LIVE | Phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls records 61.78% voter turnout
The highest polling was recorded in Assam (75.30 per cent) while Maharashtra at 55.21 per cent accounted for the lowest voter turnout
The third phase of polls to 93 Lok Sabha constituencies across 11 states and Union territories on Tuesday (May 7) recorded a voter turnout of 61.78 per cent.
The maximum polling was witnessed in Assam which logged a voter turnout of 75.30 per cent, followed by Goa (74.47 per cent) and West Bengal (73.93 per cent). Maharashtra recorded the lowest at 55.21 per cent, according to Election Commission.
The voting percentage Gujarat was 56.91 per cent, Karnataka 68.82 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 63.67 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 57.34 per cent, , Bihar 56.55 per cent, Chhattisgarh 67.24 per cent, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 65.23 per cent.
The voting started at 7 am. While the official time for voting to end is 6 pm, it went beyond the fixed polling hours to enable several voters waiting in queues at polling stations to exercise their franchise.
As many as 17.24 crore people, including 8.39 crore females, were eligible to vote in this phase and 1.85 lakh polling stations manned by 18.5 lakh officials had been set up.
PM Modi votes in third phase
Until 6 pm a voter turnout of 55.22 per cent was recorded in 25 Lok Sabha seats of Gujarat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who exercised their franchise the state. While Modi cast his vote at a polling booth in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah voted at a polling booth in Ahmedabad.
Shah (Gandhinagar) is among the bigwigs in the fray in this phase along with Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).
Akhilesh alleges ‘booth looting’ in UP
In Uttar Pradesh, where several members of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's family are contesting, close to 55.13 per cent polling was recorded in 10 seats till 6 pm.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP workers were trying to "loot booths" in Mainpuri and people from opposition parties were being detained in police stations.
Yadav cast his vote in Saifai (Etawah) in Mainpuri constituency where his wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav is contesting.
Among other states, Chhattisgarh recorded 66.87 per cent polling, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 65.23 per cent, Goa 72.52 per cent, Karnataka 66.05 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh 62.28 per cent, according to the EC.
Violence in West Bengal
Sporadic incidents of violence marred the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in four constituencies in West Bengal as TMC, BJP and Congress-CPI(M) workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats.
According to officials, Murshidabad registered the highest voter turnout of 76.49 per cent followed by Maldaha Dakshin (73.68 pc), Maldaha Uttar (73.30 pc), and Jangipur (72.13 pc).
The TMC, BJP, and the Congress-CPI(M) alliance lodged separate complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents.
In the Karimpur area of the seat, clashes were reported between the TMC and the CPI(M) supporters outside a few booths. Clashes were reported between the TMC and the Congress activists from the Domkol area.
BJP candidate Dhanajoy Ghosh faced protests by TMC cadres in the Jangipur area as he tried to enter some of the booths in the constituency.
3 dead in Karnataka
Queues were seen at polling booths in most Lok Sabha segments in northern districts of Karnataka.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Bhagwanth Khuba, and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge were among those who came in early to cast their votes in Karnataka.
Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa along with sons B Y Raghavendra, BJP candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha segment and B Y Vijayendra, party's state President – and daughters-in-law cast their vote at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district.
Two government officials on poll duty died in Karnataka after suffering a heart attack, sources in the Election Commission said.
A 45-year-old woman polling officer – Kaushika Babariya – deployed at a polling booth in Amreli district of Gujarat, also died of a heart attack.
In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar were among those who cast their votes.
Sharad Pawar welcomed with ‘aarti’
Sharad Pawar was welcomed with a traditional 'aarti' as he arrived at a polling booth in the Malegaon area of Baramati constituency in Pune district.
Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar cast their votes at a polling booth in Katewadi area of Baramati.
Sunetra is pitted against her sister-in-law Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar's daughter and the sitting MP from there.
In Assam, people lined up in large numbers across four Lok Sabha constituencies to cast their vote.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and daughter Sukanya Sarma exercised his franchise at Amingaon in Barpeta Lok Sabha seat.
People used all modes of transport, including boats, to reach the polling stations across Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar constituencies to exercise their democratic franchise amid rain.
Over 1,300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray in the third phase.
Voting was completed in 189 seats out of 543 seats in the first two phases. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.
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Live Updates
- 7 May 2024 7:03 PM IST
Chhattisgarh: 66.87% voting recorded till 5 pm in 7 LS seats
A voter turnout of 66.87 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in seven out of the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Chhattisgarh, where polling was held in the third and last phase of the general elections in the state on Tuesday, a poll official said.
Polling was held between 7 am and 6 pm in seven seats - Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates), Surguja (reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates) and Raigarh (ST).
"A voter turnout of 66.87 per cent has been registered till 5 pm," the official said.
- 7 May 2024 5:11 PM IST
58.19% polling in Chhattisgarh till 3 pm
A voter turnout of 58.19 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in seven of the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Chhattisgarh, where polling was underway in the third and last phase of the general elections in the state on Tuesday, a poll official said.
Polling is being held in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates), Surguja (reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates) and Raigarh (ST) seats.
"Polling in the seven Lok Sabha constituencies started at 7 am, and a voter turnout of 58.19 per cent has been registered till 3 pm. Polling is underway smoothly and peacefully," the official said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and his family members voted in Bagia, their native village in Jashpur district in the Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency.
Talking to reporters, Sai appealed to voters to exercise their voting rights, and exuded confidence that the BJP will win all 11 Lok Sabha seats of the state.
"The feedback of polling in the first two phases for four Lok Sabha seats, the huge response of people during public rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and other leaders, and the impact of works done in the 10 years of Modi government and three months of our government in Chhattisgarh, clearly indicate that we are going to win all 11 seats in the state," he said.
- 7 May 2024 5:08 PM IST
61% voting till 3 pm in two Lok Sabha seats in Goa
A voter turnout of 61 per cent was witnessed in the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Goa till 3 pm in the third phase of the general elections on Tuesday, officials said.
As per data shared by the election authorities, 61.28 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in North Goa, while 61.5 per cent turnout was recorded in South Goa.
Polling at 1,725 centres, 863 in North Goa and 862 in South Goa, began at 7 am.
The early voters included Pallavi Dempo (BJP, South Goa), Viariato Fernandes (Congress, South Goa), Rubert Pereira (RGP, South Goa), Shripad Naik (BJP, North Goa), Ramakant Khalif (Congress, North Goa) and Manoj Parab (RGP, North Goa).
While there were no queues outside polling stations in the first few hours, voters started stepping out later in the day.
Talking to PTI, Goa assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar said his assembly constituency of Canacona will record more than 80 per cent turnout, and more votes would mean an advantage for the BJP.
State Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Desai said voters had come out in large numbers to vote for the BJP and claimed that a booth in his Sanguem assembly constituency recorded 100 per cent voting till 3 pm.
Congress leader Girish Chodankar, however, refused to concede that it is an advantage for the BJP, citing that more voter turnout meant that people voted against the establishment.
More than 11 lakh voters were eligible to exercise their franchise for elections to the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa.
In North Goa, the Congress has fielded Ramakant Khalap against sitting MP Shripad Naik of the BJP, while in Sout Goa, entrepreneur Pallavi Dempo is taking on Navy veteran Viriato Fernandes of the Congress.
The South Goa Lok Sabha seat is currently held by Congress' Francisco Sardinha.
A total of 16 candidates, eight were in the fray in North and South Goa Lok Sabha constituencies each
- 7 May 2024 4:36 PM IST
BJP workers trying to loot booths in Mainpuri, alleges SP chief Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the BJP workers were trying to loot booths in the state's Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency and detaining people from opposition parties in police stations.
"In Mainpuri, BJP people are trying to loot booths. They are detaining opposition people in police stations," Yadav said without giving details.
The Lok Sabha seat went to polls in the third round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday.
Yadav, who cast his vote in Saifai (Etawah) for Mainpuri constituency where his wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav is in the fray, also claimed that there is a power tussle going on within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and, therefore, its leaders give statements for "self-appeasement".
He also alleged rigging of votes at some places and said, "Information is coming from some places that the government is using force. It is heard that officers have been deployed outside polling booths." The former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh said the BJP government could not give minimum support price to the farmers and more than a thousand farmers lost their lives in the agitation against "the three black farm laws".
He also indirectly referred to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in 2021, in which four farmers were allegedly run over by a car in which Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was seated, and said, "These people ran their cars over farmers. Since 2014, when the BJP government came to power, one lakh farmers committed suicide in the country." Yadav raised questions on elections being held in the scorching heat and said this is being done to deliberately trouble people.
He, however, appealed to voters to come out in big numbers and cast their ballots.
"This is the vote that can change our lives. It is this vote that will strengthen the Constitution and democracy. The more votes we have, the stronger our democracy will be," the SP chief said.
Meanwhile, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, who also cast his vote in Saifai, alleged that the BJP will change the Constitution if they return to power.
"BJP has also prepared a new constitution. When someone gets absolute power he heads towards dictatorship," he said.
On Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement that the current Lok Sabha election is an election between 'Ram Bhakts' and 'Ramdrohi', Ram Gopal Yadav said, "When one gets intoxicated with power, a person starts talking about anything. That's what our Chief Minister is doing".
The fight in this Lok Sabha election is to save the country, he said, adding that Dimple Yadav will win the Mainpuri seat with five lakh votes.
- 7 May 2024 4:25 PM IST
50.71 per cent voter turnout till 3 pm
Assam – 63.08%
Bihar – 46.69%
Chhattisgarh – 58.19%
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu – 52.43%
Goa – 61.39%
Gujarat – 47.03%
Karnataka – 54.20%
Madhya Pradesh – 54.09%
Maharashtra – 42.63%
Uttar Pradesh – 46.78%
West Bengal – 63.11%
