New Delhi, Apr 18: The second phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 ended on Thursday, with over 66 per cent voters exercising their franchise. While West Bengal recorded the highest voter turnout with 75.27 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir recorded the lowest with 43.37 per cent.
The polling was by and large peaceful barring some stray incidents and a clash between the TMC and BJP workers in West Bengal. There were some EVM related issues in Odisha and the state electoral officer recommended re-polling in four booths.
In West Bengal's Islampur, CPM MP Mohammad Salim's car was attacked. Salim, who was also injured in the attack, blamed the attack on "Trinamool goons". In Karnataka's Mandya, clashes broken out between supporters of HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Gowda and Sumalatha Ambareesh, the widow of actor-politician Ambareesh. Gowda is the JD(S) candidate from Mandya, while Sumalatha is contesting as an Independent. All of Tamil Nadu except Vellore went to polls in the second phase today and 14 out of 28 seats of Karnataka voted on April 18. The voter turnout stood at 61.84 percent in Karnataka till 5 pm. Meanwhile, Voting for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 has begun across 95 parliamentary constituencies spread across 12 states and one Union Territories (UTs).
“The turnout was 73.32% at 5 pm in Assam. In West Bengal, the polling percentage was 76.07. In Manipur, the poll percentage was 74.3. In 2014, the polling percentage was 75.16,” the Election Commission said.
“Peaceful polling took place in J&K. In Udhampur, voter turnout was 66.67% . In 2014 it was 71.48. In Srinagar, the turnout was 13.43% at 5 pm and it was 25.07% in 2014,” said the election commission.
The Election Commission has launched an App called the voter turnout app. All Android users can see the assembly and state wise polling percentage. This app is available on Google Playstore.
“In Tamil Nadu, the voter turnout was 73.58% in 2014. However, in these elections, the polling percentage was 72%,” the election commissioner told the media.
“In Puducherry, polling was peaceful. There were 9. 7 lakh voters. In 2014, the voter turnout was 82.1% while this year it was 78%,” said the election commissioner.
‘Tentatively, 7.8 crore women and 8.45 lakh persons with disabilities voted in the second phase of elections. Some people are still waiting in the line to vote so these figures are tentative,” said CEC Sunil Arora.
Election Commission: 2nd phase of General Elections concluded today...By today, polling has concluded completely in 14 states and Union Territories.
75.27 percent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm.
58.14 percent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm.
73.32 percent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm.
73 percent polling in Puducherry till 5 pm.
64 percent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm.
74.3 percent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm.
43.3 percent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm.
58.6 percent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm.
Polling percentage at 60.18 per cent as of 5:00 PM across 95 seats in 12 states, say reports.
An estimated 60.38 percent of the 69,10,592 electorate exercised their franchise till 3 p m in five parliamentary constituencies of Assam in the second phase of polling.
61.84 percent voter turnout recorded in Karnataka till 5 pm. 14 Lok Sabha seats of Karnataka went to polls today.
Polling percentage in Tamil Nadu as at 3:00 PM reported at 52.02 percent.
"Technical problems arose due to lapses on part of the polling officers, action will be taken against those officers for dereliction of duty," says Surendra Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha.
Surendra Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha has recommended re-polling in booth 213 in Sundergarh, booth 129 in Bonai, and booths 210 & 222 in Daspalla assembly constituency due to technical problems in EVM machines and VVPATs.
The net polling percentage in Maharashtra till 3:00 PM is 46.63 percent.
Voter turnouts in 10 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra till 3 pm: Buldhana - 45.94 percent, Akola - 45.63 percent, Amaravati - 45.63 percent, Hingoli - 49.13 percent, Nanded - 50.04 percent, Parbhani - 48.45 percent, Beed - 46.29 percent, Osmanabad - 46.13 percent, Latur - 48.10 percent and Solapur - 41.47 percent.
50.86 per cent voter turnout was observed till 3 pm.
Following episodes of violence across West Bengal today on polling day, the Bengal BJP has written to the EC demanding deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to cover 100 per cent polling booths. The state unit has cited no-confidence by both the BJP and the common people in the West Bengal State Police as they fail to curb violence.
Chhattisgarh records 59.72% polling till 3 pm and Darjeeling sees 59%.
Voter turnout till 3 PM in Jammu and Kashmir is 38.5 per cent, including 5.7 per cent in Srinagar
The poll percentage in West Bengal stands at 65.43 per cent at 3 pm. Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha constituency stands at 71.32 per cent, Darjeeling at 63.14 per cent, Raiganj at 61.84 per cent voter turnout.
Voter turn out in 5 constituencies of Assam that went to polls today stand as follows at 3 pm. The Autonomous District constituency has seen a 62.70 per cent voter turn out despite a grenade blast yesterday.
Across India, overall voter turnout has been recorded at 37.81 percent. Among all the 11 states in fray today, 46.76 percent have voted in Assam; 38.87 percent in Bihar; 29.88 percent in Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka recorded a 21.47 percent.
Other states, like Uttar Pradesh recorded 38.48 percent, West Bengal at 51.68 percent and Tamil Nadu at 37.93 percent.
BJP's youngest candidate Tejasvi Surya votes from Bangalore South. Initiating the Vote Maadi challenge, the 28-year-old nominated three others, encouraging citizens to vote in high numbers.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission officials searched the luggage and chopper of Karnakata Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy today, reported ANI.
A 95-year-old man collapsed & later died while waiting for his turn to vote, at a polling booth in Ganjam. He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and his family cast their vote for the Rajnandgaon parliamentary constituency
Jammu and Kashmir recorded nearly 30 per cent polling till 1 pm in Udhampur and Srinagar Lok Sabha constituencies Thursday.
In Kalimpong, BJP alleged their polling agent was attacked and his car ransacked. Amidst all this, two press cars of Bengali TV channel, Zee 24 ghanta, were also damaged.
Voter turnouts in 10 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra till 1 pm: Buldhana - 34.43 percent, Akola - 34.46 percent, Amaravati - 33.68 percent, Hingoli - 37.44 percent, Nanded - 38.19 percent, Parbhani - 37.95 percent, Beed - 34.65 percent, Osmanabad - 34.94 percent, Latur - 36.82 percent and Solapur - 31.56 percent.
Voter turnout in Odisha was 41 percent till 1 pm.
Election Commission flying squad searched HD Kumaraswamy's chopper. Kumaraswamy's chopper was searched in Uttara Karnataka.
Voter turnout till 1 PM in Maharashtra is 35.4 percent.
TMC and BJP workers clash:
Elderly widows show their finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote for the second phase of the general elections, at a polling station, in Mathura.
A scuffle breaks out between supporters of JD(S)Nikhil Gowda and independent candidate Sumalata Ambareesh in Mandya
Security forces opened fire on protesters in Hafroo village of Chadoora Township in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. Reports said that intense clashes erupted in the village amid polling for the second phase of parliamentary polls.
An EVM was vandalized during a clash between TMC and BJP workers in Chopra
Polling is on hold at a polling station in inner Manipur PC after security personnel opened fire on a crowd that tried to barge inside the polling station. EVMs were destroyed. Senior police officials have reached the spot. However, in Outer Manipur, repolling is going on peacefully at 19 polling stations.
A 93-yr old agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan shows his finger, marked with indelible ink, after casting his vote during the second phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, outside a polling station in Chennai,
An EVM was found without a poll button for Cuddalore Lok Sabha TTV Dinakaran's AMMK candidate Kasi Thangavel. Polling has been adjourned in Cuddalore for now.
Sadhguru travelled 17 hours, all the way from the US, for one day, to cast his vote in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. After voting, he said, "May this immense privilege to decide who should conduct the governance of the nation not go in vain. I beseech every adult to exercise this responsibility to decide the future of the nation."
Villagers of Mangoli Kala in Fatehpur Sikri boycott the Lok Sabha elections 2019 over a lack of adequate irrigation facilities in the village. Polling official of booth number 41 said, "Nobody has turned up to vote till now."
Till 1pm the voter turnout as follows:
Sihawa 56: 38 per cent,
Kurud 57: 38% per cent and
Dhamtari 58: 37 per cent.
Polling percentage in Karnataka at 1pm:
Bangalore North: 15.33 per cent,
Bangalore Central: 16 per cent and
Bangalore South: 19.48 per cent.
Election officials have ordered an inquiry after some voters recorded their voting process at a polling booth here and posted it on Facebook, police said. As per Election Commission guidelines, voters are not allowed to carry their mobile phones within a 100-metre radius of polling stations on the day of voting, an official said.
A Bharatiya Janata Party delegation will meet the Election Commission at 4 pm over poll violence in West Bengal during second phase today.
Moments after the vehicle of CPM candidate from Raiganj, Mohammad Salim, was attacked in Islampur, the party has alleged that TMC is behind the attack.
The voter turnout was recorded at 49.07% till 1pm. While in Bihar's Kishanganj recorded 32%, Katihar at 31.82%, Purnia 31.82%, Bhagalpur 28% and Banka stood at 32.6%.
DK Shivakumar casts his vote at a polling booth in Dodda Halahalli, Kanakapura Taluka.
The Election Commission has taken cognisance of BJP MP Bhola Singh's "forced" entry into a polling booth in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh after placing a call to the District Magistrate who reportedly asked a security officer to let Singh and his supporters in.
Around 500 voters in Nagaraja Kandigai village in the Tiruvallur Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu boycotted the election in protest against the functioning of a polluting sponge iron factory in their locality, said an official.
Crude bombs are allegedly being hurled in Chopra in Raigunj constituency. BJP State President Dilip Ghosh said that the area is a place "filled with anti-socials" where congress and BJP workers have died in the past. "We have informed the EC. No arrangements were made of the voter’s safety and police are working at the behest of the ruling TMC party. If adequate measures are not taken, we will take to the streets to protest," Ghosh said.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his son, who is also a candidate in the Theni Lok Sabha constituency, have registered their votes.
Former CM Siddaramaiah and his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah caste their votes at a polling booth in Mysuru
Special Police Observer for West Bengal Vivek Dube says peaceful polls are being conducted. Security forces are there to help people cast their votes in a secure manner. However, he admitted that there were issues in a few places in Chopra in Raigunj but peaceful voting has resumed.
In Jalpaiguri's Belakoba polling booth, police officer Sanjay Dutta went to cast his vote in uniform with his pistol. Questions are being raised as to how was he allowed to carry his pistol inside the booth.
AIADMK file complaint against DMK's Dayanidhi Maran alleging violation Model code of conduct
An elderly voter shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote during the second phase of the general elections, at a polling station, Kamalpur in Kamrup district
Governor Najma Heptullah and Chief Minister N. Biren Singh jumped the queues to vote in the election to the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat. Voters, some of who had lined up even before the polling stations opened at 7 a.m., were not amused.
One ITBP jawan injured in an IED blast by Naxals in Rajnandgaon
Polling booth number 193 in Buldhana is being managed by specially-abled staff. Presiding officer, says, "This booth is being managed by specially-abled staff only. I appeal to all specially-abled persons to cast their votes to strengthen democracy."
Voter turnout till 11 am is 30.62 per cent
Voter turnout Odisha till 11am at 18%, in Karnataka it is 19.81%, West Bengal at 33.45%
Babul Supriyo tweeted after the violence in Raigunj, “Let people AT LEAST exercise their voting rights for heaven’s sake!! If people wish to bring Mamta back to power, SO BE IT (though I guarantee that won’t happen) but let People Have their Say in this largest Democracy of the World or else why to spend Crores in this futile exercise?”
Overall voter turnout till 11 am has been recorded at 16.82 percent, according to official Election Commission data.
Voter turnout till 11 am in Assam is 26.39 per cent and in Chhattisgarh is 26.2 per cent.
State BJP Vice President Tejaswini Ananth Kumar casts her vote at the polling station in Sri Vasavi Vidya Niketan in Bengaluru's Basavanagudi.
Farooq Abdullah & Omar Abdullah cast their votes at a polling station in Munshi Bagh Area in Srinagar LS constituency. O Abdullah says, "Now that LS polls are due to conclude, we can only hope that Centre together with EC gives people of J&K an elected govt which is their right."
Two naxals, including an ACM Vargese - involved in the attack where BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi & 5 police personnel were killed,
were killed in an encounter with District Reserve Guard (DRG) in forest area of Dhanikarka under Kuakonda police station limits earlier today.
About 28.9 per cent of the over 86 lakh electorate in Bihar exercised their franchise in until 11 am, with reports of EVM malfunctioning and poll boycott in some booths.
Maharashtra Congress chief and sitting MP from Nanded Ashok Chavan casts his vote at a polling station in Nanded parliamentary constituency.
Voter turnout till 11 am is 32.18 per cent
Meanwhile, Election Commission sought a report from Uttar Dinajpur District Magistrate on the Islampur incident of alleged voter intimidation and attack on Mohammed Salim. Salim alleged that he was attacked by TMC goons with arms who were threatening voters inside booths. He said his attackers are part of the TMC backed cow smuggling gang in the area.
In Maharashtra, 33 official complaints have been registered from different polling booths in Marathwada constituency. The Congress legal cell has launched several complaints with the Election Commission of India.
Udupi Chikmagalur: 14.66 per cent,
Hassan: 9.12 per cent,
Chitradurga: 9.64 per cent,
Dakshin Kannada: 14.94 per cent,
Tumkur: 10.19 per cent,
Mandya: 7.50 per cent,
Mysore: 10.22 per cent,
Chamarajanagar: 9.37 per cent,
Bangalore Rural: 6.31 per cent,
Bangalore North: 7.23 per cent,
Bangalore Central: 6.01 per cent,
Bangalore South: 18.10 per cent,
Chikkballapur: 6.80 per cent and
Kolar: 6.26 per cent
Meanwhile, Babul Supriyo tweeted,'TMC resorted to violence during polls at Raigunj by threatening and beating up people who went out to vote. Voters had to be escorted to the booths by the armed forces present there. Let's put an end to #TMChhi's atrocities and attacks against democracy by stripping them of power.'
A BJP worker was found dead at Senabona village under Arsha police station of Purulia in West Bengal. The BJP has said Sishu Pal Sahiss, 22, was BJP Youth Morcha member. Police have rushed to the spot and investigation is on.
Voters protesting in Islampur seat as the TMC allegedly seized booths.
Security personnel in West Bengal lob tear gas shells and lathi charge locals as they block NH-34 in protest against TMC's alleged booth capture.
Voter turnout in Srinagar till 11am stands at 6.4%
Bulandshahar MP Bhola Singh was stopped at the entrance of a polling booth by security personnel as he was seen taking the blessings of voters inside the station. The matter is now under the EC's lens.
Voters at a polling booth in North Karimganj decided not to vote after EVM malfunction delays voting. Not a single vote cast was reported till 10:30am. A woman falls unconscious at the polling booth.
Reports of booth capture have marred the election process in West Bengal as voters from interior constituencies across Bengal have alleged that the TMC is seizing polling booths which led to clashes.
Mayawati appealed to voters from all over the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh, to use their constitutional right to vote in the second phase of voting for the Lok Sabha today.
In West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district, violence heightens as a CPI(M) MP Mohammad Salim's car was attacked with bricks in Islampur constituency which broke its windows.
Mohd Salim alleged that he was attacked by TMC goons with arms who were threatening voters inside booths. He said his attackers are part of the TMC backed cow smuggling gang in the area. Salim is currently standing unprotected in a field, no police have come to rescue him but he is unharmed. Booth is not protected, local police are helpless and cannot take action, my vehicle is outside and the police is just sitting.
Statewise breakdown:
Assam 18.23%,
Bihar 12.55%,
Chhattisgarh 14.18%,
Jammu and Kashmir 5.86%,
Karnataka 7.74%,
Maharashtra 7.37%,
Manipur 17.40%,
Odisha 9.01%,
Tamil Nadu 9.17%,
Uttar Pradesh 12.84%,
West Bengal 16.77% and
Puducherry 12.83%
BJP MP Candidate from Mathura, Hema Malini says,'Development in Mathura is all due to my efforts. SP-BSP are only engaged in fighting with each other. There is a huge Modi wave here.'
Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan and his daughter Shruti Haasan were among hundreds of voters who had to wait at a polling station in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai on Thursday before they could cast their votes after a technical glitch in the EVMs delayed polling.
Polling has temporarily halted at booth number 217 in Solapur's Shastri Nagar due to fault in Electronic Voting Machine
Sitting MP from Silchar & party's candidate from the parliamentary constituency, Sushmita Dev, casts her vote along with her mother and sister at a polling booth in Silchar.
Former Prime Minister and JDS leader HD Deve Gowda and his wife cast their votes at a polling station in Hassan's Paduvalahippe.
Minutes after Rahul Gandhi urged voters to cast their vote for NYAY, implying the Congress, senior party leader Randeep Surjewala tweeted saying, "Now, Nyay (justice) will happen".
The polling is currently underway in 38 seats in Tamil Nadu, 14 seats in Karnataka, 10 in Maharashtra, eight in Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam, Bihar and Odisha, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one seat in Manipur and Puducherry. Important leaders whose fate would be decided are Union ministers Jual Oram, Sadananda Gowda and Pon Radhakrishnan, BJP's Hema Malini, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Congress leaders Verappa Moily, Raj Babbar and Tariq Anwar, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, and DMK's Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja and Kanimozhi. The Lok Sabha polls are being held in seven-phases for 543 seats on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19, and counting will be on May 23.Follow all the updates from second phase polling here:
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Bihar
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Tamil Nadu
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Odisha, Karnataka and West Bengal
Assam and Chhattisgarh
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Voter turnout crosses 10 percent by 11 am
Maharashtra
Assam
Karnataka
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