New Delhi: Polling for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections began in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories Tuesday.
The voting which started at 7am will continue till 6pm.
Over 1,300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray in the third phase. Among the bigwigs are Union ministers Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).
Voting was completed in 189 seats out of 543 seats in the first two phases. The next four phases are scheduled to be held May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is June 4.
Around 60.19 per cent polling till 5 pm
A voter turnout of 60.19 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories Tuesday with sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal.
Assam recorded the highest turnout at 74.86 per cent followed by West Bengal at 73.93 per cent, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest at 53.63 per cent, with Bihar doing slightly better at 56.01 per cent.
According to the Election Commission, a voting percentage of 60.19 was recorded till 5 pm. The voting started at 7 am. While the official time for voting to end is 6 pm, it can go beyond fixed polling hours to enable voters who have come in the queue well in time fixed for the close of poll 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.
Violence during polls in Bengal
Sporadic incidents of violence marred the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in four constituencies in West Bengal as TMC, BJP and Congress workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats.
The TMC, the BJP, and the Congress-CPI(M) alliance lodged separate complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents.
The EC received 182 complaints by 9am, most of which were from Murshidabad and Jangipur constituencies.
In Murshidabad seat, Left-Congress combine candidate Mohammed Salim claimed that he caught hold of a “fake booth agent” in Rabinagar area of the constituency.
In Rabinagar area, Salim was greeted with “go back” slogans as he tried to enter a booth following allegations of CPI(M) booth agents being heckled by alleged TMC goons.
“The TMC has unleashed a reign of terror in the entire constituency. Strict action must be taken by the Election Commision,” Salim said.
Salim was seen shuttling from one booth to another as allegations of intimidation of voters surfaced in the area.
In 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 Domkol area.
BJP candidate Dhanajoy Ghosh faced protests by TMC cadres in Jangipur area as he tried to enter some of the booths in the constituency.
A voter turnout of 63.11 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in four Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal, a poll official said.
According to the official, Murshidabad registered the highest voter turnout with 65.40 per cent followed by Maldaha Dakshin (62.90), Jangipur (62.57), and Maldaha Uttar (61.50).
Bhagawangola assembly seat in Murshidabad district, where a bypoll is underway, recorded a turnout of 61.18 per cent till 3pm, the official said.
Altogether 73,37,651 voters, including 36,12,395 women and 154 belonging to the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise.
A total of 57 candidates are in the fray in the four constituencies where voting started at 7am and will continue till 6pm.
To ensure free and fair polling, the Election Commission has deployed 334 companies of central forces along with 13,600 state police personnel.
Battle of Baramati unfolds in Maharashtra
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 was welcomed with a traditional ‘aarti’ as he arrived at a polling booth in 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.
UP villagers boycott polls
In Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun, the villagers of Dhoranpur boycotted the polling to protest against leaders for not paying heed to their demand for a road.
District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said the issue has come to his notice and a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been sent to the village.
Not a single vote was also cast in three villages of Firozabad — Nagla Jawahar, Neem Kheria and Nagla Umar — as the villagers tried to draw the administration’s attention to their problems.
Modi, Shah exercise their democratic franchise in Gujarat
In Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among the early voters. While PM Modi cast his vote at a polling booth in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah cast his vote at a polling booth in Ahmedabad.
Polling is being held in 25 of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, and for bypolls in five assembly constituencies in the state.
Officials on poll duty succumb to heart attack in Karnataka
Two government officials on Lok Sabha poll duty died in Karnataka following heart attacks, sources in the Election Commission said.
Besides, 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.
“Out of 28 Lok Sabha seats, according to me we (BJP) are going to win at least 25 to 26 seats. The atmosphere is very good,” Yediyurappa said after voting.
Queues were seen at polling booths in most Lok Sabha segments in northern districts of Karnataka with voters, mostly senior citizens and morning walkers, lining up to cast their votes, with temperature expected to rise as the day progresses.
Madhya Pradesh: Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia can’t vote
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who are contesting the polls from Rajgarh and Guna, respectively, will not be able to vote for themselves as the former is a registered voter of Bhopal, and the latter is registered to vote from Gwalior, party sources said.
A voter turnout of 54.09 per cent was recorded till 3pm in nine Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh, where polling is underway in the third phase Tuesday, an election official said.
Of the nine seats, Betul recorded 59.63 per cent voting, Bhind 44.18 per cent, Bhopal 50.16 per cent, Guna 60.16 per cent, Gwalior 49.6 per cent, Morena 48.23 per cent, Rajgarh 63.69 per cent, Sagar 53.08 per cent and Vidisha 59.87 per cent, the official said.
Former chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Digvijaya Singh and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president VD Sharma were among the early voters.
45.88% turnout in Assam till 1pm
In Assam, people lined up in large numbers across four Lok Sabha constituencies to cast their votes.
The four Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, where polling was underway recorded a voter turnout of 45.88 per cent till 1 pm, officials said
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.
Dhubri recorded the highest turnout of 47.73 per cent, followed by Barpeta at 46.83 percent, Kokrajhar at 46.43 per cent, and Guwahati at 42.13 per cent.
Bihar: 36.69% turnout recorded in five LS seats till 1pm
Around 36.69 per cent of over 98 lakh voters exercised their franchise in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar till 1 pm on Tuesday, an election official said.
Voting in 9,848 polling stations in Araria, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Madhepura and Khagaria seats, all currently held by the NDA, began at 7am amid tight security and will continue till 6pm, he said.
Supaul recorded the highest turnout of 38.58 per cent, followed by Araria (37.09), Madhepura (36.84), Khagaria (36.02) and Jhanjharpur (34.94) till 1 pm.
The electoral fate of 54 candidates will be decided by 98,60,397 voters in the third phase of polling in Bihar.
Chhattisgarh: 46.14% turnout recorded in seven Lok Sabha seats till 1pm
A voter turnout of 46.14 per cent was recorded till 1pm 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, 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 46.14 per cent has been registered till 1 pm. Polling is underway smoothly and peacefully,” the official said.
PNN & Agencies