LS Polls Phase 5: 63.5% Voter Turnout Recorded, Says EC
Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and Congress’ Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are among those in the fray.
The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections recorded a total voter turnout of 63.5 percent, on a day marred by poll-related violence in West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.
Two grenade attacks and a petrol bomb attack were reported from J&K’s Pulwama and Shopian districts respectively. However, there was no loss of life and no injuries were sustained in the attacks.
West Bengal, too, saw spates of violence with a BJP leader's car vandalised, journalists being attacked, along with cases of intimidation, bombings and EVM glitches.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Smriti Irani had alleged booth-capturing in Amethi by Rahul Gandhi and asked the Election Commission to take cognisance.
- Polling was held in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven seats each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand and two seats in Jammu and Kashmir
- Poll-related violence was reported in J&K’s Pulwama and West Bengal’s Barrackpore
- The BJP had bagged 12 of the 14 seats in UP in 2014; Sonia Gandhi won in Raebareli for Congress and Rahul won Amethi
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Phase 5 in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, J&K
Rajasthan also saw hectic campaigning by the BJP and the Congress over the past week for the 12 seats.
Union ministers Rathore (Jaipur rural) and Meghwal (Bikaner), Congress MLA and Olympian Krishna Poonia (Jaipur rural), Bhanwar Jitendra Singh (Alwar) are some of the contestants in this last phase of polling in the state.
In Jharkhand, among those in the fray is Union minister Jayant Sinha.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Pulwama and Shopian districts are going to polls on 6 May in the third leg of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. Polling will also be held in Ladakh on Monday.
Cyclone Fani Mars Campaigning in West Bengal
Campaigning in West Bengal during the past couple of days was marred by panic over Cyclone Fani, which caused large scale destruction in neighbouring Odisha, with political parties cancelling their election meetings.
Seats in which elections will be held on Monday are Bongaon (SC), Barrackpur, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly and Arambagh (SC) where an electorate of 1,16,91,889 will decide the fate of 83 candidates, the Election Commission said.
In West Bengal, the BJP candidate from Bongaon (SC) seat, Shantanu Thakur, was injured in a road accident. A police van lost control and hit Thakur's vehicle at the front when he was heading towards Kalyani to attend an election rally on the last day of campaigning, police said.
Thakur, his driver and two others who were in the vehicle, were injured, they said.
NDA vs Mahagathbandan in Bihar
In Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi canvassed in favour of the BJP candidates and also nominees fielded by alliance partners JD(U) and LJP.
He described the ruling NDA in the state as a cohesive three-in-one entity and the Opposition weak, loosely knit and helpless against menaces of black money, corruption and threats to national security.
BJP MPs Ajay Nishad and Rajiv Pratap Rudy are seeking re-election from their respective seats of Muzaffarpur and Saran respectively in Bihar. LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, who has announced that he would no longer contest direct elections, has fielded his younger brother and state minister Pashupati Kumar Paras from his pocket borough of Hajipur.
14 Seats in UP to Vote Today
Addressing rallies in Pratapgarh and Basti in Uttar Pradesh, PM Narendra Modi said the SP-BSP alliance partners will be at each other's throats when the results are out on 23 May. He also accused the Samajwadi Party of going soft on the Congress, saying the two parties are playing a "big game" against Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.
The BJP had bagged 12 of the 14 seats in 2014 with Sonia Gandhi winning in Raebareli and Rahul in Amethi.
The other UP seats going to the polls on 6 May are Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Mohanlalganj (SC), Lucknow, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Bahraich (SC), Kaiserganj and Gonda.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow, while his colleague at the Centre, Irani, is again taking on Rahul in Amethi.
Madhya Pradesh to See Second Phase Polling
Polling for Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul seats, all held by the BJP currently, will take place Monday.
This will be the second phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh, the first phase having been held on 29 April.
Union minister Virendra Kumar Khatik is the BJP candidate from Tikamgarh while former Union minister and sitting MP Prahlad Patel is the party's Damoh candidate.
Visuals from Polling Booth in Amethi
Polling booth in Amethi, the seat which will witness a fight between Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani, is all set for the day.
Visuals from Polling Booth in Lucknow
BJP candidate Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress’ Pramod Krishnam and SP-BSP-RLD candidate Poonam Sinha are fighting for the Lucknow constituency.
Voters Outside Polling Station in Ayodhya
The voters have started to queue up outside a polling station in Ayodhya.
Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha Arrives at Hazaribagh
Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha arrives at Hazaribagh to cast his vote.
PM Modi Urges People to Vote
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Monday urging people to vote in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls.
Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore Arrives to Vote
Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore arrive at a polling station in Jaipur to cast their vote, reported news agency ANI.
EVM Glitch Stalls Voting in Howrah
Voting is yet to begin in booth numbers 289/291/292 in Howrah in West Bengal, after glitches in EVMs and VVPATs, reported news agency ANI.
More details awaited.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Casts Vote in Lucknow
Home Minister and Lucknow BJP Candidate Rajnath Singh cast his vote in the fifth phase of polls.
Third Leg of Polling Underway in Anantnag
Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag, which went to polls in three phases, is voting in its final leg today.
Mayawati Casts her Vote
BSP Chief Mayawati cast her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow in the fifth phase, reported news agency ANI.
Election 2019: BJP Alleges TMC Intimidation in Barrackpore
BJP’s Barrackpore candidate has alleged that he was attacked by TMC and accused them of intimidating voters. "I was attacked by TMC goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured," he told news agency ANI.
According to local media reports, the Election Commission has reportedly asked for a report on the matter.
More details are awaited.
Grenade Attack on Polling station in Pulwama
Militants on Monday lobbed a grenade at a polling station in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir where polling is underway for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, news agency PTI reported quoting police.
The grenade was lobbed towards Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama but there were no reports of any casualties in the the blast, a police official said. He said security forces have cordoned off the area.
Polling is being held in Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency which also includes Anantnag and Kulgam districts as well.
Priyanka Gandhi Takes My Name More Than Her Husband's: Smriti Irani
BJP’s Amethi candidate and Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday took a dig at Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
“She did not know my name 5 years back, now she keeps taking my name, such an accomplishment. Nowadays she takes her husband's name less and my name more,” news agency ANI reported her as saying.
Voter Turnout in Bihar, Jharkhand and UP
Elections 2019: Voter Turnout in MP, Rajasthan, WB and J&K
Smriti Irani Alleges Booth Capturing in Amethi
Union Minister and BJP’s Amethi candidate Smriti Irani alleged booth capturing and asked Election Commission to take cognisance of the matter.
Irani retweeted a video in which a woman can be heard saying that she was forced to vote for Congress.
Bihar Lok Sabha 2019: Man Arrested on Charges of Vandalising EVM
One Ranjit Paswan has been arrested on charges of vandalising an EVM machine at polling booth number 131 in Chhapra, reported ANI.
Phase 5 Polling : Locals in Uttar Pradesh's Banda Boycott Polls Over Water Scarcity
Locals in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda have boycotted polls, citing water scarcity in their area. They allege that they have been promised water over the years but nothing has been done.
In Photos: Rajnath, Mayawati, Jayant Sinha Cast Vote
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Voter Turnout Till 11 am
Lok Sabha Elections: Ashutosh Rana Casts Vote in Madhya Pradesh's Gadarwara
Actor Ashutosh Rana cast his vote at polling booth number 105 in Gadarwara in Madhya Pradesh.
Second Grenade Attack at a Polling Booth in Pulwama: Report
Terrorists hurled a grenade on polling booth in Pulwama, CNN-News18 reported. The grenade reportedly exploded outside the polling booth. No injuries or casualties reported in the attack. This is the second grenade attack in Pulwama the fifth phase of polling is currently underway.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Voter Turnout Till 2 pm
Cricketer MS Dhoni Casts Vote in Jharkhand
Mahendra Singh Dhoni cast his vote at a polling booth in Jawahar Vidya Mandir in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Sahara Chief Subrata Roy Casts Vote
Sahara chief Subrata Roy casts his vote at a polling booth in Lucknow.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Voter Turnout Till 3 pm
Visuals from Phase 5 of Polling
Petrol Bomb Hurled at Polling Booth in Shopian
In a third attack on polling day in Jammu and Kashmir, following two grenade attacks in Pulwama, a petrol bomb was hurled at a polling booth in the Shopian district, ANI reported. No loss of life or injuries have been reported. More details waited.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: 59% Overall Voter Turnout Till 5 pm
Cong Alleges Bogus Voting in Anantnag, Seeks Re-polling in Several Booths
The Congress has sought re-polling in several booths in Shopian and Pulwama districts of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency, alleging that the NC and the PDP indulged in bogus voting in many areas.
In a statement, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president alleged bogus voting in some booths under Pampore and Rajpora Assembly segments, PTI reported.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: 60.76% Overall Voter Turnout Till 6 pm
West Bengal BJP Writes to EC Over Poll-related Violence in State
West Bengal BJP on Monday, 6 May, wrote to the Chief Election Officer in the state over poll related violence.
"All LS seats, which were polling today, have seen widespread violence including rigging of booths, destruction of EVMs and brutal attacks on BJP candidates. (We) Also seek order for re-polling," a letter written by the party said, as per ANI.
Voting Concludes for 5th Phase in Rajasthan
The voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Election Rajasthan has concluded. The voter turnout recorded as last count was 63.28 percent.
Election Commission Addresses Press Conference After 5th Phase of Polling
EC, while addressing a press conference on Monday, 6 May, said that in the first four phases of the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, 5.94 crore more voters took part as compared to the 2014 elections.
The EC also gave a state-wise breakdown of the voter turnout recorded in the fifth phase of the polls: Rajasthan - 63.75%, J&K (overall for Anantnag) - 8.76%, Madhya Pradesh - 64.52%, Jharkhand - 64.60%, West Bengal - 74.42%, Uttar Pradesh - 57.07%, Bihar - 57.76%.
The overall polling percentage, at last count, was recorded at 62.56%.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: 62.56% Overall Voter Turnout (Provisional)
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Overall Voter Turnout at 63.5%
A voter turnout of 63.5 percent was recorded in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, which is the lowest in all the phases so far, Election Commission data shows.
According to the Commission's Voter Turnout android application, at 9.00 PM, the turnout in the Monday's polling was 63.5 percent.
The voter turnout has recorded a decreasing trend so far this election.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Rajasthan Records 64% Voter Turnout
Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer Anand Kumar said 63.78 percent voters turned out in the 12 Rajasthan constituencies which went to the polls in the second round, in which Union ministers Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Arjun Ram Meghwal are in the fray.
Overall, Rajasthan has recorded a turnout of 66 percent turnout at the end of its second and final round of polling, notching three percentage points higher than the voting in 2014.
Combined with the turnout in the earlier round on 29 April, for 13 seats, the overall voting percentage for the state's 25 seats is 66.12. In comparison, turnout for the entire state was 63.11 percent in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The figure for Monday's phase may be slightly revised in the final count, officials said.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: 66.31% Voter Turnout in in MP
More than 66 percent voter turnout was recorded on Monday in the second phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh covering seven Lok Sabha seats with no untoward incident reported from anywhere, an Election Commission (EC) official said.
Polling was held in Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Rewa, Satna, Hoshangabad and Betul Lok Sabha constituencies in the second phase of elections - fifth round nationwide - in the state.
An average 66.31 percent voter turnout was recorded at the end of polling in these seven seats, the official said.