Lok Sabha elections Live: 73 per cent polling in Tamil Nadu, over 55 per cent voting in UP and Maharashtra
IndiaToday.in
New Delhi, April 24, 2014 | UPDATED 21:31 IST
The highest polling however was recorded on the six seats in West Bengal at 82 and the lowest was in one seat in Jammu and Kashmir - 28 per cent.
In Jharkhand, there was 63 per cent polling on four seats while poll percentage in MP was 64.04. The voter turnout in Rajasthan was 59.2 per cent
Poll percentage recorded in J&K today is 28 per cent.
Tamil Nadu recorded a polling percentage of 73, same as in 2009.
Tamil Nadu records 73 per cent turnout for 39 seats
Maintaining a brisk pace from the start, the polling percentage crossed the 73 per cent mark in the single-phase Lok Sabha elections to 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu on Thursday.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa and her close confidante before casting votes for Lok Sabha election.
However, the turnout in the three constituencies in this metropolis appeared to taper after a brisk start.
While Chennai North recorded 50.4 per cent turnout, Chennai South, which has highest number of 42 candidates in fray, and Central Chennai recorded 49.3 per cent and 48.55 per cent polling, respectively.
In the battle for ballots, the fate of 845 candidates including 2G scam-accused Dayanidhi Maran and A Raja of DMK, Congress nominees Karti P Chidambaram and Mani Shankar Aiyar, AIADMK's sitting MP M Thambidurai, besides those of BJP, DMDK and PMK will be decided by the voters.
Though the poll scene presents a multi-cornered battle, the actual contest is between ruling AIADMK and DMK besides the BJP-led six-party alliance, which is trying to throw up challenge to the two dravidian outfits.
Electoral authorities forced five companies, found functioning in an IT park in the city violating its directive to declare a holiday, to close down and lodged a formal complaint with the police against them.
Technical glitches in Electronic Voting Machines held up polling briefly in several polling booths across the state, according to reports receive.West Bengal: 82 per per cent polling on six seats
Disregarding the sweltering heat, voters turned up in huge numbers and nearly 82 percent of polling was recorded with an hour still left for balloting to end in six Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal Thursday.
The authorities said the polling process in the second phase of elections in the state - after four constituencies voted a week back - was overall peaceful, marred by stray incidents and allegations.
There were reports of crude bombs being hurled close to a polling booth in Kathalberia under Kaliachak police station of Malda district, while rival parties accused each other of indulging in rigging and other electoral malpractices at several polling stations.
Despite the temperature rising close to 40 degrees Celsius in many areas, the young and the old, men and women patiently stood in the long queues for hours to cast their votes for Jangipur, Murshidabad, Malda North, Malda South, Balurghat and Raiganj seats since polling boths opened at 7 am, an official said.
"The average percentage is 79.63 percent till 5 pm," an Election Commission official said.
The Election Commission removed presiding officers of three booths in Murshidabad district for allowing "illegal entry" to Trinamool Congress candidate from Jangipur Haji Nurul Islam, an official said.
The Congress had complained to the EC that Islam illegally entered the booths under Sagardighi assembly segment along with several party workers.
Polling was stalled for some time at a booth under Itahar assembly segment of Balurghat constituency following allegations that all votes were being registered against the name of a particular candidate.
The authorities said polling resumed after changing the malfunctioning EVM, but denied the charge that all votes were being registered in favour of any particular candidate.
The Congress demanded repolling in a booth in Malda district after two of its candidates and union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury from Malda South and Mausam Benazir Noor from Malda North could not cast their votes due to malfunctioning of EVMs.
Both Noor and Choudhury alleged rigging, voters being prevented from casting votes and insufficient deployment of central security personnel in their respective constituencies.
Congress candidate from Balurghat in South Dinajpur district Om Prakash Mishra also alleged malpractices by the ruling Trinamool in some of the booths.
An electorate of 83,311,287, including 4,007,898 females, was eligible to choose representatives from a field of 78 candidates and cast their ballots at 9,755 polling stations spread over four districts - Muslim majority Malda and Murshidabad, besides North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur.
The four main rivals - Trinamool Congress, Left Front, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party - are competing in all the constituencies. Among the Left Front partners, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is in action in five and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) in one.
Among the star candidates in this phase are two union ministers Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury (Malda South) and Deepa Dasmunsi (Raiganj), as also President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit Mukherjee (Jangipur) - all Congress.
Popular Bengali band singer Soumitra Roy (Malda North) and theatre personality Arpita Ghosh (Balurghat) are nominees of the Trinamool Congress, while CPI-M central committee member Mohammad Salim is in fray from Raiganj, where the BJP has fielded famed actor Nimu Bhaumik.
The results of this phase are crucial for the Congress, which had bagged five seats in 2009 from these constituencies.
The other seat - Balurghat - had gone to the RSP.
West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, of which four voted on April 17.
The next three phases of polling in the state will be held April 30 (nine seats), May 7 (six seats) and May 12 (17 constituencies).
Moderate voting in Maharashtra, Mumbai disappoints
Neha Dhupia shows her finger after using her franchise in Mumbai.
The final voting figure may change, they said.
Uttar Pradesh: Over 55 per cent voting recorded till 5 pm
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav after casting their vote.
Fatehpur Sikri recorded 56.84 per cent polling, Firozabad 56.16 per cent, Mainpuri 59.8 per cent, Etah 53.6 per cent, Hardoi 53.8 per cent, Farukhabad 56 per cent, Etawah 52.03 per cent, Kannauj and Akbarpur had 56.86 and 52.72 per cent respectively.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, senior cabinet minister Shivpal Singh Yadav exercised their vote along with their family members in Etawah.
Union Minister Salman Khurshid exercised his franchise at a polling centre at a Pitaura in Farukkhabad.
Meanwhile, in-charge of Merapur police station Ram Sajeevan Yadav has been suspended with immediate effect on allegation of partiality during the polling.
A complaint was received from former minister Narendra Singh Yadav father of rebel Samajwadi Party candidate Sachin Yadav's and the electoral observer report was sought, SP Alankrita Singh said.
She said that after receiving the report from the observer, Ram Sajeevan was suspended with immediate effect.
Earlier Narendra Yadav had a confrontation with Subodh Yadav son of SP candidate Rameshwar Yadav at Samtuia polling centre.
According to a report, voters boycotted polling in Totalpur, Adampur, Shyamnagar and Agnipur villages in Firozabad district to protest against lack of development.
Similarly in Auraiya district of Etawah Lok Sabha electorate of Shala and Ratnipur villages boycotted election, but it resumed later on the assurance of the officials.
In Etawah Lok Sabha area electorates boycotted polling in two villages.
Over 2500 voters boycotted polling in Lavedi area demanding arrest of persons involved in rape and murder of a girl, whereas in Thadburkhara village 609 voters boycotted polling to protect against lack of development works.
59.04 per cent vote in Madhya Pradesh till 5 pm
The polling figures in 10 seats across MP are as follows: Vidisha (59.35%), Dewas (60.62%), Ujjain (56.10%), Mandsaur (64.29%), Ratlam (62.14%), Dhar (59.40%), Indore (50.88%), Khargone (63.60%), Khandwa (64.59%) and Betul (50.78%), the CEO said adding the turnout will further go up as polling will continue till 6 PM.
Reports of poll boycott were received from Khargone's Satavada village (polling booth no.15), where miffed electorate did not turn up for voting alleging lack of basic facilities.
Also, only five votes were polled at polling booth No.142 in Ratlam's Jaora town on the same issue, the CEO said.
Efforts are on to persuade people to exercise their right to franchise by concerned officials but they have been unrelenting so far, he said.
Earlier in the day, poll officials seized Rs.10.71 lakh in two separate cases in Ratlam constituency, he said.
Besides, 945 litres of country-made liquor worth Rs.1.70 lakh in Indore, 148 litre liquor worth Rs.25,000 from Betul constituency and 21 litre from Dewas were seized by poll personnel.
A poll official identified as Chaganlal in Harda district which falls under Betul constituency passed away due to cardiac arrest while on duty, Govind said.
The Election Commission has sanctioned an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh to his family out of which Rs.two lakh will be paid immediately and the rest subsequently.
Bihar: 60 per cent polling recorded
Despite the mercury soaring over 42 degrees Celsius, around 60 per cent voter turnout was recorded at the end of voting in seven Lok Sabha seats of Bihar in the third phase on Thursday.
While Supual registered 59 per cent voting till 6 PM, it was 60 per cent in Araria, 64 per cent in Kisanganj, 64 per cent in Katihar, 59 per cent in Purnia, 55 per cent in Bhagalpur and 56.43 per cent in Banka, an Election Commission statement said.
Voting percentage rise was maximum in Kisanganj and Katihar seats this time as compared to the last elections.
BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain, NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar and senior RJD leader Mohammad Taslimuddin were among the 108 candidates whose fate was sealed in the EVMs today.
Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Ravindra Kumar told reporters that 98 anti-socials were arrested during the day for disturbing the voting process.
In Supual LS seat, Rs.1.68 lakh unaccounted cash was seized, he said, adding, the Indian Muslim League candidate from the constituency Mohammad Amanullah was arrested on the charge of influencing voters.
There was report of delay in polling in 20 booths in Katihar due to snags in EVM machines. There were also reports of technical problems in EVMs in some other constituencies which were rectified, election office sources said.
59.64 per cent voter turnout in second phase in Rajasthan
About 59.64 per cent of 81 lakh voters today exercised their franchise in 5 Lok Sabha constituencies where polling ended for the second and final phase in Rajasthan.
It was about 9.4 per cent more than the 2009 LS polls in five constituencies, A K Jain, Chief Election Officer, told a press conference here.
There was no poll related violence in five constituencies, Jain claimed.
Barring one incident of clash between security forces and villagers in which five persons including four photo journalists were injured and vehicles were damaged after forces opened 14 rounds of fire at Satha village in Dausa district, the polling was no where affected or obstructed, DGP-Law and Order Navdeep Singh, told a joint press conference here.
Polling was not either disturbed on Satha booth despite little clash outside due to women electors' identity issue in which mob of men folks tried to obstruct, he said, adding however an FIR was lodged by police with Mahua police station related to attack on scribes who went for coverage.
Forty-five thousands security personnels were on duty in the most sensitive 5 LS seats in the state, he added.
Dausa LS seat recorded a tentative polling of 60.81 per cent, Alwar: 65.14 per cent, Karauli-Dholpur: 53.98, Bharatpur: 56.7, Tonk- Sawaimadhopur 60.72 pc, Jain said, adding the final tally of poll percentage would be clear by tomorrow morning.
Poll fortune of eighty one contestants, including two Union Ministers; Namonarayan Meena (MoS finance) from Dausa, Jitendra Singh (MoS-sports) from Alwar, and former cricketer Mohammed Azaharruddin from Tonk-Swaimadhopur was sealed in EVMs.
Total 9,112 polling booths, of which 2,674 declared as critical, were guarded by 45,000 security personnel to ensure the free and fair poll.
First phase of polling in 20 of Rajasthan's 25 seats was held with an average of 63.63 per cent on April 17. An average of 62.9 per cent polling was held in both Ist and IInd phase in the state as against 48.4 per cent in 2009 LS polls. This time it was about 15 per cent higher, according to the CEO.
High voter turnout in Chhattisgarh, polling peaceful
A high voter turnout of 66 per cent was recorded today in seven Parliamentary constituencies of Chhattisgarh in the third and last phase of polling which passed off peacefully.
The highest polling was in Surguja (72 pc), while the lowest was in Janjgir-Champa (60 pc).
"Around 66 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in?seven Lok Sabha seats - Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa (SC), Raigarh (ST), Surguja (ST) and Korba - where polling was peaceful," State Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Kujur said.
The seats are spread across 14 districts. The district-wise voting was: Surguja (72 pc), Surajpur (71 pc), Balrampur (69 pc), Jashpur (69 pc), Raigarh (68 pc), Koriya (65 pc), Mungeli (64 pc), Korba (63 pc), Raipur (62 pc), Bilaspur (62 pc), Balodabazar (62 pc), Durg (61 pc), Janjgir-Champa (60 pc) and Bemetara (57 pc).
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere. As many as 262 EVMs were replaced after they developed snag, Kujur said.
Meanwhile, the presiding officer of a polling station in Korba district was arrested after he was found to be in inebriated state during duty. The officer, Tularam Kanwar, has been placed under suspension, he said.
There are a total of 1,18,10,256 voters in the state, which has 11 Lok Sabha seats. Polling for four seats were held on April 10 and 17 in the first and second phases.
Among 153 candidates in the fray, 15 are women. A total of 14,474 booths were set up in the state in thd third phase, which marks the conclusion of voting process.
Key contestants in the last round of polling include Congress MP and Union Minister Charandas Mahant (Korba), state BJP chief and sitting MP Vishnu Deo Sai (Raigarh-ST), six-time MP Ramesh Bais of BJP (Raipur), President of BJP Mahila Morcha and sitting MP Saroj Pandey (Durg) and Karuna Shukla, Congress nominee and niece of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Bilaspur).
70.6 per cent voting recorded in Assam
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur after using their franchise in Assam on Thursday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from the state since 1991, and his wife Gursharan Kaur cast their vote at Dispur Government Higher Secondary School here.
Of the six Lok Sabha seats, Dhubri recorded the highest voter turnout of 75 per cent followed by Gauhati at 73 per cent, Mangaldoi and Nowgong with 71 per cent each, Barpeta at 69 per cent and Kokrajhar 66 per cent, according to the Returning Officers of the respective constituencies.
A policeman was killed and two others were injured when supporters of two candidates clashed over snatching of EVM machines and attacked the police when it intervened to stop them and they also snatched away two INSAS rifles at a poll booth in Harbhanga Gossaigaon L P School in Kokrajhar Parliamentary seat, police said.
While Constable Tinku Ronghang died on the spot, another constable Nileswar Roy and police sectoral officer Yunus Ali were injured and admitted to hospital, they said.
Despite the temperature touching nearly 40 degree Celsius in Guwahati and still higher in other constituencies, voting was brisk with long queues of voters visible in the early hours.
EVM malfunctioning was reported in many polling centres but those were replaced.
First time voters in the 18-21 years age group were enthusiastic as they lined up in large numbers despite the sizzling heat.
Altogether 74 contestants, including nine women, are in the electoral battle for the six seats.
Prominent candidates are AIUDF president and sitting MP Badruddin Ajmal, Assam Transport Minister Chandan Brahma of BPF, sitting BPF MP S K Bwiswmuthiary, former ULFA 'commander' Naba (Hira) Sarania contesting as an Independent, former Meghalaya Governor and NSG chief Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary of Trinamool Congress.
- with PTI inputs
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