Brothers Madhukar Jagtap (97), Madhav Jagtap (85) and Sadashiv Jagtap (84) show their fingers marked with indelible ink after casting their votes for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Nashik, on Monday, May 20. PTI
LIVE | West Bengal leads with 73% voter turnout; Maharashtra at bottom with 49%
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused the ECI of delaying the poll process deliberately at the behest of the Narendra Modi govt.
An approximate voter turnout of 57.51% was recorded on Monday (May 20) in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union Territories in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
According to the Election Commission of India figures, West Bengal recorded the highest polling at 73%, followed by Ladakh with 67.15%, Jharkhand with 63% and Odisha with 60.72% turnout.
Uttar Pradesh registered a voter turnout of 57.79% followed by Bihar with 55.85%, while Maharashtra witnessed 49.01% polling. The poll panel said Baramulla seat in J&K recorded all time highest voter turnout of 59%. There are provisional figures and the turnout could go up marginally in the final data.
West Bengal saw a voter turnout of 73% across seven constituencies, according to the Election Commission data. The highest turnout was in Arambagh at 76.90%, followed by Bangaon (75.73%), Uluberia (74.50%), Hooghly (74.17%), Sreerampur (71.18%), and Howrah and Barrackpore (68.84%).
Maharashtra recorded the lowest voter turnout at 49.01%, with less than 45% polling in Mumbai South. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray blamed the administration for low voter turnout, alleging that the BJP-led ruling alliance is apprehending defeat in the state. He accused the ECI of delaying the poll process deliberately at the behest of the Narendra Modi government.
Low turnout in Mumbai
Meanwhile, a voter turnout of 47.52 per cent was recorded till 5 pm across the six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai on Monday amid complaints of slow polling process, non-functional EVMs and names missing from voter rolls.
The city has a total of 99,38,621 registered voters while 116 candidates were in the fray in the six constituencies.
In Borivali, voters complained of names missing from the electoral list. Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad, who is contesting from Mumbai North Central, said she was getting worrying reports from across Mumbai about people waiting for several hours in queues amid heat, and returning without casing their vote. Many people said they had never waited this long to vote before and the complaints came especially from the areas where the Opposition's MVA coalition has a strong presence, she claimed.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, said he first complained to the EC about the slow pace of voting in the city, and Thackeray was blaming the Modi government only because the Opposition was staring at a defeat. Thackeray was preparing the ground to face the results on June 4, he added.
Poll violence in Bengal
Clashes broke out between BJP and TMC workers during the fifth phase of polling in West Bengal on Monday (May 20).
A local TMC leader was critically wounded when he was allegedly attacked with sharp-edged weapons by the BJP supporters at Arambagh in Hooghly. Another clash broke out between workers of the two rival parties in which a BJP panchayat leader was injured around 25 km away in Khanakul.
There were also reports of violent confrontation at Uluberia and Salkia in Howrah district. While the nephew of a BJP local leader was attacked in Uluberia, a CPI(M) party office was ransacked in Salkia.
Follow this space for LIVE updates:
Live Updates
- 20 May 2024 9:28 AM IST
#WATCH | Giridih: Kalpana Soren, wife of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren & JMM candidate for Gandey assembly by-election, says, "...I would like to appeal to voters in Gandey, Koderma and Hazaribagh to step out and vote. Celebrate this festival with joy and enthusiasm...People… pic.twitter.com/EavXWPiIJp
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2024 - 20 May 2024 9:21 AM IST
Your one vote will protect democracy, Constitution: Priyanka
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged people to cast their ballots, stressing that their vote will liberate the country from inflation, unemployment and economic crisis.
Voting is being held in 49 constituencies in six states and two union territories in the fifth phase, which will decide the electoral fate of several prominent leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah.
In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka said, "With your one vote, ₹1 lakh will come into the account of a woman from every poor family annually, every citizen will get the facility of free treatment worth ₹25 lakh, the youth will get 30 lakh government jobs, the youth will get apprenticeship worth (₹) 1 lakh annually, and SC/ST/OBC will get proper participation." "Your one vote will protect democracy and the Constitution of the country," the Congress general secretary said.
She appealed to the people of the country to vote in maximum numbers.
"Your one vote will free the country from inflation, unemployment and economic crisis and will strengthen the country," Priyanka said.
- 20 May 2024 9:12 AM IST
Mumbaikars queue up early at polling booths; Piyush Goyal, Anil Ambani, Akshay Kumar cast vote
Polling booths in many parts of Mumbai on Monday saw a good turnout, with prominent persons including Union minister Piyush Goyal, industrialist Anil Ambani and actor Akshay Kumar exercising their franchise in the early hours of voting.
The early voters also included Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik, actor Janhvi Kapoor, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and Marathi theatre actor Prashant Damle.
Voters queued up in large numbers at the polling booths before 7 am to exercise their franchise for elections to the Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai.
Piyush Goyal, the BJP nominee from Mumbai North seat, said the people of Mumbai are voting for a better future of the country.
The BJP leader said he got lot of affection during campaigning as a Mumbaikar.
BJP candidate in Mumbai North Central seat Ujjwal Nikam appealed to voters to cast their vote diligently.
City Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, who is contesting from Mumbai North Central seat, sported a band on her forearm with words "Main Samvidhan Rakshak" written on it and carried a copy of the Constitution to the polling booth.
A voter in Vile Parle said, "I decided to vote early to avoid the heat." "I wanted to vote and then leave for work," another elector said.
A voter in Bhandup claimed the enthusiasm among electors shows they want a change.
Actor Akshay Kumar exercised his franchise for the first time after his return to Indian citizenship.
Ram Naik and Mumbai North West seat Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar voted at the same polling station here.
Mumbai South seat Shiv Sena candidate Yamini Jadhav told reporters after voting that she has campaigned well over various issues.
"We are the real Shiv Sena," she added.
Shiv Sena's candidate from Mumbai North West seat Ravindra Waikar, Shiv Sena's Mumbai South Central seat nominee Rahul Shewale and his Shiv Sena (UBT) rival Anil Desai also cast their votes early in the morning.
Waikar told reporters he is known for his hard work and people know that if he is elected, Narendra Modi will be the prime minister again.
BJP's Mumbai North East seat nominee Mihir Kotecha and Shiv Sena (UBT) Mumbai South seat candidate Arvind Sawant were also among the early voters.
- 20 May 2024 9:12 AM IST
EC removes BSF personnel from election duty after 'molestation' complaint
The Election Commission on Monday removed a BSF personnel from poll duty in Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency following a complaint of molestation against him, an official said.
A woman lodged the molestation complaint at Uluberia Police Station on Sunday evening, he said.
“We have removed him from election duty. We are waiting for the police report. If found guilty, necessary action will be taken as per law,” the poll panel official told PTI.
Voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls commenced across seven parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal amid tight security on Monday.
The Election Commission has designated over 57 per cent of the polling stations as sensitive, and deployed over 60,000 personnel of central forces, in addition to around 30,000 policemen.
The number of security forces deployed for this phase surpasses that of any of the earlier four phases in the state, the official added.
- 20 May 2024 9:10 AM IST
#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir: JKNC's vice president Omar Abdullah says "I hope that people will use their votes. The biggest power in a democracy is the people's voice, people's votes. I appeal to the people of Baramulla to come out and cast their votes...I have always been saying… pic.twitter.com/pQ16fEpNBQ
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2024 - 20 May 2024 9:09 AM IST
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Independent candidate from Nashik, Shantigiri Maharaj puts garland over the voting machine after casting his vote at a polling booth in the constituency.#LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/a4g95wUodZ
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2024 - 20 May 2024 9:08 AM IST
#WATCH | Odisha: Hockey India president and BJD candidate from Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat, Dilip Tirkey says, "I appeal to the people of Sundergarh to come out and cast their vote. It is a festival of democracy and they should participate in it... Seeing the enthusiasm among the… https://t.co/r2iimqUY9p pic.twitter.com/RRnRLnAECZ
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2024 - 20 May 2024 8:57 AM IST
Vote for love not hate: Mallikarjun Kharge
As polling began in 49 constituencies for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday urged people to vote for love and not hatred and cast their ballot against unemployment and inflation.
Voting is being held in 49 constituencies in six states and two union territories in the fifth phase, which will decide the electoral fate of several prominent leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah.
In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, "If we want to protect democracy and the Constitution, we must vote. Before pressing the button on EVM, remember that we should vote for love and brotherhood, not for hatred." "We have to vote against unemployment and inflation, not to make a few capitalists richer. We have to vote for the protection of our fundamental rights, not for those who snatch our rights," the Congress president said.
He urged the people to vote for justice, not for injustice and oppression.
"Vote for democracy, not for dictatorship. The voters of the eight states and union territories who will exercise their right to vote today on 49 Lok Sabha seats will vote on the agenda of Yuva Nyay, Naari Nyay, Kisaan Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay.
"When your hand presses the EVM button, the already-unstable chair of dictatorship will suffer another setback and democracy will gain strength," Kharge said.
He also welcomed those voting for the first time, asserting that theirs is a historical responsibility.
"The trends of the four phases show that the departure of 'Hukmshah' is certain. Today is the fifth step towards farewell," the Congress president said.
A new beginning will be made from June 4, he said.
