Voting was held for 88 parliamentary seats across 13 states/UTs in the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These included all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, 8 each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and 7 in Madhya Pradesh.
In the fray were former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, actor-politician Hema Malini, Madhya Pradesh BJP chief V.D. Sharma and Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase-2 HIGHLIGHTS:
10:30 pm: Updates to this blog have ended.
10:00 pm: According to the ECI, an overall approximate turnout of 60.96% was reported as of 7 pm Friday across the 13 states/UTs that went to the polls in the second phase.
06:15 pm: At 5 pm, 60.7% voter turnout was recorded across 13 states and UTs. Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, Assam, and Tripura recorded over 70% voter turnout while the lowest turnout was recorded by Uttar Pradesh at 52.6%.
04:40 pm: Until 3 pm, the all India voter turnout was recorded at 50.3 percent for the second phase as opposed to 70.1 per cent in 2019. Tripura recorded the highest turnout of 68.9 per cent and Maharashtra ranked the lowest at close to 43 per cent.
04:04 pm: BJP MP and party’s North East Delhi candidate Manoj Tiwari said that the party’s campaigning is going well and everyday, for two hours, leaders are holding a ‘padyatra’. “We conduct a ‘nukkad’ meeting in any selected Lok Sabha ward with 250-300 people. In rallies, there’s a one-way connection but, during these meetings, we get to have two-way communication with people,” he added.
VIDEO | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: "Our campaigning is going really well. Everyday, for two hours, we hold a 'padyatra'. Then, we conduct a 'nukkad' meeting in any selected Lok Sabha ward with 250-300 people. In rallies, there's a one-way connection but, during these meetings, we… pic.twitter.com/dNLRmDtCC5
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 26, 2024
03:31 pm: BJP MP and candidate from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Mahesh Sharma, said that people of this nation, and especially Uttar Pradesh, have made up their mind to re-elect Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the third time. “What we feel is that by 2047, we will be a developed nation,” he added.
Got inked! #YouAreTheOne #Kerala The Kurumba tribe, along with other indigenous groups like the Irula and Mudugar, enthusiastically visited polling stations and cast their votes. #Phase2 #GeneralElections2024 #ChunavKaParv #DeshKaGarv pic.twitter.com/Lf2WJSHrfX
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 26, 2024
03:15 pm: Speaking to the press after casting his vote in Darjeeling, former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, “I was quite satisfied with the way people were coming in. I think the voter turnout was good, a lot of women voters turned up.”
03:05 pm: BJP leaders hailed the Supreme Court’s dismissal of petitions calling for comprehensive cross-verification of votes cast using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). Madhya Pradesh BJP chief VD Sharma said, “The system of EVM has been prepared by the Election Commission, which is a constitutional institution working within the ambit of law. But Congress and people like Digvijaya Singh put the blame of their defeat on EVM.”
02:55 pm: Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria cast his vote in Udaipur today. Speaking to the press he said, “Neither any politician, nor any political party, it is the people of India who have been granted the power of nation building by the Constitution. The people have got the power of vote, and they should use it honestly and wisely.”
Meanwhile, historian and columnist Ramachandra Guha poses for the camera, showcasing his inked finger. “A vote for fraternity, against hate,” he wrote on X(formerly twitter).
02:45 pm: Suresh Bora, the BJP’s candidate for Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha seat said, “I want to congratulate everyone. They are coming out to cast their vote. People are showing their respect towards democracy. We want 100 per cent turnout.” The state recorded 46.31 per cent voter turnout till 1 pm. Voting is underway in five out of 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
Earlier today, hundreds of passengers traveling to vote were stranded due after six trains were cancelled due to derailment.
Also read: Tea tribes’ woes & Tarun Gogoi legacy — in Assam’s Jorhat, Gaurav Gogoi fights Himanta’s might
02:30 pm: A swarm of bees reportedly attacked people at a polling station in Tripura’s Khowait district, creating panic. 15 voters were injured and Fire and Emergency Service personnel were called.
02:15 pm: Tripura and Manipur record the highest voter turnout till 1pm at 54.47 per cent and 54.26 per cent respectively. Lowest performing states include Maharashtra and Bihar.
02:00 pm: A policeman on election duty allegedly committed suicide using a service revolver at a government school in Kudedadar village in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district.
01:50 pm: Voters in Tripura take the trip from Raima Valley to the polling booth in boats.
Voters from the remote area of Raima Valley in Dhalai district of Tripura are coming to the polling booths using boats to cast their vote.
Source: Election Commission of India
Follow the link for LIVE updates: https://t.co/eg2mn2ZN44#PollsWithThePrint #Elections2024 pic.twitter.com/vHMpCZqug1
— ThePrintIndia (@ThePrintIndia) April 26, 2024
01:45 pm: Binay Tamang, the Congress leader suspended earlier this week, arrived to cast his vote at a polling booth in Dali, Darjeeling. Meanwhile, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Mysuru’s ‘Maharaja’ and BJP candidate cast his vote earlier today.
01:30 pm: Bhupesh Baghel, former Chhattisgarh CM and Congress’ candidate from Rajnandgaon said, “The people want a change in the government; long queues can be seen at the polling booths. It is a one-sided contest here in the state this time.”
1:20 pm: Vinod Kshirsagar, a resident of Wardha in Maharashtra came to the polling booth with his pet langur. “It doesn’t go to anyone else but just stays with me wherever I go…So, it accompanied me in voting too…It is like my child. It didn’t disturb anyone,” Kshirsagar told the media.
01:10 pm: “It is a big day. Voting is a hope, not an assurance. Now, the request should not be for people to come out to vote but for the political leaders for whom we are voting,” Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep told the media after he cast his vote in Bengaluru today.
Earlier today, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge took to X(formerly twitter). “‘We, the people of India’ – this soul of the Constitution of India, should reverberate in your hearts and minds before you push the voting button. It is an election to protect Democracy from the clutches of Dictatorship.”
01:00 pm: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil cast his vote at a polling booth in Maharashtra’s Jalna. Polls are underway in eight out of 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra.
12:50 pm: While speaking to the press, Nambi Narayanan, a former ISRO Scientist encouraged the 5 lakh first time voters in the state. “They also must fathom who is suitable for them. No matter whether you like the system or not; you should vote as it matters a lot.” Meanwhile, Kerala Congress (M) chief Jose K Mani casts his vote in Kottayam.
12:40 pm: Shehzad Poonawalla, the BJP’s National Spokesperson cast his vote in UP’s Gautam Budh Nagar. The constituency saw over 24 per cent voter turnout till 11am.
12:30 pm: People in UP’s Akarvaas village called to boycott voting. After an intervention by intervention by SDM and CO Shikarpur, voting was resumed, reported ANI. “Villagers say that one particular path has not been constructed and it’s filled with water in the village. This is the reason behind the vote boycott. We had not received any complaints regarding this before today,” claims SDM Shikarpur Priyanka Goyal.
12:15 pm: 36.42 per cent voter turnout recorded in Tripura East and 33.22 per cent in Manipur till 11 am. West Bengal recorded 31 per cent turnout, with polling underway in Darjeeling, Balurghat and Raiganj.
12:00 pm: Karnataka CM Siddarmaiah casts his vote in Mysuru. State minister Ramalinga Reddy after casting his vote in Bengaluru said, “What has happened in the last 10 years? This is the time to think and vote.” A 100-year-old woman cast her vote in Bengaluru. Voting for 14 Lok Sabha seats is underway today.
Also read: Neha Hiremath case becomes burning issue in Karnataka, accused’s mother denies ‘love jihad’
11:45 am: BSP leader Akash Anand arrives to cast his vote in Noida, UP. Candidate from Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon, Congress’ Bhupesh Baghel visited different polling booths in the constituency and interacted with voters.
11:30 am: BJP candidate from Kerala’s Pathanamthitta, Anil K Antony cast his vote in Thiruvananthapuram. The state saw 19.06 per cent voter turnout till 10.20 am.
11:15 am: “Peaceful polling is going on for the second phase of the election,” Madhya Pradesh CM Dr Mohan Yadav assured. I want to appeal to people to cast their vote to make the country number 1 in development,” he told the media. Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, Peethadhishwar of Bageshwar Dham cast his vote in Khajuraho earlier today. Voting is underway in seven out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
11:00 am: Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Ashok Chavan appealed to the people to vote in large numbers to bring in a strong government. “All the misunderstandings have been sorted, there is no doubt among the people. Marathas have got a 10% reservation,” he said while addressing the media in Maharashtra’s Nanded.
10:50 am: Tejaswi Surya appealed to the people to come out and vote. “Voting is not just a privilege, voting is our responsibility. Bengaluru remember that today is not a long holiday but it’s the day that we are collectively deciding the future of the country,” he said. Indian cricket coach Rahul Dravid cast his vote in Bengaluru earlier today.
10:40 am: UP’s Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa claims that voter turnout is better than in 2019. “Arrangements have been made for drinking water, toilets, shade etc. everywhere… Control rooms have been set up at district and state levels for complaints… We have made good arrangements through which we are resolving complaints quickly,” he said.
10:30 am: Home Minister G Parameshwara, and former PM and JD(S) president HD Deve Gowda cast their votes at polling booths in Karnataka. The ECI shares video of retired Air Marshall PV Iyer voting in Bengaluruwithin the first hour of polling. Iyer is 94 years old.
94 year old senior citizen and retired Air Marshall PV Iyer voted within the first hour of the start of polling in #Bangalore today.
What’s your excuse?
Do vote, fulfill your
responsibility! #YouAreTheOne
📷 @ceo_karnataka#ChunavKaParv #DeshKaGarv #Phase2 pic.twitter.com/LkC27CXTsW
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 26, 2024
Also read: Why BJP is dialling down rhetoric & pivoting to economy in Hindutva laboratory coastal Karnataka
10:18 am: There has been an altercation between Sukanta Majumdar, the West Bengal BJP chief and Lok Sabha candidate from Balurghat, and TMC workers in Balurghat. Majumdar alleges that a large number of TMC workers are present at a polling booth, ANI reported.
10:08 am: 9.3 per cent voter turnout recorded in the first two hours. Chhattisgarh and Manipur are at the top with over 15 per cent voter turnout while Maharashtra recorded the lowest turnout at over at 7 per cent.
10:00 am: With polling underway across 13 states and union territories, voters queue up to vote at polling booths. Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church, Raphael Thattil, votes at a polling booth in Kochi, and BJP candidates from Jammu and Kota Jugal Kishore Sharma and Om Birla cast votes in their respective constituencies. Former Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla arrives at a polling booth in Darjeeling, West Bengal.
BJP MP and Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla is contesting from the Kota constituency facing ex-BJP leader, Prahlad Gunjal as the key rival from Congress. Gunjal is believed to have left BJP due to growing differences with Birla.#PollsWithThePrint pic.twitter.com/v7Udep2AN4
— ThePrintIndia (@ThePrintIndia) April 26, 2024
09:45 am: Actress and BJP candidate from Mathura Hema Malini told the media, “It is going good so far. It is 100% better than the first phase because our party workers are working hard and even I appealed to the people personally to come out and vote and people are coming out in large numbers to vote.” Rajendra Shukla, Madhya Pradesh’s Deputy CM casts his vote at polling booth in Rewa.
Also read: Hema Malini to Dev Adhikari–ThePrint report card on celeb MP performance
09:30 am: Candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram LS seat, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor stands in queue awaiting his chance to vote. The BJP has fielded Rajeev Chandrasekar in the constituency against incumbent MP Tharoor.
09:15 am: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visits polling station in Thiruvananthapuram to cast his vote. Congress candidate from Jalore, Vaibhav Gehlot, and his wife Himanshi Gehlot cast their votes in Jodhpur. Union minister Sitharaman interacts with first-time voters in Bengaluru.
09:00 am: 5.62 per cent voter turnout witnessed in Kerala in the first hour of polling. Congress leader K. C. Venugopal says “Voters have to come out and vote, this should be first and foremost policy. The country now needs a change”.
Also read: Just 25 candidates out of 194 — why Kerala still lags in women’s representation in Lok Sabha polls
08:45 am: NPF leader Kachui Timothy Zimik casts his vote in Sinakeithei Village in Manipur. Speaking to the media, he said, “Right now in Manipur, there is an issue of two communities fighting. Other problem we have is development issues. As far as this conflict in Manipur is concerned, we need peace.” Voting is underway for the Lok Sabha constituency of Outer Manipur in the second phase of elections.
08:30 am: Congress candidate from Alappuzha, KC Venugopal casts his vote at a polling booth in the constituency. BJP-Led NDA candidate Suresh Gopi casts vote in Thrissur. All 20 constituencies in Kerala go to polls today.
08:20 am: Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor Prakash Raj, and philanthropist-author Sudha Murthy cast their vote in Bengaluru. Actor Arun Govil, the BJP’s candidate from Meerut encourages people to vote.
Voters stand in queue at a polling station at the Civilian Vidhalya Rakajpur, Amroha, UP | Praveen Jain | ThePrint
08:10 am: Former Rajasthan CM and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje casts her vote at a polling booth in Jhalawar. In Maharashtra’s Amravati, a bridegroom dressed in wedding attire casts his vote before heading to wedding festivities.
08:00 am: With voting underway on all 89 seats, the second phase will cover 12 states/UTs partially. These include Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Bihar, among others.
Voting is to be held on 89 seats across 13 states/UTs in the second phase of 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
All 20 seats in Kerala will go to polls, while 13 (of 25) constituencies in Rajasthan are set to vote in the second phase of the ongoing general election.#PollsWithThePrint pic.twitter.com/3YEv0UG5rC
— ThePrintIndia (@ThePrintIndia) April 26, 2024
Also Read: With ‘national leader’ pitch, UDF banks on KC Venugopal’s homecoming in Kerala’s Alappuzha