New Delhi: Votes are being cast in 96 Lok Sabha seats across 10 states/UTs during the fourth phase of the ongoing general election. These include all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 17 seats in Telangana, 13 in Uttar Pradesh and 11 in Maharashtra.
In addition, polling is also underway in eight seats each in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five seats in Bihar, four each in Jharkhand and Odisha and one in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the fray are Union ministers G. Kishan Reddy, Ajay Mishra Teni, Nityanand Rai, Giriraj Singh and Arjun Munda, besides former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Andhra Pradesh president Y.S. Sharmila.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase-4: HIGHLIGHTS
08:25 pm: Updates to this blog have now ended.
06:45 pm: EVMs sealed at multiple locations in West Bengal and Telangana as voting for the fourth phase ends.
06:10 pm: Congress MP and party candidate from Berhampore, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury casts his vote at a polling booth in his constituency.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Congress MP and party candidate from Berhampore, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury casts his vote at a polling booth in his constituency.#LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/UxgtFA9Wev
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
06:00 pm: A CISF personnel gets injured during an alleged stone-pelting incident by TMC supporters on the vehicle of BJP candidate from Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat, Dilip Ghosh. The security personnel was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
#WATCH | Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal: One CISF security personnel got injured during the alleged stone pelting incident by TMC supporters on the vehicle of BJP candidate from Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat, Dilip Ghosh.
The injured security personnel was rushed to hospital… pic.twitter.com/v86qBUrd3z
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
05:10 pm: 52.60% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in the fourth phase of polling in 96 seats across 10 States/UTs in Lok Sabha elections
- Andhra Pradesh- 55.49 %
- Bihar- 45.23 %
- Jammu and Kashmir- 29.93%
- Jharkhand- 56.42%
- Madhya Pradesh- 59.63%
- Maharashtra- 42.35%
- Odisha- 52.91%
- Telangana- 53.34%
- Uttar Pradesh- 48.41%
- West Bengal- 66.05%
- Andhra Pradesh (Assembly elections)- 55.49%
- Odisha (Phase 1 Assembly elections)- 52.91%
Also read: Family feud, broken marriage echo in battle for West Bengal’s Srerampur seat
04:30 pm: “People feel cheated by the NDA government. Every decision in the last 10 years was a jumla,” says Samajwadi Party chief and candidate from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat Akhilesh Yadav.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party chief and candidate from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat Akhilesh Yadav says, "INDIA alliance will win. The people are supporting the INDIA alliance…Those who think that they can win by deceit the people will give them a reply with their votes.… pic.twitter.com/jCpUtgw58J
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
03:30 pm: A glance at key candidates in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.
02:45 pm: A groom in Madhya Pradesh arrived at polling station number 95 in Badnapur village of Nepanagar assembly constituency with his bride right away after getting married.
02:20 pm: As videos of BJP candidate Madhavi Latha asking Muslim women to lift their burkhas to check their identity at a polling booth went viral, the Collector office of Hyderabad, through social media platform X (formerly Twitter), confirms that an FIR has been lodged against Latha for her act in Malakpet Police Station under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act.
A case is registered in Malakpet Police Station against Smt Madhavi Latha, Contesting candidate, BJP under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act
— Collector Hyderabad (@Collector_HYD) May 13, 2024
02:00 pm: According to data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), West Bengal had the greatest voter participation (51.87%), while Jammu and Kashmir had the lowest (23.575%). Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh recorded 48.52 percent, Andhra Pradesh recorded 40.26 percent, Bihar recorded 34.44 percent, Jharkhand recorded 43.8%, Odisha recorded 39.30 percent, Maharashtra recorded 30.85%, Telangana recorded 40.38 percent, and Uttar Pradesh recorded 39.68 percent.
1:55 pm: In a heated encounter, TMC workers in West Bengal block the convoy of BJP candidate from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency Dilip Ghosh in Bardhaman.
01:50 pm: “No matter where I am in the world, it is my moral responsibility to come and vote in my constituency,” says Congress candidate from North East Delhi Kanhaiya Kumar after casting his vote in Begusarai, Bihar.
01:20 pm: BJP’s Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha sparks controversy as a video of hers goes viral where she is seen asking Muslim women inside the booth to remove their burkha and prove their identity.
01:10 pm: Elderly voters were greeted with a shower of flowers at a polling booth in Simdega, Jharkhand. The ECI shared the video on their social media handle.
बुजुर्ग मतदाताओं का बूथ पर कुछ इस तरह पुष्प-वर्षा कर किया गया अभिनंदन..!#SeniorVoters #YouAreTheOne #Phase4@ECISVEEP @SpokespersonECI
🎥 DEO, Simdega. pic.twitter.com/cQtAZ5yHFJ
— Chief Electoral Officer, Jharkhand (@ceojharkhand) May 13, 2024
Also read: IAS officer & BJP candidate Parampal Kaur Sidhu’s resignation accepted. How it’s different from VRS
12:55 pm: As India undergoes voting for general election 2024, ThePrint brings interesting facts from the first historic elections of the nation that shaped the polity and political landscape of present India.
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12:35 pm: Here’s a look at how the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh voted in the last two elections. We can see the falling numbers for BRS in the state, whereas the hold of YRSCP keeps getting tighter in Andhra Pradesh.
12:25 pm: Former Telangana CM and BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao cast his vote at a polling booth in Chintamadaka, Siddipet. When asked if he would join the INDIA bloc if it comes to power, Rao says, “There is nothing like a bloc now. Regional parties will come to power now.”
#WATCH | When asked if he will join INDIA Alliance if it forms government, K Chandrashekar Rao says, "According to the BJP's own rule, after 75 years of age nobody will take up any position. So, accordingly, Mr Modi has to step down. It is quite possible. It is up to the BJP… https://t.co/kEzYLQ8XCC pic.twitter.com/baudtnu3U7
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
12:10 pm: As per the data released by the ECI, West Bengal had the highest turnout of any state (32.78%), while Jammu and Kashmir had the lowest at 14.94%. The figures of the other states are as follows:
- Telangana – 24.31 percent
- Madhya Pradesh – 32.38%
- Andhra Pradesh – 23.10 percent
- Maharashtra – 17.51 percent
- Uttar Pradesh – 27.12 percent
- Bihar – 22.54 percent
- Jharkhand – 27.40 percent
- Odisha – 23.28 percent
Also read: ‘Will give tyranny a befitting reply’ — Congress’s Kanhaiya Kumar kickstarts his campaign in Delhi
11:57 am: YRSCP leader A Sivakumar slaps a voter at a polling booth of Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur. The voter, who was in the queue to vote, objected to the MLA’s attempt to jump the queue and vote immediately. The MLA then physically assaulted the voter.
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: YSRCP MLA and candidate for state assembly elections, A Sivakumar attacks a voter in Tenali, Guntur. The voter, who was standing in a queue to cast his vote, objected to the MLA's attempt to jump the line and cast his vote without waiting. The MLA, in… pic.twitter.com/9tDP8wwJO8
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
11:55 am: Every first voter in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich is a person with a disability (PWD), says the Election Commission of India (ECI). The election body shared pictures on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
11:45 am: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his family show their inked fingers after voting at a polling booth in Kodangal, Mahabubnagar constituency.
#WATCH | Telangana CM Revanth Reddy along with his family show their inked finger after casting their votes at a polling station in Kodangal in the Mahabubnagar constituency.#LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/9ipogmcbMv
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
11:00 am: As polling is underway in eight seats in Madhya Pradesh, here’s a look at the top contenders from some key constituencies in the state.
10:45 am: Former Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi issues a video message as voting for the fourth phase is underway. She highlights the poor state of women in the country and promises the implementation of the Mahalaxmi scheme, under which women struggling amid terrible inflation and unemployment will financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh every year.
गरीब परिवारों की महिलाएं याद रखें, आपका 1 वोट = सालाना 1 लाख रू आपके खातों में।
कांग्रेस की महालक्ष्मी योजना भयंकर महंगाई और बेरोज़गारी के बीच संघर्ष कर रही महिलाओं के लिए संजीवनी साबित होने जा रही है।
हर महीने बैंक खातों में सीधा 8,500 रू आने से भारत की महिलाएं आर्थिक निर्भरता… pic.twitter.com/VRgAotkCy9
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 13, 2024
10:36 am: Andhra Pradesh Congress President and candidate from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, YS Sharmila casts her vote at a polling booth in the constituency. After casting her vote, she says, “I am very confident of my win here today and I am also very sure that justice will prevail as it is important in the sight of God, for people, for society.”
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh Congress President and candidate from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, YS Sharmila says "I am very sure and confident of my victory here. We should all remember that Congress started with 2% votes, we were already at rock bottom. I am very confident that Congress… pic.twitter.com/nuARuCu8R4
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
10:25 am: “People want to protect democracy and their future,” says Former Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu after he cast his vote at a polling booth in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur. He adds that he had never witnessed such a crowd during the elections and expressed confidence about TDP’s win in the state.
10:15 am: In the first reported instance of violence during the fourth phase, BJP workers allege that their stall outside a polling station in Birbhum was vandalised by TMC workers.
09:50 am: Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer and his wife Sameera Nazeer cast their vote at the Green Polling Station in Vijayawada.
09:45 am: Jammu & Kashmir National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah cast their vote in Srinagar. After casting his vote, Farooq Abdullah launched an attack on PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, asking them why the NC party workers were locked in the union territory.
#WATCH | Srinagar, J&K: After casting his vote, JKNC Chief Farooq Abdullah says "…It is sad that they say that there is no violence and everything is smooth but I want to say that the workers of our party have been locked up for 2 days. I want to ask Union HM and PM Modi why… pic.twitter.com/UlkXVkOIrP
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
09:30 am: Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan casts his vote from Mangalagiri polling booth in Andhra Pradesh. Telugu superstar and MLA Chiranjeevi too stepped out with his family to exercise his voting right in a designated polling booth in Hyderabad. He requested people to come out and vote.
09:15 am: Polling booths are now open in 96 seats across 10 states/UTs as Indians cast their votes to elect the 18th Lok Sabha. Voting is also being held in all 175 state assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 28 state assembly seats in Odisha.
Also Read: Fourth phase is high noon of 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It could end in a draw for INDIA & NDA