LS Polls: Another Grenade blast cripples voting process in Pulwama

Lucknow: Voting began on Monday, in 51 constituencies of seven states in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The fate of 674 candidates, including Rajnath Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani, will be decided by 90 million voters.

This phase include UP's-14 seats, Rajasthan-12, Madhya Pradesh-7 and West Bengal-7, Bihar-5, Jharkhand-4 and two seats of Jammu and Kashmir, including that of Anantnag where polling for the third and the final phase is underway. It is to be mentioned that in 2014 elections BJP had won 39 of these 51 seats.

Highlights:

Voter Turnout till 3 pm: Total 48.38% voting witnessed, whereas in states like Bihar : 44.08 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir :12.86 per cent, Madhya Pradesh : 48.76 per cent, Rajasthan : 49.50 per cent, Uttar Pradesh : 43.07 per cent, West Bengal : 61.01 per cent, Jharkhand : 51.07 per cent voters turnout was registered.

Voter Turnout till 2 pm: Bihar 32.25%, Jammu and Kashmir 11.35%, Jharkhand 45.98%, Madhya Pradesh 43.85%, Rajasthan 42.73%, Uttar Pradesh 35.15%, West Bengal 50.78%.

Voter Turnout till 1 pm: Total turnout registered 40.56% in all 7 states, while in Bihar-32.27%, Jammu & Kashmir-11.35%, Madhya Pradesh-42.77%, Rajasthan 42.58%, Uttar Pradesh- 35.15%, West Bengal-50.78%.

Voter Turnout till 12 pm: Bihar 20.74% , Jammu and Kashmir 6.09%, Jharkhand 29.49%, Madhya Pradesh 29.71%, Rajasthan 29.38%, Uttar Pradesh 22.96%, West Bengal 33.57%.

Voter Turnout till 11 am: Total voter turnout was registered 26.69 per cent, wherein, Bihar : 20.74 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir : 6.09 per cent, Madhya Pradesh : 27.57 per cent, Rajasthan : 29.35 per cent, Uttar Pradesh : 22.51 per cent, West Bengal : 33.63 per cent, Jharkhand : 29.49 per cent.

Voter Turnout till 10 am: Total voter turnout was registered 12.65% , wherein, 12.54 pc polling was witnessed in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar -11.51%, J&K - 1.36%, Rajasthan - 14, UP - 9.85%, West Bengal - 16.56%, Jharkhand - 13.46%.

Voter Turnout till 9 am: 92 percent polling in 5 LS seats of Bihar, 12.22 percent polling in Jharkhand, J&K 0.80%, Madhya Pradesh 11.82%, Rajastha 13.38%, Uttar Pradesh 9.82%, West Bengal 14.49%.

Voter Turnout till 8 am: Bihar 0.00%, Jammu and Kashmir 0.00%, Jharkhand 0.00%, Madhya Pradesh 0.00%, Rajasthan 0.03%, Uttar Pradesh 0.00%, West Bengal 0.00%.

Bengal

Didi arresting those who are saying 'Jai Shri Ram': Narendra Modi

While addressing a rally in Bengal's Tamluk Modi said, "Didi is so frustrated these days that she doesn't even want to talk or hear about god. The situation is such that Didi is arresting and jailing those who are chanting Jai Sri Ram."

He was referring to an incident where Mamata Banerjee confronted a bunch of locals who shouted Jai Shri Ram at her convoy last week.

Accusing the ruling TMC in West Bengal of unleashing "violence" on its voters, BJP demanded a repoll in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar accused Trinamool Congress "goons" of booth-capturing and not letting BJP voters cast their votes by resorting to threats and violence.

"The TMC wants to win elections by rigging as it cannot win by votes. We demand a repoll in the entire Barrackpore constituency," he said, alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was behind the violence.

Alleged TMC goons thrashes Barrackpore BJP candidate Arjun Singh in a clash between the two party in Amtala.

Arjun Singh alleged,"I was attacked by TMC goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured."

Voters in Bengal’s Bijpur under Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, cast votes twice as polling started without deleting the 86 mock poll votes that were supposed to be cancelled before staring LS polls 2019.

According to a political analysts as per the rules, a repoll should be ordered here, and no one — presiding officer, sector officer, returning officer — can take a decision to recall voters from their homes to cast their votes for a second time.

Uttar Pradesh

Amid reports of EVM glitches, nearly 10 per cent turnout was recorded in the first two hours of polling in 14 Lok Sabha seats of UP where Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are in the fray.

An elderly woman claimed that she was forcibly made to press the Congress button at a polling booth in Amethi.

Union minister Smriti Irani has accused the Congress of booth capturing in Amethi. She retweeted a video in which an elderly woman claimed that she was forcibly made to press the Congress button at a polling booth in Amethi.

Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @RahulGandhi ensuring booth capturing. https://t.co/KbAgGOrRhI

— Chowkidar Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) May 6, 2019

Smiriti tweet reads, “I tweeted an alert to administration and EC (alleging booth capturing in Amethi), hope they take action. People of the country have to decide whether this kind of politics of Rahul Gandhi should be punished or not.”

In the first two hours, maximum of 11.11 percent voting was witnessed in Sitapur, while Lucknow recorded 8.78 per cent. Raebareli and Amethi witnessed 9.95 per cent and 8.17 per cent turnout respectively, EC officials said.

For the 5th phase of Lok Sabha elections, in the 14 seats of Uttar Pradesh, 9.98 percent voting was recorded till 9am, where 9.09% voters turnout was registered in Dhaurah of Uttar Pradesh, 11.11% in Sitapur, 9.22% in Mohanlal Ganj, 8.78% in Lucknow, 9.95% in Rae Bareli and 8.17% in Amethi, 9.98% in Fatehpur, 8.85% in Fatehpur, 10.92% in Kaushambi, 9.84% in Barabanki, 9.80% in Faizabad, 10.20% in Bahraich, 9.40% in Kaiserganj and 9.50% in Gonda.

Home Minister and Lucknow BJP Candidate Rajnath Singh casts his vote at polling booth 333 in Scholars' Home School.

BSP Chief Mayawati casts her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow.

Jammu & Kashmir

Another Grenade blast in Pulwama's Chatpora polling booth disrupted the polling process, however, no causalities reported. The explosion took place outside the wall of the Government Higher Secondary School, in which the polling booth is located. This is reportedly the second such grenade attack in Jammu and Kashmir today.

Terrorists lobbed a grenade towards a polling station in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir where polling is underway for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, no reports of any casualties in the the blast, a police official said.

Bihar: EVM vandalized in Bihar's Chappra constituency in Booth Number 131, miscreant arrested, identified as Ranjit Paswan.

Rajasthan

Over 13 per cent turnout was recorded in the first two hours of polling in 12 Lok Sabha seats of Rajasthan where two former Olympians are among the 124 candidates in fray.

-The highest voter turnout till 9 am was in Ganganagar (SC) (15.18 per cent), followed by Dausa (ST) where the voter turnout was 14.40 per cent.

-16 of the total 134 candidates are women. 23,783 polling stations have been set up in 12 constituencies where 2.30 crore voters are registered.

A Rajasthani man ropes in to cast his vote with his big mustache

An elderly woman of 102 years of age cast her vote in Rajasthan

A 109 year-old woman knows the value of her vote, contribute her bit for better India in Rajasthan

Madhya Pradesh

Polling in seven Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh is underway with minor EVM glitches being reported at some booths.

This is the second phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh, the first phase having been held on April 29.