LIVE | 63% turnout in LS polls phase 4; Bengal tops with 76% amid violence
Polling was held in 96 constituencies across 9 states, 1 UT; 175 Assembly seats of Andhra Pradesh and 28 of Odisha also went to polls in this phase
A voter turnout of over 63 per cent was recorded in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections in 96 constituencies spread over nine states and one Union Territory amid incidents of violence in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal and reports of poll boycott in some villages of Uttar Pradesh.
There were also reports of malfunctioning of EVMs in some booths of West Bengal and Odisha.
The voting, which started at 7 am, continued till 6 pm. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the lowest voting percentage with 36.58 per cent voters exercising their franchise, while West Bengal recorded the highest with 75.94 per cent.
Among other states, Andhra Pradesh recorded 68.12 per cent, Bihar 56.85 per cent, Jharkhand 63.37 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 71.72 per cent, Maharashtra 52.75 per cent, Odisha, 63.85 per cent, Telangana 61.39 per cent and Uttar Pradesh 57.88 per cent till last reports came in on Monday.
In the first three of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, polling concluded in 283 seats out of 543.
For Monday, over 19 lakh polling officials were deployed at 1.92 lakh polling stations for over 17.70 crore eligible voters, including 8.73 crore women.
There were 1,717 candidates in the fray for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls.
Polling was held in all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, four in Odisha, eight in West Bengal and one in Jammu and Kashmir.
Also, 175 Assembly seats of Andhra Pradesh and 28 Assembly seats of Odisha went to polls in this phase.
Live Updates
- 13 May 2024 9:33 AM IST
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's message to women
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on X
"Hello my dear sisters
Women have made a huge contribution from the freedom struggle to the creation of modern India.
However, today our women are facing crisis amid severe inflation.
To do justice to their hard work and penance, Congress has come up with a revolutionary step.
Under Congress's 'Mahalakshmi' scheme, we will give Rs 1 lakh every year to a woman from a poor family.
Our guarantees have already changed the lives of crores of families in Karnataka and Telangana.
Be it MNREGA, Right to Information, Right to Education or Food Security... Congress Party has empowered millions of Indians through our schemes.
Mahalakshmi is the newest guarantee to take our work forward.
In this difficult time, I want to assure you that the hand of Congress is with you and this hand will change your situation."
- 13 May 2024 9:10 AM IST
EC rescues 3 kidnapped TDP polling agents in Andhra
Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena on Monday (May 13) said three TDP polling agents who were allegedly kidnapped in Chittoor district have been traced and secured.
According to a press release from the CEO's office, the TDP agents were kidnapped from Bokaramanda village in Chittoor district's Sadum mandal, which falls under the Punganuru Assembly constituency.
"TDP district in-charge Jagan Mohan Raju complained that TDP agents belonging to polling stations 188, 189 and 199 were kidnapped by YSRCP leaders while going to the polling stations," said Meena.
