LIVE Updates: 62.31% voter turnout in phase 4 of LS polls till 5 pm

New Delhi: Polling in 96 Lok Sabha constituencies across 10 states and Union Territories began at 7 am on Monday in the fourth phase of the general elections.

Voting is simultaneously being held in all 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, which is witnessing a triangular contest involving ruling YSRC, the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the NDA, comprising the BJP, Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party (JSP).

As many as 28 legislative assembly seats of Odisha are also going to polls in this phase.

A total of 1,717 candidates are in the fray in the Lok Sabha seats and more than 19 lakh polling officials have been deployed at 1.92 lakh polling stations for the over 17.70 crore eligible voters, including 8.73 crore women, in this round of the seven-phase polls.

May 13, 2024 18:24 IST
62.31% voter turnout in phase 4 of LS polls till 5 pm
62.31% voter turnout recorded till 5pm in the fourth phase of polling in 96 seats across 10 States/UTs in Lok Sabha elections  
Andhra Pradesh- 68.04 % 
Bihar- 54.14 % 
Jammu and Kashmir- 35.75% 
Jharkhand- 63.14% 
Madhya Pradesh- 68.01% 
Maharashtra- 52.49% 
Odisha- 62.96% 
Telangana- 61.16% 
Uttar Pradesh- 56.35% 
West Bengal- 75.66%



May 13, 2024 16:04 IST
52.6% voter turnout was recorded on Monday till 3 pm in the fourth. phase of 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 52.34% 
Uttar Pradesh 48.41% 
West Bengal 66.05%



May 13, 2024 13:53 IST
40.32% voter turnout till 1 pm in the fourth phase of elections
Andhra Pradesh 40.26%
Bihar 34.44%
Jammu And Kashmir 23.57%
Jharkhand 43.80%
Madhya Pradesh 48.52%
Maharashtra 30.85%
Odisha 39.30%
Telangana 40.38%
Uttar Pradesh 39.68% 
West Bengal 51.87%



May 13, 2024 13:05 IST
14.94% polling in Srinagar till 11 am, figure higher than 2019 total turnout

A 14.94 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours of polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Monday, higher than the overall turnout of the 2019 elections for the seat in Jammu and Kashmir, according to official figures.
 
The redrawn Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency has registered a poll percentage of 14.94 till 11 am, according to Election Commission figures. There are a total of 17.48 lakh eligible voters in Srinagar.
 
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the total turnout for the seat was around 14.43 per cent, while in 2014, it was 25.86 per cent.



May 13, 2024 11:10 IST
Srinagar records 5% voter turnout till 9 am
Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency recorded 5.07% voter turnout by 9 am. During the first two hours of polling, Chadura, Gandarbal, Char-e-sharif saw voter turnout above 8% while Habba Kadal witnessed ony 2.1% voting.



May 13, 2024 10:24 IST
Over 10% polling recorded in first two hours

An approximate voter turnout of 10.35 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of polling on Monday in 96 constituencies spread over 10 states and Union Territories in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections amid complaints of EVM malfunctioning in West Bengal.
 
Voting is also progressing in all 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 28 legislative assembly seats of Odisha.
 
According to the Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the lowest voting percentage till 9 am with 5.07 per cent voters exercising their franchise, while West Bengal recorded the highest with 15.24 per cent,.
 
Among other states, Andhra Pradesh recorded 9.05 per cent, Bihar 10.18, Jharkhand 11.78, Madhya Pradesh 14.97, Maharashtra 6.45, Odisha, 9.23, Telangana, 9.51 and Uttar Pradesh 11.67 per cent.



May 13, 2024 08:51 IST
BJP releases new film as India votes in the fourth phase of LS polls
जो हमारे लिए समय का पल पल और शरीर का कण कण खपा रहा है, हम चार कदम चल कर उसे वोट करने तो जा ही सकते हैं।

तो जागो, उठो और लोकतंत्र के सबसे बड़े उत्सव में अपनी भागीदारी सुनिश्चित करो, मतदान करो। pic.twitter.com/zjZOaVk5dR
— BJP (@BJP4India) May 13, 2024
 
Watch the latest campaign film released on Monday by BJP as voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections is underway.



May 13, 2024 08:38 IST
Allu Arjun casts his vote at a polling booth in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
#WATCH | Telangana: Actor Allu Arjun casts his vote at a polling booth in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

#LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/M0yhR7XLeP
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024
Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy and 'Pushpa' movie fame Allu Arjun were among the early voters in Telangana as polling for the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state got underway.
 
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, who is seeking re-election from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency and BJP candidate from the seat K Madhavi Latha also cast their votes.



May 13, 2024 08:24 IST
Voters queue up in Srinagar to vote for the first time without Article 370

 
Srinagar: Polling is underway in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency where 24 candidates are in the fray, officials said on Monday.
 
Voting began at 7 am. People were seen lining up outside polling stations to exercise their franchise in some areas of the constituency, according to the officials.
 
Polling in the Srinagar seat is being held in the fourth round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.
 
This is the first major election in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The article was revoked in 2019, leading to the bifurcation of the state into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
 
There are 17.48 lakh 
voters in the constituency that comprises Srinagar, Ganderbal and Pulwama districts and parts of Budgam and Shopian districts.



May 13, 2024 08:09 IST
Will Jagan Mohan Reddy retain power? Andhra Pradesh votes for LS, assembly polls

 
Polling for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh is underway with voters standing in queues to exercise their franchise on Monday.
 
YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy (Pulivendula), TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu (Kuppam) and Janasena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan (Pithapuram), among others, are in the Assembly poll race.
 
Andhra Pradesh Congress president and Jagan's sister YS Sharmila (Kadapa) and BJP state chief Purandeswari (Rajamahendravaram), among others, are in Lok Sabha poll fray.
 
 Jagan Mohan Reddy cast his vote in Bhakarapuram in Pulivendula constituency of Kadapa district and headed back to Tadepalli.
 
The YSRCP is contesting in all 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha segments in the state.
 
As part of a seat-sharing deal among NDA partners, the TDP was allocated 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies while the BJP is contesting from six Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats.
 
The Janasena is contesting two Lok Sabha and 21 Assembly seats.
 
The YSRCP won 151 seats, TDP 23 and Janasena claimed one in the last Assembly polls while the ruling party emerged victorious in 22 and Chandrababu Naidu-led party in three Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections.



May 13, 2024 07:42 IST
All eyes on Yusuf Pathan, Adhir Ranjan, Shatrughna Sinha as Bengal votes on 8 seats

Kolkata: Polling for eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal began at 7 am on Monday, amid tight security arrangements, an EC official said.
 
Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum seats in the state are going to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
 
Altogether 1.45 crore voters, of whom 71.45 lakh are women and 282 are belonging to the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 15,507 polling stations spread across several districts in south Bengal.
 
Several heavyweight candidates, including state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Baharampur, and BJP's former state chief Dilip Ghosh from Burdwan-Durgapur, are in the fray.
 
Ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan is contesting as a TMC candidate in Baharampur, while actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is the TMC’s Asansol nominee.
 
The BJP has fielded ‘Rajmata’ Amrita Roy in Krishnanagar seat against sitting MP Mahua Moitra of the TMC.
 
The Trinamool Congress has nominated former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad in Burdwan-Durgapur and renominated Satabdi Roy in Birbhum.
 
The poll panel has identified 3,647 polling stations as critical.
 
The maximum of 659 critical polling stations are in Bolpur, while the least number of 301 such booths are in Bardhaman Purba seat.
 
There are 640 critical polling stations in Birbhum seat, while Baharampur has 558, Burdwan-Durgapur 422, Ranaghat 410, Krishnanagar 338, and Asansol 319.
 
A maximum of 152 companies of central forces has been deployed in Bardhaman Purba, 131 in Birbhum, 88 in Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate area, 81 in Krishnanagar, 73 in Murshidabad and 54 in Ranaghat.



May 13, 2024 07:31 IST
Fate of Akhilesh Yadav, Ajay Mishra Teni to be sealed as UP votes on 13 seats

 
Lucknow: Polling for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh covering 13 parliamentary constituencies began at 7 am on Monday, with the focus on the prestigious Kannauj seat from where SP president Akhilesh Yadav is seeking re-election.
 
Another prominent candidate in the fray in this round is Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni, who is contesting from Kheri.
 
Besides Kannauj and Kheri, voting will take place in Shahjahanpur (SC), Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kanpur, Akbarpur and Bahraich (SC).
 
A total of 130 candidates are in the poll fray in this phase.
 
Among the 13 poll-bound constituencies, Kannauj will see a contest between the SP chief and sitting BJP MP Subrat Pathak, while in Unnao, incumbent BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj (Swami Sachidanand Hari Sakshi) is pitted against SP's Annu Tandon (former Lok Sabha MP from Unnao).
 
Of the 13 constituencies, the BJP has reposed its faith in 11 sitting MPs by giving them tickets, while it has fielded new candidates Ramesh Awasthi from Kanpur and Anand Kumar from the Bahraich-SC seat.
 
For the INDIA bloc, the SP has fielded candidates from 11 Lok Sabha seats in this phase, while on two seats -- Kanpur (Alok Misra) and Sitapur (Rakesh Rathor) -- candidates of the Congress are in the fray.
 
Four BJP candidates -- Union minister Teni (Kheri), Rekha Verma (Dhaurahra), Mukesh Rajput (Farrukhabad), and Devendra Singh alias Bhole (Akbarpur) -- are eyeing a hat-trick, while Rajesh Verma is eyeing a fifth term from Sitapur.
 
Ashok Kumar Rawat and Ram Shankar Katheria are eyeing a fourth term from Misrikh (SC) and Etawah (SC), respectively. Sitting MP from Hardoi (SC) Jai Prakash and incumbent from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj are eyeing a sixth term in the Lok Sabha polls.
 
Over 2.46 crore voters will be eligible to exercise their voting rights in the fourth phase of the polls in the state.



May 13, 2024 07:11 IST
Polling begins for 8 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh
Polling began Monday morning for eight Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh in the fourth and last phase of general elections in the state, an official said.
 
Polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm in Ratlam, Dhar, Khargone, Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Indore and Khandwa constituencies, the official said.
 
Polling for the fourth phase is being held across 18,007 polling stations in the eight constituencies.
 
A total of 74 candidates - 69 men and five women - are in the fray in the fourth phase. There are 1,63,70,654 eligible voters, including 82,48,091 men, 81,22,175 women and 388 third gender persons.
 
The eight constituencies, spread over 64 assembly segments in 15 districts in the state's Malwa-Nimar region, are considered the bastion of the BJP.
 
The Indore Lok Sabha seat has the maximum number of 14 candidates and Khargone has the least five nominees.
Out of the eight seats, Indore also has the highest number of eligible voters at 25,26,803, while Ujjain has the least number of 17,98,704 electors.
 
In Ratlam, there is a straight fight between former Union minister Kantilal Bhuria (73) of the Congress and state Forest Minister Nagar Singh Chauhan's wife Anita Chauhan, the BJP nominee.
 
In Indore, the 'None of the above (NOTA)' option has unexpectedly hogged the limelight after Congress candidate Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his nomination at the last minute and joined the BJP.
 
As Bam's move set the stage for a one-sided contest for BJP's Shankar Lalwani, who won from Indore by nearly 5.4 lakh votes last time, the Congress urged voters to hit the NOTA button.
 
Of the total 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh, polling was held in 21 in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7. Votes will be counted on June 4.



May 13, 2024 07:07 IST
Voter turnout expected to remain low due to heatwaves
The voter turnout in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections was 66.14 per cent, 66.71 per cent and 65.68 per cent, respectively.
 
The EC believes that the heatwave conditions are one of the reasons for lower voter turnout in the last three phases as compared to the 2019 parliamentary polls.
 
Citing an India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, the poll authority on Sunday said that "there is no significant concern regarding hot weather conditions for the polling in Phase 4." The weather forecast indicates that the parliamentary constituencies going to polls are likely to experience normal to below normal temperatures and there will be no heatwave-like conditions in these areas on polling day.
 
Keeping in mind the hot weather conditions and people's reluctance to step out in the afternoon, the Election Commission has increased poll timing in some Telangana seats.
 
While the usual hours of voting are from 7 am to 6 pm, they are curtailed keeping in mind the terrain, time of sunset and security situation.



May 13, 2024 07:00 IST
Key candidates in phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections
Among the keenly watched contests are those involving former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav (Kannauj, UP) and Union ministers Giriraj Singh (Begusarai, Bihar), Nityanand Rai (Ujiarpur, Bihar) and Raosaheb Danve (Jalna, Maharashtra).
 
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan of TMC (both from Baharampur, WB), BJP's Pankaja Munde (Beed, Maharashtra), AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad, Telangana) and Andhra Pradesh Congress president YS Sharmila (Kadapa) are among the prominent candidates.
 
Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni, whose son is an accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, is eyeing a hat-trick from Kheri (UP), while TMC's Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from Lok Sabha in the wake of cash-for-query allegations, is seeking re-election from Krishnanagar in West Bengal.
 
Film star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is seeking re-election from Asansol where he is pitted against BJP's veteran leader S S Ahluwalia. BJP's former West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh and Trinamool Congress' Kirti Azad are contesting from Bardhaman-Durgapur.