Voting was held Friday for 102 parliamentary seats across 21 states/UTs in the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These included all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and all 5 in Uttarakhand, besides 12 of 25 in Rajasthan, 8 of 80 in Uttar Pradesh, 6 of 29 in Madhya Pradesh, 5 of 48 in Maharashtra, 4 of 40 in Bihar and 3 of 42 seats in West Bengal.
In the fray were eight Union ministers: Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju, Bhupender Yadav, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Sanjeev Balyan and Nisith Pramanik. Also in the fray was former Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Nakul Nath, son of Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath.
Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase-1 HIGHLIGHTS:
7:45 pm: Updates to this blog have ended.
7:30 pm: Acccording to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Tamil Nadu recorded an estimated voter turnout of 62.19 percent till 7 PM Friday, while the same was 77.57 percent in West Bengal, 50.95 percent in Rajasthan, 57.61 percent in Uttar Pradesh, 47.49 percent in Bihar and 55.29 percent in Maharashtra.
At 73.25 percent, Puducherry recorded the highest turnout among the 21 states/UTs that went to the polls in the first phase.
06:45 pm: Voting concludes peacefully in Uttarakhand.
O6:30 pm: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav addressing the media said, “People have voted for alliance (INDIA bloc) in all four constituencies in Bihar. We are sure that we will win all the four seats.”
Preserving heritage, ensuring democracy: A glimpse of the traditional Naga Morung Polling Station in Longleng District, Nagaland, alongside the energy of a young polling team in Mon District, Nagaland.✨#ChunavKaParv #DeshKaGarv #ECI #GeneralElections2024 #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/lPXUrkTcve
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 19, 2024
06:05 pm: Voting in Malogam polling station of Arunachal Pradesh completed.
06:00 pm: “We saw complaints from a large number of voters on their names being missing from the voters’ list….We are demanding re-poll in places where the names of a large number of voters were missing”, says State BJP chief and Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency candidate K Annamalai
05:45 pm: People of a village in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur boycotted elections over their demand for basic amenities.
05:30 pm: Addressing the media former Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP candidate from Vidisha, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “PM Modi has laid the roadmap of Viksit Bharat”, and he would be contributing towards its formation.
05:10 pm: 53.40 per cent voter turnout recorded across six seats in MP till 3 pm.
05:00 pm: “People are not able to vote independently because the ruling party is threatening the people”, Former Sikkim CM and Sikkim Democratic Front leader Pawan Chamling.
04:50 pm: Voting concludes in Imphal East.
04:40 pm: RLD Chief Jayant Chaudhary while speaking to the media appealed people to vote, said “Your problems will increase in the next 5 years if you don’t vote.”
Join the chorus of democracy in #ArunachalPradesh! 🎉 Witness the collective voice of people as they participate in the electoral process.
Join the celebration and #GoVote#ChunavKaParv #DeshKaGarv #GeneralElections2024 @ceoarunachal pic.twitter.com/7CKSzfbVcR
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 19, 2024
04:30 pm: : “I believe that this 40-year-old advocate (Mohammad Saleem Parray), who has been fighting individual cases for us till now, deserves to represent our people and the state in the Parliament,” says DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad.
04:00 pm: Shatrughan Sinha, TMC MP and candidate from Asansol Lok Sabha constituency says, “BJP is not talking about employment, inflation and soaring petrol and diesel prices” and claims ‘”TMC will sweep in this election and BJP will go through a massive rout.”
03:45 pm: Gangtok SP Karma Gyatsho told the media, “In Sikkim, we have a history of a good number of people turning up to vote. So, the overall turnout is expected to be 85-90 percent.” Voters belonging to the Great Andamanese Tribe from Strait Island join in the voting process at a polling centre in South Andaman.
#Andaman_Nicobar is in #PollMode
Voters belonging to the Great Andamanese Tribe from Strait Island in South Andaman 🤝#GoVote#ChunavKaParv #DeshKaGarv #GeneralElections2024 #LokSabhaElection2024 #ECI pic.twitter.com/kM6dq4xbME
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 19, 2024
03:20 pm: “After August 2019, this is the first time that the Lok Sabha elections are taking place here,” says Former J&K CM and head of National Conference, Omar Abdullah. The BJP “could not win hearts,” he added.
03:10: Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo casts his vote at Chennai polling station.
Illustration by Prajna Ghosh and Wasif Khan | ThePrint
03:00 pm: 42.57% voter turnout in Bastar till 1 pm. Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir records 43% polling despite incessant rains.
02:45 pm: Polling booth in Imphal closed after some women alleged irregularities and created a ruckus.
02:25 pm: A polling agent was allegedly threatened at one of the polling stations at Kyamgei Heibong Makhong, Keirao AC under Imphal East District. Seen in a video doing rounds, is INC candidate Prof Angomcha Bimol Akoijam in an altercation with security personnel deployed at the polling booth. (Inputs by Karishma Hasnat)
02:15 pm: “More than 30% of votes have been cast,” says Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav.
01:50 pm: Lakshadweep records the lowest voter turnout at 29.91% till 1 pm and Tripura records the highest at 53.04%.
01:30 pm: Andaman and Nicobar Islands DGP, Devesh Chandra Srivastava told media that elections are smooth and peaceful in Port Blair. “Initially there were a few glitches with the EVMs. They were rectified on time,” he added.
Also read: Fact Check: Newspaper image claiming ECI will use ballot paper instead of EVMs for LS polls false
01:15 pm: Sporadic incidents of violence reported from parts of Manipur under 1-Inner Manipur constituency. Voting in Manipur is underway for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state. (Inputs by Karishma Hasnat)
01:00 pm: Baba Ramdev says “My vote is to make India disease-free and drug-free.”
12:45 pm: No voters have shown up in the six districts of the Eastern Nagaland following ENPO’s call to abstain from the electoral process. (Inputs by Karishma Hasnat)
12:30 pm: Cooch Behar candidates Nitish Pramanik from BJP and Piya Roy Chowdhury speak to the media, addressing reports of violence in the state.
12:15 pm: Mizoram CM Lalduhoma smiles for the media at a polling booth in Aizwal. American diplomat Atul Keshap calls Indian national elections a “Maha kumbbh Mela of democracy”.
12:00 pm: Nagaland minister Temjem Imna calls today “a very important day” as he casts his vote at Alongtaki polling station, Mokochung. Andaman and Nicobar Islands witness queues of voters — both young and old — ready to cast their vote for the one Lok Sabha seat from the union territory.
मतदान करने जायेंगे देश के लिए🇮🇳✨ #YouAreTheOne #IVote4Sure
Check out the facts at a glance of the #Phase1 poll in #Andaman_Nicobar#ChunavKaParv #DeshKaGarv #GeneralElections2024 #GoVote pic.twitter.com/kWmkrmPG69
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 19, 2024
Also read: How Indian democracy transformed between 3rd and 5th Lok Sabha election
11:45 am: NCP leader Praful Patel reaches polling station in Gondia, Maharashtra, and Congress’ Nana Patole casts his vote at Bhandara. “I am confident that the candidates of Congress and MVA are going to win in the five Lok Sabha seats here”, said Patole.
11:30 am: At polling centers in Chennai, DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and actress Trisha cast their votes. Tamil Nadu sends 39 MPs to the Lok Sabha, candidates for polls this season include 77 women and 873 men.
11:00 am: Wheelchair-bound voters, newly-weds, and first-time voters can be seen at polling stations across states in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls. PM Modi continues his campaign as he addresses a rally in Amroha in western UP.
बीते 10 वर्षों के हमारे ट्रैक रिकॉर्ड को देखकर उत्तर प्रदेश की जनता इस बार भी जनसेवा को समर्पित भाजपा-एनडीए की मजबूत सरकार बनाने जा रही है। अमरोहा में अपने परिवारजनों का ये अपार स्नेह अविस्मरणीय रहेगा। https://t.co/SGziIV2TZW
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2024
10:45 am: Voting in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar has begun. Three layered security arrangements have been made and additional forces deployed, IG P Sundarraj says.
Also read: 29 Maoists killed in BSF-DRG joint encounter at Chhattisgarh’s Kanker ahead of polls
10:30 am: Spiritual leader Sadhguru casts his vote in Tamil Nadu. Yoga Guru Ramdev and acharya Balakrishna also cast their votes in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
10:15 am: Jitan Ram Manjhi, NDA candidate for the Gaya seat in Bihar and former CM addresses primary issues in Bihar, and says “We want South Bihar to get permanent relief from drought and flood.”
10:00 am: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urges people to vote. Ajith Kumar and actor-politician Kamal Haasan reach polling stations in Tamil Nadu to cast their votes while Meghalaya candidate from Tura stands in queue for her chance to vote.
09:45am: Voters in Rajasthan get ‘ink wali selfies’ clicked after casting their votes.
#Rajasthan is in a festive spirit as voters cast their votes and celebrate #ChunavKaParv in the first phase of #LokSabhaElection2024
Let's vote and take an "Ink wali selfie" and tag us.#YouAreTheOne #DeshKaGarv #GeneralElections2024 pic.twitter.com/O4sl0CvNlA
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 19, 2024
09:30 am: DMK Candidate Kanimozhi says “confident that DMK alliance – INDIA – will win all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu”. Nitin Gadkari, Union minister and Nagpur candidate sent a message to people via the press. “You can vote for anyone but casting vote is important.”
09:15 am: World’s shortest woman Jyoti Amge votes with her entire family in Maharashtra’s Nagpur. A newly married couple votes in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal today.
Also read: Uttarakhand’s UCC rath—How Dhami govt beat Assam, Gujarat, UP to land the first punch
09:00 am: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami offers prayers as all five constituencies go to polls today. Puducherry CM Rangaswamy casts his vote at Delarshpet.
08:45 am: Voting underway in J&K’s Udhampur. Independent candidate from UP’s Nagina alleges EVMs are not working property, the Hindustan Times reported.
08:25 am: Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma casts his vote in Jaipur. Minister of State L Murugan urges voters to “come forward and cast their vote for Viksit Bharat”. Samajwadi Party’s ST Hasan calls elections a “festival of democracy”.
08:00 am: With voting underway on all 102 seats, the first phase will cover 10 states/UTs fully. These include Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Lakshwadweep.
Also Read: It’s ‘Advantage INDIA bloc’ in the first phase of Lok Sabha election