Voting was held for 51 parliamentary constituencies spread across seven states — Bihar (5 seats), Jharkhand (4), Madhya Pradesh (7), Rajasthan (12), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (7) and Jammu and Kashmir (2 seats) on Monday. In Uttar Pradesh, three high-profile constituencies were up for voting — Amethi, Raebareli and Lucknow. BJP minister Smriti Irani is contesting against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is contesting from Lucknow and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is in the fray from Raebareli. In 2014, the BJP had won 12 of these 14 seats that went to polls in Uttar Pradesh today. The Election Commission had set up 94,000 polling stations and made elaborate security arrangements. With this phase of polling, the election is now over in 424 seats and the remaining 118 seats will go to polls on May 12 and 19.
Earlier on Monday, the Election Commission rejected a plea seeking rescheduling of the commencement of voting from 7 am to 4.30/5.00 am during the month of Ramzan. The Commission said that it did does not find it feasible to alter the existing hours of the poll for the 5th, 6th and 7th phase of general elections.
The Election Commission has decided to extend the completion of elections on Patkura assembly constituency in Odisha for 60 days. The decision was taken due to Cyclone Fani. Earlier, ECI had appointed 19th May as the date of poll for Patkura Assembly Constituency after the demise of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla.
BSP supremo Mayawati Monday said the "frustrated" leaders of the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi were trying to create fissures in the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
Mayawati was reacting to Modi's speech at an election rally in Pratapgarh on Saturday alleging that the Samajwadi Party was "going soft" on the Congress, as opposed to the Bahujan Samaj Party which was attacking the grand old party.
"The BJP is frustrated and is trying to create fissures in the alliance," she said, claiming that the joint candidates of the alliance were way ahead of the saffron party nominees in the four phases of polling that has concluded so far.
Notwithstanding the soaring mercury, several centenarians cast their vote in Rajasthan during polling for 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in the desert state on Monday, setting an example for the younger generation.
Veera Singh, a 114-year-old resident of Raisinghnagar in Sriganganagar district, reached the polling station to vote this morning. 104-year-old Gangaram and 102-year-old Gurdayal Kaur exercised their franchise in Jaipur and Suratgarh town of Sriganganagar district respectively.
The Congress has sought re-polling in several booths in Shopian and Pulwama districts of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency, alleging that the NC and the PDP indulged in bogus voting in many areas.
In a statement, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president allege bogus voting in some booths under Pampore and Rajpora Assembly segments.
A scuffle broke out between Trinamool Congress's MP from HOwrah Prasun Banerjee and security forces at polling booth no. 49 & 50 in Howrah.
A scuffle between Barrackpore seat's BJP candidate Arjun Singh and central forces was reported when the former TMC MLA tried to enter a booth following allegations that voters were not being allowed to exercise their franchise there, the official said.
Singh who was allegedly injured during the scuffle, was later seen chasing "fake voters" in Naihati area.
A petrol bomb was hurled at a polling station in South Kashmir's Shopian during the fifth phase polling of the Lok Sabha elections on Monday, news agency ANI reported. No loss of life or injuries have been reported yet.
Madhya Pradesh witnessed a voter turnout of 53.84% till 4pm. This is the second phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh. The key candidates in the fray are Union minister Virendra Singh Khatik and BJP MP Prahlad Patel.
An estimated 50.60% voters cast their votes across the 51 Lok Sabha constituencies in the fifth phase of 2019 general elections. West Bengal witness the highest voter turnout at 63.16%, according to the Election Commission's app Voter Turnout.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s charge that the BJP has made Lord Ram a polling agent and said that the deity runs through the veins of his party workers. Addressing a rally in Bengal, Modi said: “I want to tell Didi very categorically that Bhagwan Ram is in our blood. Ram is in our culture. Shree Ram is our inspiration, pledge and therefore, we believe in nationalism.” Read full story here.
Over 45 per cent voter turnout was recorded Monday till 3 pm in 14 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh where Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi are in the fray. Among early voters in the state capital included Home Minister Singh, BSP supremo Mayawati, Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, DGP OP Singh and Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar.
Election Commission of India has given relaxation in Model Code of Conduct in Maharashtra and has allowed state govt to carry out drought relief work. State Chief Minister Decendra Fasnavis requested for the same from poll body recently.
A grenade attack on a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, violence in West Bengal and EVM glitches were reported during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls Monday across seven states in which voters turned out in considerable numbers till the afternoon. Political heavyweights Rajnath Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani are in the fray in this phase in which polling is underway in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven seats each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar and four in Jharkhand.
"He did not even respect the words in his name, 'Sita-Ram,' he insulted Ramayana and Mahabharata", Prime Minister Narendra Modi says on CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yecgury in Jhargram, West Bengal. The constituency will go on polls during 6th phase on May 12.
According Voter Turnout app, 40% polling has been recorded till 2 pm from all the seven states where polling is currently underway for 51 seats. Bihar - 32.27%, J&K - 11.35%, MP - 43.99%, Rajasthan - 42.79%, UP - 35.15%, WB - 51.04%, Jharkhand - 45.98%.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that attacks on him during public meetings are being orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that PM Modi has a cordial relationship with Pakistan.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati has indicated that if she gets a chance to become the Prime Minister, she will contest the Lok Sabha election from Ambedkar Nagar. "If all goes well, I may have to seek election form here because the road to national politics passes through Ambedkar Nagar," she said. Mayawati has won the Lok Sabha elections from Ambedkar Nagar four times - 1989, 1998, 1999 and 2004.
33.33% turnout has been recorded in the fifth phase Lok Sabha elections so far. Bihar - 28.23%, J&K - 6.54%, MP - 33.09%, Rajasthan - 35.59%, UP - 28.34%, WB - 42.35%, Jharkhand - 38.96%.
Actor Ashutosh Rana after casting his vote at polling booth number 105 in Gadarwara, Narsinghpur of Madhya Pradesh.
According to Voter Turnout app, 27.12% polling has been recorded till 12 noon. Bihar - 20.74%, J&K - 6.09%, MP - 29.71%, Rajasthan - 29.40%, UP - 22.96%, WB - 33.57%, Jharkhand - 29.49%.
In Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur, a man votes after performing his father's last rites.
One person was taken into custody after he vandalised an EVM machine in Chhapra. According to ANI, the man has been identified as Ranjit Paswan. The incident took place at polling booth number 131.
BJP's Amethi candidate and Union minister Smriti Irani has claimed booth capturing by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. She has also tweeted a video of an elderly woman narrating how she was forced to press the Congress button on the EVM.
Polling is currently underway for 51 Lok Sabha seats in seven states. Turnout till 10 am - Bihar - 11.51%, J&K - 0.97%, MP - 13.04%, Rajasthan - 14%, UP - 9.86%, WB - 16.56%, Jharklhand - 13.46%
An estimated 12.22 per cent of the 65,87,028 electorate cast their votes till 9 am on Monday in four Lok Sabha constituencies of Jharkhand, in the second phase of polling in the state. The prominent candidates include Union Minister Jayant Sinha, former chief ministers Arjun Munda and Babulal Marandi, former union minister Subodh Kant Sahay and ex-MLA Kalicharan Munda. While Jayant Sinha of the BJP is seeking a re-election from Hazaribag, BJP candidate Arjun Munda is taking on Kalicharan Munda of the Congress in Khunti constituency. Congress candidate Subodh Kant Sahay is facing BJP's Sanjay Seth from Ranchi. Babulal Marandi, the president of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), is pitted against BJPs Annapurna Devi in Koderma. Of the total electorate, 31,44,679 are female and 83 belong to the third gender. Polling will be held in 8,834 polling stations till 4 pm amid tight security, the election official said. Source PTI
BJP leader and outgoing Home minister Rajnath Singh said that the Mahagatbandhan is no challenge for BJP in Lucknow from where he is seeking re-election. "I don't want to comment on her(SP-BSP-RLD candidate Poonam Sinha), as I believe elections are not about individuals but about issue," he said.
BJP leader and Union minister Jayant Sinha arrives at a polling booth in Hazaribagh to cast his vote.
Smriti Irani said that a person died as he was denied treatment at hospital where Rahul Gandhi is trustee, in Amethi just because he had Ayushman Bharat card.
BJP leader Smriti Irani slammed Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying, "She did not know my name five years back, now she keeps taking my name, such an accomplishment. Nowadays she takes her husband's name less and my name more."
The Congress party has suspended its Bihar leader Shakeel Ahmad for contesting as an independent from Madhubani. The party has also suspended MLA from Benipatti Bhavana Jha for anti-party activities in regard with ongoing elections. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Over 13% turnout was recorded in the first two hours of polling on Monday in 12 Lok Sabha seats of Rajasthan. The highest voter turnout till 9 am was in Ganganagar (SC) (15.18%), followed by Dausa (ST) where the voter turnout was 14.40%. 16 of the total 134 candidates are women. 23,783 polling stations have been set up in 12 constituencies where 2.30 crore voters are registered.
According to Voter Turnout app, nearly 12.02% turnout has been recorded till 9 am in seven states where polling is currently under for 51 seats. Bihar - 11.51%, J&K - 0.80%, MP - 11.79%, Rajasthan - 13.37%, UP - 9.82%, WB - 14.85%, Jharkhand - 13.46%
In Jharkhand's Hazaribagh, a man arrives with his 105-year-old mother to cast votes at polling booth number 450.
Polling was underway Monday in Shopian and Pulwama districts, both part of Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, and in Ladakh constituency of Jammu and Kashmir. Polling began at 7 am in Shopian and Pulwama districts and in Ladakh. Polling will conclude at 6 pm in Ladakh and 4 pm in Shopian and Pulwama districts. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Congress state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, former Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge and National Conference candidate Hasnain Masood, BJP's Sofi Yousuf and Zaffar Ali of the People's Conference are among the 18 candidates in fray from the Anantnag seat. In Ladakh, Rigzin Spalbar of Indian National Congress (INC), Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of BJP and Asgar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Hussain - both independents.
Arjun Singh, BJP candidate from Barrackpore alleged that he was attacked by TMC workers. He said, "I was attacked by TMC goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured."
According to television reports, a group of unidentified people hurled a grenade at a polling booth in Rohmoo of Pulwama of Anantnag Parliamentary constituency which is going to polls in three phases due to security concerns.
Polling is currently underway for phase 5 of Lok Sabha elections Monday. Here are some interesting facts about this phase: * 51 Lok Sabha constituencies across 7 states headed for polls, * Over 8.75 crore voters to decide fate of 674 candidates, * Over 96,000 polling booths in place for smooth conduct of polls, * Uttar Pradesh has maximum number of polling booths: 28,072, * Jammu and Kashmir has the least number of polling booths: 1,254, * Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency (PC) in Jammu & Kashmir going to polls in Phase III, Phase IV & Phase V, the only such PC in the country.
BSP supremo Mayawati casts her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow. THe BSP leader exercised her franchise in favour of Samajwadi Party candidate Poonam Sinha.
Union minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh casts his vote at a polling booth in Lucknow. Singh is a sitting MP from here and seeking re-election on 'Lotus' symbol.
According television reports, glitches in EVMs have delayed polling at many polling booths in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. Angry voters have alleged that they are standing in queues since morning but the polling has not started so far.