Voting in 2024 Lok Sabha Elections Begins
Here's a state-wise breakup of the 102 parliamentary constituencies where voting is being held in Phase 1 on Friday, 19 April:
Tamil Nadu: 39 seats
Rajasthan: 12 seats
Uttar Pradesh: 8 seats
Madhya Pradesh: 6 seats
Uttarakhand: 5 seats
Maharashtra: 5 seats
Assam: 5 seats
Bihar: 4 seats
West Bengal: 3 seats
Meghalaya: 2 seats
Arunachal Pradesh: 2 seats
Manipur: 2 seats
One seat each in Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep
Estimated Voter Turnout Till 3 pm at 49.78%: ECI
The estimated voter turnout for the first phase of the Lok Sabha till 3 pm stood at 49.78 percent, said the Election Commission of Commission.
SP Candidate Alleges Booth Capturing in Muzaffarnagar
In a letter addressed to the Election Commission, Muzaffarnagar INDIA bloc candidate and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Harendra Singh Malik accused "BJP agents" of capturing a polling booth in Kutba village, according to a report by PTI.
He further requested that paramilitary forces be deployed to the area, the report added.
Three Injured in Firing at Manipur Polling Booth
Miscreants opened fire at a polling station in Thamanpokpi in Manipur's Moirang Assembly segment. The incident has left three individuals injured.
Furthermore, reports of vandalism have also emerged from a polling station in the Thongju Assembly seat, located in Manipur's Imphal East district. These incidents have occurred amidst the ongoing voting process in the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Manipur has registered a voter turnout of over 29 percent till 11am, according to the Election Commission.
Poll Violence Reported in Bengal, Chhattisgarh
As three Lok Sabha constituencies (Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri) in West Bengal headed to polls, BJP and TMC workers accused each other of being behind the violence reported in the state on Friday, 19 April.
The BJP alleged that TMC supporters in Chandamari had pelted stones and injured the party's booth president. Meanwhile, the Mamata Banerjee-led party claimed that their workers had been attacked by BJP workers in Sitalkuchi and Chotosalbari Gram Panchayats, according to a report by The Indian Express.
"The instances of violence, whether during elections or otherwise, are very very disturbing. In the last few months, I can only speak about the period I took over as the Governor, I have been focusing on reducing violence in the state. I understand that all stakeholders in the process - the civil society, the government, the political parties, the silent majority, youth, women and media - all have a stake in this. Unless all of them work together, we cannot reduce or end violence in Bengal," West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose was quoted as saying by PTI.
In Chhattisgarh's Bijapur, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan has reportedly suffered injuries from a grenade cell blast on Phase 1 polling day. Voting is underway in the state's conflict-ridden Bastar region where over 29 Maoists were reportedly killed by security forces in a major operation earlier this week.