Voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections has begun in 21 states and UTs – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura , Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
Over 16.63 crore voters, including 8.4 crore men and 8.23 crore women, will cast their votes at 1.87 lakh polling stations. The voting round starts at 7:00 am and ends at 6:00 pm.
The elections to the five seats in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in five phases, almost five years before the abrogation of Article 370. The prominent candidates in the first phase include Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Bhupendra Yadav, Kiren Rijiju , Sanjeev Baliyan, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Sarbananda Sonowal. Also in the fray are Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, DMK's Kanimozhi and BJP's Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai.
While the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking for a stronger majority, the opposition bloc INDIA is hoping for a rebound. In 2019, the UPA had won 45 of the 102 seats at stake on Friday and the NDA had won 41. Six of these seats have been re-drawn as part of the delimitation exercise.
The general elections to elect 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.
Here are the LIVE updates on Lok Sabha polls Phase 1:
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Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma reached the Walbakgre polling station in Tura at 6.30 am and is waiting in the queue for his turn to vote.
Five years after Jammu and Kashmir lost its special status following the abrogation of Article 370, voting began in the first phase of the general elections in Udhampur constituency.
The elections will be held despite pouring rain at 2,637 polling stations in the constituency and will decide the fate of 12 candidates, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
The early voters braved the bad weather in the morning and went to the polling stations. Over 16 lakh people, including 845,283 men and 777,899 women, are eligible to cast their votes.
Today is an important day as the first phase of voting takes place in the country. I appeal to all voters voting in this phase to vote in large numbers because every vote of yours has the power to create a secure, developed and self-reliant India. Your voice…
– Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) April 19, 2024
In the first phase of the general elections, voting has begun for Maharashtra's five Lok Sabha seats, where more than 95 lakh people are eligible to vote.
In Nagpur, there is an immediate fight between senior BJP leader Gadkari and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre.
In Chandrapur, BJP candidate and Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar faces Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar
In Bhandara-Gondia, the BJP has fielded sitting MP Sunil Mendhe, who is pitted against Congress candidate Dr. Prashant Patole.
Two-time Lok Sabha MP from the BJP, Ashok Nete, is contesting against Congress candidate Dr. Namdev Kirsan in Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST)
In Ramtek, the fight is between Congress' Shyamkumar Barwe and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena candidate Raju Parwe.
Amid tight security measures, voting has begun for the sole Lok Sabha seat in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A total of 3.15 lakh voters – 1.64 lakh men and 1.51 lakh women are eligible to vote. Special polling stations have been set up for 39 voters from the Great Nicobarese tribe of the Strait Islands, 68 members of the Onge tribe in Hut Bay and 98 Shompen tribes from the Great Nicobar Island.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections begin today! With 102 seats in 21 states and colleges going to the polls, I urge everyone who votes in these seats to exercise their right to vote in record numbers. I especially call on young people who are voting for the first time to vote in large numbers. Finally,…
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2024
Lok Sabha polls 2024: Voting begins in 21 states and Union Territories
For the lone Lok Sabha in Nagaland, a quarter of the total polling booths have been marked as critical and vulnerable. More than 13.25 lakh voters will decide the fate of three candidates at 2,342 polling booths. 588 of them are marked as critical and vulnerable. Voting starts at 7 a.m. and lasts until 4 p.m. Nearly 20,000 new voters, 22,140 seniors over the age of 85 and 6,707 people with disabilities are eligible to cast their votes today.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar has urged voters across the country to participate in the first phase of the general elections today. “Over 16 crore voter slips have been distributed in phase one. It is a kind of invitation that reaches your house and says this is your polling station. This is your voter list. Please come and vote. Youth, male, female, old age, transgender, anyone who we are looking. Our staff are very well trained. The teams are ready at all polling stations to welcome you very, very courteously.
Here is a list of 102 constituencies going to the polls today:
These prominent leaders are in the fray in the first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha polls:
- Nitin Gadkari
- Sarbanada Sonowal
- Bhupendra Yadav
- Gaurav Gogoi
- Kanimozhi
- K Annamalai
- Bhupendra Yadav
- Kiren Rijiju
- Sanjeev Baliyan
- Jitendra Singh
- Arjun Ram Meghwal
- Biplab Kumar Deb
Here are some facts about the first phase of polls:
- 102 Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) in 21 States/UTs
- Voting starts at 7am and ends at 6pm
- Among the voters of over 16.63 crore are 8.4 crore men; 8.23 crore female and 11,371 third gender.
- 35.67 lakh first-time voters are registered to exercise their franchise.
- 3.51 crore young voters in the age group of 20-29 years.
- 41 helicopters, 84 special trains and nearly 1 lakh vehicles have been deployed to ferry polling officials and security personnel.
- 361 observers have already reached their constituencies.
- 4,627 flying squads, 5,208 statistics monitoring teams, 2,028 video surveillance teams and 1,255 video viewing teams to tackle any form of voter inducement.
- 1,374 interstate and 162 international border checkpoints to control the flow of liquor, drugs, cash and freebies.
- 14.14 lakh registered voters aged 85 years and above and 13.89 lakh persons with disabilities (PwD)