is underway in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election, officials said.

According to the Election Commission, polling began at 7 am amid tight security arrangements and 41.51 per cent voting took place till 3 pm.

The highest voter turnout of 50.14 per cent has been recorded in the Ganganagar Lok Sabha seat while Karauli-Dholpur saw the lowest turnout of 33.86 per cent, it said. Jaipur so far recorded a poll percentage of 49.48.

There are 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan. In the first phase, voting is being held in Churu, Nagaur, Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu, Bikaner, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur and Dausa Lok Sabha seats, and 114 candidates are in the fray.