New Delhi, Apr 29: Despite spordiac incidents of violence in West Bengal and EVM glitches in some areas were reported as 64 per cent turnout was recorded on Monday in 72 constituencies across nine states in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections.
In the heartland states, where the BJP had won 30 out of 32 seats in 2014, 67.73 per cent turnout was recorded in Rajasthan (13 seats), 58.56 per cent in Uttar Pradesh (13 seats) and 67.09 per cent in Madhya Pradesh (6 seats), according to the Election Commission.
Voters stannding in queue
West Bengal recorded a high turnout at 76.66 in the eight seats though clashes broke out between supporters of TMC and BJP in Nanoor, Rampurhat, Nalhati and Suri areas of Birbhum seat, leaving several people injured.
Meanwhile, an FIR was registered against Supriyo for allegedly getting into an argument with polling officials, an election official said. The ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP accused each other of intimidating voters in the state, which has seen violence in all previous three phases despite stepped up central forces deployment.
The stakes are high for the BJP which had won 56 of these 72 constituencies in the 2014 polls. About 12.79 crore people were eligible for voting in the fourth phase. With this round, polling has been completed in 374 seats out of 543.
Polling was peaceful in Rajasthan, with tribal dominated seat of Banswara recording the highest voting percentage at 72.34, followed by Barmer which recorded 72.21 per cent voting, according to state election officials. Nearly 55.86 per cent voting was recorded in Maharashtra (17 seats), 59.02 per cent Bihar (five seats) and 64.38 per cent Jharkhand (3 seats), according to data provided by the Election Commission.
Election to 542 Lok Sabha seats is being conducted in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. Election in Vellore constituency in Tamil Nadu was cancelled. Results will be declared on May 23.
Here are the Highlights of fourth phase polling:
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9:14 PM, 29 Apr
Odisha
In view of Cyclone Fani, Odisha chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi directed Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) to keep close watch over the situation and asked concerned departments to stay in all preparedness to deal with any possible strike of the cyclone, according to ANI. The Hindu reported that EC has told the Odisha government to ensure security of EVM strong rooms in view of the cyclone.
9:13 PM, 29 Apr
West Bengal
The fourth phase polling in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal was marked by an FIR against Union Minister Babul Supriyo, damage to his vehicle, clashes between rivals TMC and BJP, lathicharge by policemen and firing in the air by central forces.
9:13 PM, 29 Apr
Jharkhand
Jharkhand recorded more than 64 per cent polling today for the three Lok Sabha seats in the state's Maoist-affected areas, according to the Election Commission (EC) data. Initial EC data showed that Chatra witnessed 62.06 per cent voting, Lohardaga 63.56 per cent and Palamau 64.31 per cent. In the first phase of polling in Jharkhand, there were 121 "sakhi" booths managed exclusively by women polling staff.
9:12 PM, 29 Apr
Billionaires and Bollywood stars lined up outside polling stations along with the common folks today in Mumbai, which recorded 51.11 per cent voting, almost similar to the voting percentage of 51.59 in the 2014 polls.
9:12 PM, 29 Apr
Voter turnout for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh which went to the polls today was recorded at 57.58 per cent, slightly lower than in 2014.
7:14 PM, 29 Apr
Bollywood actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol cast their vote in Vile Parle in Mumbai. Sunny Deol is contesting the election on a BJP ticket from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat in Punjab.
7:13 PM, 29 Apr
West Bengal
Moon Moon Sen, TMC candidate from Asansol said,''I have not met my seniors yet and when we will sit together I will know where and why violence took place. Thoda toh hoga hi har jagah hota hai. Violence is much less now compared to before.''
6:44 PM, 29 Apr
The Election Commission (EC) issued a show-cause notice to Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh for his communal remarks.
The EC said, prima facie, Singh has violated provisions of the model code and directions of the Supreme Court which had said that religion cannot be used while making statements during campaigning. He has been given 24 hours to respond to the notice.
6:21 PM, 29 Apr
A 50-year-old man died while awaiting his turn to cast his vote at a polling booth in Umrapur village near Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, PTI reported. Ompal Singh was standing in the queue at booth 302 of the village under Baghauli police station area when he suddenly collapsed and became unconscious, said Presiding Officer Anis Ahmed.
6:01 PM, 29 Apr
Mumbai
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and his family after casting their votes at a polling booth at Villa Theresa High School on Peddar Road.
5:47 PM, 29 Apr
Mumbai
Veteran actor Dharmendra says "We don't know the ABC of politics but patriotism is in our blood, we will serve the nation. What I did in Bikaner you can go and see, Sunny will also serve the nation."
5:40 PM, 29 Apr
CEO Rajasthan has sought a report after some voters in Jodhpur had leveled charge of bogus voting alleging that their votes had already been cast and when inquired they were told that nothing can be done now.
5:28 PM, 29 Apr
NCP candidate from Nashik Sameer Bhujabal's mother's name goes missing from voters list.
5:20 PM, 29 Apr
Estimated voter turnout till 5 pm for the 4th phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 is 50.6%. Voting is underway in 72 constituencies, across 9 states.
5:13 PM, 29 Apr
The Election Commission has asked police to lodge an FIR against BJP candidate Babul Supriyo for entering a poll booth in Asansol and questioning the polling officer.
5:06 PM, 29 Apr
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed at a West Bengal rally that 40 TMC MLAs were in touch with him, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said the party will complain to the Election Commission and charge Modi with horse-trading.
4:42 PM, 29 Apr
Mumbai
Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan cast vote in Mumbai.
4:40 PM, 29 Apr
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) writes to Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha over alleged "booth capturing by BJP". Letter states "BJP goons conducted booth capturing in 12 booths of Bari assembly constituency under Jajpur parliamentary constituency while the polling was going on today."
4:32 PM, 29 Apr
West Bangal
EC tells police to file FIR against two BJP candidates in Bengal for using phone inside booth.
4:08 PM, 29 Apr
Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Monday expressed confidence that all the crowd queuing up outside various polling stations in Rajasthan is in favour of the BJP.
3:56 PM, 29 Apr
Estimated voter turnout till 3 pm for the 4th phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 is 49.53%. Voting is underway in 72 constituencies, across 9 states.
3:51 PM, 29 Apr
The party also alleged that in at at least two polling booths the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machine showed the voting for the BJP when the ballot was cast for the SP.
3:51 PM, 29 Apr
Opposition Samajwadi Party Monday urged the Election Commission to remove Uttar Pradesh's police chief OP Singh from the post alleging he was "favouring" the ruling BJP and affecting elections.
3:50 PM, 29 Apr
Over 43 per cent of 2.57 crore electorate Monday cast their votes till 1 pm in 13 Lok Sabha seats of Rajasthan. Maximum voter percentage of 53.45 was registered in Barmer, followed by Jodhpur where 46.41 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 1 pm.
Polling underway at polling booth number 63 in Bumthan, Qazigund.
3:00 PM, 29 Apr
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has hit out at the security forces for allegedly entering the polling booths while voting was underway.
2:59 PM, 29 Apr
"There were various instances where on instructions of BJP leaders, Central Forces acted in a manner which is not conducive to free & fair elections in WB.(sic)," the TMC said in a letter.
2:59 PM, 29 Apr
The TMC has written to the Election Commission over the "Illegal action of central forces & violation of MCC by BJP candidates" in West Bengal.
2:58 PM, 29 Apr
Goons of TMC are trying their hardest to stop people from voting and attacking BJP workers, they are not letting BJP leaders campaign, says PM Modi.
Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha has added to ongoing claims the "indelible" ink used by Election Commission officials to mark the fingers of those who have voted can be easily removed.
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12:52 AM, 29 Apr
Polling for 72 parliamentary constituencies across nine states will commence in just a few hours from now.
12:52 AM, 29 Apr
The states that will go to polls in the fourth phase are Rajasthan (13 seats), Uttar Pradesh (13), West Bengal (8), Madhya Pradesh (6), Odisha (6), Bihar (5), Jharkhand (3), Maharashtra (17) and Jammu and Kashmir (1).
12:52 AM, 29 Apr
The key contestants are Urmila Matondkar (Congress), Giriraj Singh (BJP), Kanhaiya Kumar (CPI), Subhash Bhamre (BJP), Dimple Yadav (Samajwadi Party), SS Ahluwalia (BJP), Milind Deora (Congress), Babul Supriyo (BJP), Salman Khurshid (Congress), Baijayant Panda (BJP), Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress) and Sriprakash Jaiswal (Congress).
12:52 AM, 29 Apr
More than 12.79 crore voters will decide the fortune of 961 candidates. In the first three phases, 302 out of 543 constituencies went to polls.
12:53 AM, 29 Apr
The voter turnout in phase-I was 69.45 per cent, 69.43 per cent in phase-II and 64.66 per cent in phase-III.
5:33 AM, 29 Apr
There are 67 assembly segments which fall under the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies which is polling on April 29. In the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP bagged 60 of these 67 seats, which also included 4 of the 5 in Kannauj.
5:44 AM, 29 Apr
In 2014, the BJP won 12 out of the 13 seats. The seat at Kannauj was won by Dimple Yadav. That year the BJP’s seat share was at 45 per cent while the SP and BSP managed 22 and 20 per cent respectively.
5:53 AM, 29 Apr
13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will go to polls. The seats that would poll on May Apr 29 are Etawah, Farrukhabad, Hamripur, Akbarpur, Jhansi, Jalaun, Kanpur, Kannauj, Kheri, Unnao, Misrikh and Shahjahanpur.
6:03 AM, 29 Apr
In the 2014 elections, the BJP had won 45 of these 71 seats. The party had won 12 out of 13 in UP, all 13 in Rajasthan, 6 in MP, 3 in Bihar, 3 in Jharkhand, 8 in Maharashtra and one in West Bengal.
6:13 AM, 29 Apr
Polling will be held across nine states on Monday. The states to poll in this phase are Uttar Pradesh (13) , Madhya Pradesh (5) , Bihar, Rajasthan (13) and Jharkhand (3). Polling will also be held in 17 seats in Maharashtra, 8 in West Bengal and 6 in Odisha.
6:23 AM, 29 Apr
Valued at Rs 660 crore, Nakul Nath, son of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Kamal Nath is the richest candidate contesting the 4th phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
6:35 AM, 29 Apr
The average asset per candidate contesting in the Lok Sabha Phase 4 election is Rs. 4.53 crores.
6:44 AM, 29 Apr
There are 306(33%) candidates who have assets worth Rs. 1 crore and more who are contesting the 4th Phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
6:54 AM, 29 Apr
There are 210 candidates with pending criminal cases who are contesting the 4th phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
7:04 AM, 29 Apr
Voting begins for the 4th phase of the Lok Sabha elections. 72 constituencies would be polling today. It is also the last phase of the elections in Odisha.
7:20 AM, 29 Apr
Union Minister and sitting MP from Nawada, Giriraj Singh, cast his vote at polling booth number 33 in Barahiya of Lakhisarai district.
7:21 AM, 29 Apr
Anil Ambani was among the early voters in Mumbai. He cast his vote at the GD Somani school at Cuff Parade.
7:22 AM, 29 Apr
Polling has been delayed in two booths at West Bengal. The delay is owing to glitches in the EVMs.
7:34 AM, 29 Apr
The focus would be on Mumbai and Begusarai, which are the BJP’s strongholds.
7:34 AM, 29 Apr
Former chief minister of Rajasthan was among the early voters today.
7:36 AM, 29 Apr
RBI Governor, Shaktikanta Das was among the early voters in Mumbai. He waited like all others in queue to cast his vote at Peddar Road.
7:45 AM, 29 Apr
The fate of Poonam Mahajan will be decided today. She is contesting the Mumbai North seat and was among the early voters in the constituency. She cast her vote at a polling station in Worli.
7:45 AM, 29 Apr
Bollywood actress Rekha cast her vote at a polling station in Bandra, Mumbai.
7:45 AM, 29 Apr
8 Parliamentary constituencies are voting in the fourth phase of the elections today. Long queues were found at polling stations in Asansol.
8:09 AM, 29 Apr
"The polling for the 4th phase of General Elections begins today. I appeal to the voters to ensure a record turnout. Your vote will not only strengthen the pillars of democracy but it will also help shaping of a New India," tweets Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
8:12 AM, 29 Apr
Uttar Pradesh
#Mumbai: BJP MP candidate from UP's Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan casts his vote at a polling booth in Goregaon. pic.twitter.com/s9mH0pHLey
BJP MP candidate from UP's Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan:
8:22 AM, 29 Apr
Rajasthan
EVM glitches have hampered voting at polling booths in Rajasthan's Pali, Deoli, and Bhinai in Ajmer district. Soon after the polling began, as many as 30 complaints of technical snags were reported win 40 minutes, say reports.
8:46 AM, 29 Apr
Maharashtra
#Mumbai: Congress MP candidate from Mumbai North, Urmila Mataondkar casts her vote at polling booth number 190 in Bandra. pic.twitter.com/caqMEX9Njk
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