Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 7 Highlights: Over 62 per cent voter turnout recorded, violence mars polls in Sandeskhali

During a press conference, Kangana Ranaut, the BJP candidate from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi Lok Sabha seat, highlighted the need for significant changes in the film industry, particularly regarding medical and pension-related support for artists. She spoke of Saroj Khan, who reportedly struggled with hospital bills.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar casts his vote at a polling booth in Bakhtiarpur.

“After 11 years, I’ve exercised my vote. The TMC’s goons won’t intimidate us. The people will make their own choice and elect PM Modi,” said Rekha Patra, the BJP candidate from Basirhat, after voting in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal.

Pratibha Singh, the Himachal Pradesh Congress president says that she is hopeful that people in large numbers are going to vote for the Congress party as they want change in the central government. “It is difficult for them (BJP) to cross even 200 seats,” she said.

In West Bengal, TMC supporters raised slogans against Tapas Roy, the BJP candidate from the Kolkata North Lok Sabha seat, outside a polling booth in Kolkata. They accused the BJP of engaging in proxy voting at the location. Roy responded to the allegations saying, “I don’t know about proxy votes; their polling agents are present there (at the polling booth).”

Police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd in Jadavpur where clash broke out. Some crude bombs were discovered in the area.

A clash erupted between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) at Bhanghar in Jadavpur constituency. Both parties’ supporters reportedly hurled crude bombs during the altercation. When the police arrived at the scene, protests ensued as both sides levelled allegations against each other.

Manoj Sinha, the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, cast his vote at a polling station in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.

TMC National General Secretary and candidate from Diamond Harbour seat, Abhishek Banerjee says, “TMC will better its tally compared to what we got in 2019, both in terms of seat share and vote share…In the last 6 phases of Lok Sabha elections, TMC has already surpassed 22 seats out of the 35 seats in West Bengal where voting has been done.”

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal cast vote at a polling booth in Sri Muktsar Sahib in Punjab. Polling is underway in Punjab. The BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal are contesting the polls on their own for the first time since 1996.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai offers prayers at Annamalaiyar Temple in Thiruvannamalai. Watch Video.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged people to vote in large numbers and deal a “final blow” to “this government which has become a symbol of arrogance and tyranny”.

“I am proud that even in this scorching heat, all of you have come out to vote to protect democracy and the Constitution,” the former Congress president said in a post in Hindi on X.

“Even today, come out in large numbers and give your vote as a ‘final blow’ to this government, which has become a symbol of arrogance and tyranny,” he said.

The sun of June 4, when the poll results are scheduled to be announced, is going to bring a new dawn in the country, Gandhi added.

Here’s how states have voted till 9 AM. Source: Voter Turnout app

Bihar: 10.58 per cent

Chandigarh: 11.64 per cent

Himachal Pradesh: 14.35 per cent

Jharkhand: 12.15 per cent

Odisha: 7.69 per cent

Punjab: 9.64 per cent

Uttar Pradesh: 12.94 per cent

West Bengal: 12.63 per cent

According to the Voter Turnout App by the ECI, a voter turnout of 11.31 per cent have been recorded till 9 AM.

TMC’s Lok Sabha candidate from Kolkata North seat Sudip Bandyopadhyay casts his vote.

Voting started at 7 am, and will continue until 6 pm. A total of 57,11,969 voters, including 438 individuals above the age of 100 years, are eligible to cast their votes.

In the 2019 elections, the voter turnout in Himachal Pradesh stood at 80.1 percent, with Mandi recording the highest polling at 82.3 percent, followed by Kangra at 80.9 percent, and Hamirpur and Shimla (SC) at 79.9 percent.

Stringent security measures have been put in place, with adequate deployment of security forces at 7,992 polling booths and two auxiliary polling stations. Additionally, 369 polling booths have been identified as critical.

Polling began for four Lok Sabha seats and six assembly by-elections across Himachal Pradesh. A total of 62 candidates, including 37 for Lok Sabha seats and 25 for assembly by-elections, are competing in this phase.

Notable figures whose political futures hang in the balance include Anurag Thakur from the BJP, Anand Sharma representing the Congress, Bollywood actor Kangna Ranaut also with the BJP, Vikramaditya Singh from the Congress, and the incumbent BJP MP from Shimla (SC), Suresh Kashyap.

The polling is underway for the Lok Sabha seats of Hamirpur, Mandi, Kangra, and Shimla, alongside by-elections for the assembly constituencies of Sujanpur, Dharamshala, Lahaul and Spiti, Barsar, Gagret, and Kutlehar.

Congress candidate from Varanasi Ajay Rai said, “We are receiving silent votes, and individuals who were previously aligned with other parties like BSP and Apna Dal are now joining our ranks. This indicates a growing sentiment for change among the public. Businesspersons and weavers in the city are discontented. The implementation of GST has adversely affected all businesses… He (PM Modi) should have spent time meditating on the banks of the Ganges.”

He faces Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP candidate, and BSP’s Ather Jamal Lari.

Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar casts his vote at a polling booth in Raj Bhawan, Patna.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath casts his vote at a polling booth in Gorakhnath, Gorakhpur. BJP‘s Ravi Kishan, SP’s Kajal Nishad and BSP’s Javed Ashraf are contesting from the seat. After casting his seat, he said that on June 4, the Modi government will come to power again.

Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav and their daughter Rohini Acharya arrive at a polling booth set up at Veterinary College, Patna, to cast their vote.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets, “Today is the final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As 57 seats across 8 states and UTs go to the polls, calling upon the voters to turnout in large numbers and vote. I hope young and women voters exercise their franchise in record numbers. Together, let’s make our democracy more vibrant and participative.”

EVM and VVPAT machine were reportedly thrown in water by a mob at booth number 40, 41 in Kultai, South 24 Parganas in Bengal.

Congress candidate from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat Ajay Rai offers prayers at a temple before casting his vote. He is up against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Apart from Diamond Harbour, the seventh phase of Lok Sabha poll covers Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, and Kolkata Uttar, where the TMC secured victories in the 2019 elections.

TMC’s de facto number two, Abhishek Banerjee, is contesting from Diamond Harbour, a constituency the party showcases as a ‘model’ area. Banerjee’s performance here will be closely monitored, especially as the opposition seeks to portray it as a ‘laboratory of violence’. Banerjee faces competition from CPI (M)’s Pratikur Rahaman and BJP‘s Abhijit Das in a three-way contest.

In South Bengal, traditionally a stronghold of the TMC, the upcoming polls will test the party’s dominance amidst an ongoing power struggle between established figures and emerging leaders. One area drawing significant attention is Sandeshkhali in Basirhat, where allegations of atrocities on women and land grabs have brought national focus.

In Chandauli, Maharajganj, and Mirzapur, Union ministers Mahendra Nath Pandey, Pankaj Chaudhary, and Anupriya Patel respectively are contesting. Afzal Ansari, the brother of late Mukhtar Ansari, is in the fray from Ghazipur, while Neeraj Shekhar, the son of former prime minister Chandrashekhar, is contesting from Ballia.

In Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s opponents include Ajay Rai (Congress), Ather Jamal Lari (BSP), Kolisetty Shiva Kumar (Yuga Thulasi Party), Gagan Prakash Yadav (Apna Dal, Kameravadi), and independents Dinesh Kumar Yadav and Sanjay Kumar Tiwari.

Polling in Uttar Pradesh is taking place in the parliamentary seats of Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, and Robertsganj (SC), spanning across 11 districts.

Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led NDA and the coalition of INDIA bloc members, including the Samajwadi Party and Congress.

The Election Commission of India urged voters to participate in greater numbers and cast their votes with responsibility and pride. The voter turnout in the first six phases was recorded at 66.14 per cent, 66.71 per cent, 65.68 per cent, 69.16 per cent, 62.2 per cent, and 63.36 per cent, respectively.