LIVE | Phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls records 61.78% voter turnout
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's tweet translated: "Dear countrymen, this election is to save the country's democracy and constitution. This is an election to defeat historic unemployment, rampant inflation, institutional corruption and economic crisis. Your every vote is important. Vote in large numbers, using your discretion and thinking. Vote for your and your children's future. India will unite, India will win."
Rahul Gandhi's tweet translated: "Today is the third phase of voting! I request all of you to come out in large numbers and vote to protect your rights. Remember, this is not an ordinary election, it is an election to protect the democracy and constitution of the country."
“No doubt” Congress will win most of Karnataka seats: Kharge
After casting his vote in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the grand old party will register a thumping majority in the state and that there “was no doubt” about it.
The 81-year-old Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was accompanied by his wife Radhabai Kharge to a polling booth at Basavanagara.
While speaking to reporters here, he said, “Things are good; good reports are coming from everywhere. Alliance partners (INDI Alliance) are getting strength in this third phase (nationally). Definitely in this phase too we will get good support from the people,” he added.
Kharge said that he has been voting from Basavanagara in Kalaburagi since he became eligible for voting at the age of 21 (It is now 18).
“I never got it (polling locality) changed. When I became Minister, when I became opposition leader, KPCC (Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee) President, opposition leader in Parliament, I have never forgotten Basavanagara,” he said.
“People here have given me love and affection, they really developed my leadership. I'm grateful to the poor people, who stood with me. I'm with them,” he added.
Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani is the Congress candidate from Gulbarga (Kalaburagi) Lok Sabha segment, which the Congress veteran represented twice (2009, 2014), but lost in 2019.
At 6.64%, Maharashtra records lowest turnout till 9 am
A voter turnout of 6.64 per cent was recorded till 9 am as polling was underway in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra during the third phase of the general elections.
Latur recorded 7.91 per cent polling, Sangli 5.81 per cent, Baramati 5.77 per cent, Hathkanangale 7.55 per cent, Kolhapur 8.04 per cent, Madha 4.99 per cent, Osmanabad 5.79 per cent, Raigad 6.84 per cent, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg 8.17 per cent, Satara 7 per cent and Solapur 5.92 per cent.
Among the early voters included state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from Baramati, and his mother Asha Pawar.
They cast their votes at a polling booth in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Pune district.
Sunetra Pawar is pitted against Supriya Sule, the sitting MP from Baramati.
NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar, his wife Pratibha, daughter Supriya Sule and her family, MLA Rohit Pawar and his family also voted in Baramati.
Actor couple Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh cast their votes in Latur, while Union minister Narayan Rane voted in Sindhudurg.
Ritesh Deshmukh is the son of Congress leader and former state chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh.
Rane is the BJP candidate from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat.
Prominent contestants also include royal scions Shahu Chhatrapati of the Congress in Kolhapur and BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara.
12.94% votes polled in UP till 9 am
About 12.94 per cent voters cast their vote in the first two hours of polling for 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
While Sambhal witnessed 14.71 per cent polling, Hathras (SC) recorded 13.43 per cent, Agra (SC) 12.74 per cent, Fatehpur Sikri 14 per cent, Firozabad 13.36 per cent, Mainpuri 12.18 per cent, Etah 13.16 per cent, Budaun 12.89 per cent, Aonla 11.42 per cent and Bareilly 11.59 per cent till 9 am, according to the EC.
Prominent among those who cast votes are SP's Dharmendra Yadav in Saifai, BJP candidates SP Singh Baghel and Parmeshwar Lal Saini in Agra and Sambhal respectively.
13.24% votes polled in Chhattisgarh till 9 am
A voter turnout of 13.24 per cent was recorded till 9 am in seven of the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Chhattisgarh where polling was underway in the third and last phase of elections in the state, a poll official said.
Polling is being held in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (reserved for SC), Surguja (reserved for ST) and Raigarh (ST) seats in the third phase.
“Polling in the seven Lok Sabha constituencies started at 7 am. Till 9 am, 13.24 percent polling has been registered. Polling is underway smoothly and peacefully,” the official said.
Long queues of voters were seen at polling booths in some of the seats.
Chhattisgarh's Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao was among the early voters. He exercised his franchise at a polling booth in Bilaspur town.
State minister OP Choudhary cast his vote in Raigarh district and Congress candidate (Surguja seat) Shashi Singh at Shivpur village in Surajpur district.
State's Chief Electoral Officer Reena Babasaheb Kangale voted at Dharampura polling booth and Additional Chief Electoral Officer Nilesh Kshirsagar at Amlidih polling booth in Raipur.