Elections 2019 Phase 7 Voting Live: Polling concludes in 542 seats, 60% voter turnout till 6 pm in last lap
Voting for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections began on Sunday amid tight security in 59 constituencies across eight states, including Varanasi where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election. Till 2 pm, the voter turnout was 41.29% with Jharkhand recording the highest percentage at 52.89.
The states and UT going to the polls today are Bihar (8), Jharkhand (3), Madhya Pradesh (8), Punjab (13), West Bengal (9), Uttar Pradesh (13), Himachal Pradesh (4) and Chandigarh (1). The results will be announced on May 23.
More than 10 crore voters will decide the fate of 918 candidates in the fray. Some of the key constituencies to go to the polls today are Varanasi that is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home turf, Patna Sahib that will see Shatrughan Sinha contesting against union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Chandigarh that has BJP leader Kirron Kher in the fray, and Gurdaspur where BJP’s Sunny Deol and Congress’ Sunil Jakhar will fight it out. Four Union ministers, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ram Kripal Yadav, RK Singh and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, are among the 157 candidates in Bihar.
Additionally, bypoll is being conducted in Panaji, necessitated due to the death of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar in March. Bye-elections are also be held in four assembly constituencies of Tamil Nadu – Sulur, Aravakurichi, Ottapidaram (SC) and Thiruparankundram – and the Dehri assembly seat in Bihar.
Two miscreants killed in exchange of fire with police in Dwarka, Delhi.
60.21% voter turnout recorded till 6 pm: Bihar-49.92%, Himachal Pradesh- 66.18%, Madhya Pradesh-69.38%, Punjab-58.81%, Uttar Pradesh-54.37%, West Bengal- 73.05%, Jharkhand-70.5%, Chandigarh-63.57% .
Himachal Pradesh: Visuals from polling booth no. 49 in Bhattakufer, Shimla, a polling station managed by differently-abled officials; On the directions of Election Commission, 12 differently-abled managed polling booth were set up in the state.
In 7th phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 7.27 crore voters took part of which 3.47 crore were women and 3,377 were persons of third gender.
A students band welcomed the voters at polling booth no. 76, a model polling station in Solan.
Polling officials seal EVMs and VVPATs after polling concluded at polling station – 37 in Dumka.
BJP writes to Chief Electoral Officer West Bengal, alleging violent incidents in 9 parliamentary constituencies of the state. Letter states, “We have filed 417 complaints to ECI, out of which 227 were resolved, a whooping number of 190 complaints are unresolved.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after casting her vote: Since morning the torture that BJP workers and CRPF have done during polling in our state, I have never seen it before.
Anupam Hazra, BJP: The presiding officer is trying to fool me saying he doesn’t know anything. I spoke to a few voters who said the presiding officer was whispering to them that they need to press the button which is inked. It’s clearly a pre-planned game.
Kolkata: Anupam Hazra, BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jadavpur, alleges a special mark was put on TMC’s symbol in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) to misguide illiterate & semi-literate voters and indicate them to press that button.
53.03% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm: Bihar-46.75%, Himachal Pradesh- 57.43%, Madhya Pradesh-59.75%, Punjab-50.49%, Uttar Pradesh-47.21%, West Bengal- 64.87%, Jharkhand-66.64%, Chandigarh-51.18%
Gaya: Locals in Chiriyawan village in Jehanabad boycott polls & protest outside polling booth no. 236 ; say, “road nahi to vote nahi. We went to so many offices, but Govt didn’t give ‘No Objection Certificate’. MLA says our village is not in the map, so why would we vote.”
Till 2 pm, voter turnout recorded is 41.42%
State | turnout (in %)
- Bihar: 36.20
- Himachal Pradesh: 44.02
- Madhya Pradesh: 46.03
- Punjab: 37.89
- Uttar Pradesh: 37.00
- West Bengal: 49.79
- Jharkhand: 52.89
- Chandigarh: 37.50
Visuals from the world’s highest polling station at Tashigang in Lahaul-Spiti, a part of Mandi Parliamentary constituency. The polling station is located at an altitude of 15, 256 feet above sea level.
In Patna Polling was stopped at booth number 101 & 102
Polling was stopped in Sarkuna village of Paliganj after a clash broke out between two groups.
Voting peaceful, will beat SAD-BJP: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said by and large elections have been peaceful in his state. “One incident of a murder was reported from Tarn-Taran. But initial police report says it was a case of personal enmity; Law&Order situation is peaceful. We’ll beat both BJP and Akali Dal.”
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from Barasat & candidate from the same constituency, argues with a security personnel at a polling booth in Barasat.
West Bengal: TMC’s Candidate from Basirhat, Nusrat Jahan greets people after casting her vote in the constituency.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman: Bengal ki CM jo shuru se dhamki deti aa rahi hain, isliye humein dar hai ki aaj polling khatm hone ke baad se TMC ka narsanghar udhar shuru hoga kya? Isliye hamari maang hai ki Central Armed Forces udhar rahen jab tak MCC khatam na ho.
Varanasi: Congress’s Ajay Rai who is contesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, said after casting his vote at a polling booth here earlier today, “work is being carried out in Varanasi on a temporary basis, nothing is permanent.”
Senior BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi casts his vote at a polling booth in Varanasi.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh casts his vote at polling booth no. 89 in Patiala.
Bombs hurled at booths in North Kolkata, allege voters
Isolated incidents of violence were reported from Basirhat and Kolkata Uttar seats. In Basirhat, bombs were hurled in Minakhan and Deganga areas. Voters alleged that they were prevented from voting at Malancha area of the constituency. In Kolkata Uttar seat, bombs were hurled near Shree Didoo Maheshwari Panchayat Vidyalaya which houses four booths. Locals alleged that some miscreants in motorbikes hurled two bombs to create panic among the voters. A huge contingent of Central Force and Kolkata Police led by DC Central Subhankar Sinha Sarkar rushed to the spot.
Tej Pratap Yadav’s personal security guards in Patna beat a camera person after he allegedly broke the windscreen of Yadav’s car. Tej Pratap Yadav was leaving after casting his vote. Yadav has filed an FIR in the incident.
Tej Pratap Yadav’s personal security guards in Patna beat a camera person after he allegedly broke the windscreen of Yadav’s car. Tej Pratap Yadav was leaving after casting his vote. Yadav has filed an FIR in the incident.
Congress’s candidate from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha Constituency, Shatrughan Sinha casts his vote at polling booth no.339 in St. Severin’s School, Kadam Kuan, Patna.
Farhan Akhtar urges Bhopal to vote against Pragya Thakur, gets trolled
BJP MP candidate from Basirhat alleges that TMC workers not allowing people to cast their votes
BJP MP candidate from Basirhat, Sayantan Basu has alleged that TMC workers are not allowing people to cast their vote.
A son took his 80 year old mother to polling booth to cast her vote.
PM Modi offers prayers at Badrinath Temple
Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu, cast their votes at booth number-134 in Amritsar
