Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 4 Voting Highlights: Over 62% polling recorded till 8 pm today; with over 35%, Srinagar witnesses highest turnout in 2 decades

"Polling in the fourth phase of General Elections 2024 recorded an approximate voter turnout of 62.84 per cent till 8 pm. Polling was closed at 6 pm, but a large number of voters were still in the queue at polling stations," the Election Commission said in a statement, adding that these were "provisional" figures and were being updated.

Among other states, Andhra Pradesh recorded 68.12 per cent polling, Bihar 55.90 per cent, Jharkhand 63.37 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 68.63 per cent, Maharashtra 52.75 per cent, Odisha 63.85 per cent, Telangana 61.39 per cent and Uttar Pradesh 57.88 per cent.

The Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency saw a voter turnout of 36.1% at 5 pm – the highest in the last five elections.

Officials in the EC said they had made concerted efforts to facilitate campaigning and provide a secure environment for political activity. When Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar visited Kashmir in March to review preparations, all district magistrates were instructed to provide adequate security to candidates and provide approvals for holding events expeditiously, a source said.

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The Congress accused the ruling BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of stopping it from publicising the None Of The Above (NOTA) option in Indore, where polling was held on Monday in the fourth and final phase of the general elections in the state.

Dismissing the allegation, the BJP said the Congress was talking "nonsense" to hide its failure after its candidate withdrew from the fray.

West Bengal recorded 75.66 per cent voter turnout, which is the highest as of 5 pm today, followed by Andhra Pradesh at 68.04 per cent and Madhya Pradesh at 68.01 per cent. The lowest was recorded in Jammu and Kashmir, 35.75 per cent.

Voting percentages in other states participating in the fourth phase polling as of 3 pm are Bihar - 54.14 per cent, Jharkhand - 63.14 per cent, Maharashtra - 52.49 per cent, Odisha - 62.96 per cent, Telangana - 61.16 per cent and Uttar Pradesh - 56.35 per cent, as per the ECI.

Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal on Monday suspended three polling officials and directed the police to arrest two of them for "serious dereliction of duty".

Speaking to reporters, Dhal said, "We have directed the Ganjam collector to suspend three presiding officers of three polling booths and arrest two of them for serious dereliction of duty." The presiding officer of polling booth number 193 in Gopalpur assembly constituency has been put under suspension while the presiding officers of booth numbers 27 and 163 in Chatrapur assembly segment in Ganjam district have been suspended and police were directed to arrest them, he said.

With 35.75 per cent polling as of 5 pm, the Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing far better turnout from the 2019 polls.

An approximate voter turnout of 62.31 per cent was recorded till 5 pm today with polling underway in nine states and one UT, according to the Election Commission's Voter Turnout app.

A day after holding a massive roadshow in Patna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a similar roadshow in his constituency Varanasi. The PM will file his nomination papers on Tuesday. 

Varanasi will go to polls in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1.

The roadshow will start from the Madan Mohan Malviya statue outside Banaras Hindu University main gate. It will then head towards Ravidas Gate, Pushkar lake, Assi Ghar, Mata Anandmayi Hospital, Shivala, Sonarpura, Madanpura, Jangamvadi Math, Marwari Hospital. It will conclude at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Gate number 4.

The roadshow will cover around 5 km in the heart of Varanasi. The PM will on Tuesday morning file his nomination from Varanasi constituency.

Voting was progressing peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir where three generations of the Abdullah family cast their vote in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. However, a number of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu were unable to cast their vote as their names were missing from the electoral rolls.

BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate for Hyderabad Latha, who visited several polling booths after voting herself at Amrita Vidyalaya, halted at a polling booth in Azampur, where she started checking IDs of women waiting to vote. In a video, she can be seen asking a burqa-clad woman to lift her veil, which the latter does.

The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM is lodging a complaint with the Election Commission of India after a video emerged

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Around 45.23 per cent of over 95 lakh voters in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar have exercised their franchise till 3 pm on Monday, officials said.

Voting for the five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar to decide the fate of 55 candidates began at 7 am in Begusarai, Ujiarpur, Samastipur, Munger and Darbhanga and will continue till 6 pm, a senior official said.

Rains disrupted polling in some areas of the Khandwa Lok Sabha seat and also in parts of some other constituencies of Madhya Pradesh.

A voter turnout of over 52 per cent was recorded till 3 pm today in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections in 96 constituencies spread over 10 states and Union Territories amid incidents of violence in Andhra Pradesh and reports of poll boycott in some villages of Uttar Pradesh.

As Pune in Maharashtra goes to polls in phase 4 today, it registered a voter turnout of 33.07 per cent till 3 pm.

After 26.48 percent in first six hours till 1 pm, it increased by 6.59 per cent from 1 pm to 3 pm.

As phase 4 polling continues, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge who is in Jharkhand today continued to appeal to votersto support the grand old party.

"No elections will be held in future if PM Modi wins this time," he said.

Apni Party president, Altaf Bukhari says, "By the grace of God, voting is happening without any coercion. I think this is the first victory of democracy...We too stepped out to vote, there is no pressure on anyone. I appeal to everyone to cast the vote." He also says, "Did you see any 1987-like atmosphere?...Get hold of people who lodged FIR. NC-PDP lodged false FIRs...They said that FIR would be taken back but it was never done..."

TMC candidate from Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency, Yusuf Pathan says, 'I am happy to see that youth & women are voting in large numbers. There is a positive environment. I have full faith that I will win with a huge margin. If I have to sacrifice for the people then I am ready, I have come here to work for the people. People have supported me a lot, they want a change here...'

The incident occurred at Tenali in Guntur district when the local YSRCP MLA A Siva Kumar attempted to jump the queue and was questioned by one of the voters. In a fit of rage, he slapped the man, who did not hold himself back and returned the favour.

The MLA had hit the man who questioned him for jumping the queue. Not pleased at the MLA being slapped, his supporters vented out their anger on the man.

The BJP has filed a complaint against Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for holding a press conference after casting his vote, saying that it goes against the Model Code of Conduct. 

When Pune City Congress chief Arvind Shinde reached the voting booth at Saint Mira’s English Medium School in Rasta Peth on Monday, he was surprised to find that although his name was on the voters’ list someone had already cast the vote.

Shinde said that after finding out he raised an objection about this and was later allowed to vote using the ‘tender vote’ process.

With the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election underway in 96 constituencies across nine states and a Union Territory (Jammu and Kashmir), the approximate voter turnout data till 1 pm was recorded at 40.32 per cent. West Bengal saw 51.87 per cent turnout, the highest among all states polling, while Jammu and Kashmir saw the lowest turnout at 23.57 per cent. 

The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM is lodging a complaint with the Election Commission of India after a video emerged of BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate for Hyderabad, K Madhavi Latha, at a polling booth, checking the identity documents of burqa-clad women and asking them to lift their veil.

Latha and Owaisi are facing off in Hyderabad, which the latter won by a sizeable margin in the last Lok Sabha elections.

Latha, who visited several polling booths after voting herself at Amrita Vidyalaya, halted at a polling booth in Azampur, where she started checking IDs of women waiting to vote. In a video, she can be seen asking a burqa-clad woman to lift her veil, which the latter does. Continue reading

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot spoke to PTI and said, "Winds of change blowing in country, INDIA bloc will form government."

A 14.94 per cent voter turnout has been recorded in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency so far, higher than the overall turnout of the 2019 elections for the seat in Jammu and Kashmir.

The redrawn Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency has registered a poll percentage of 14.94 till 11 am, according to Election Commission figures. There are a total of 17.48 lakh eligible voters in Srinagar.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the total turnout for the seat was around 14.43 per cent, while in 2014, it was 25.86 per cent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday vowed to continue with his government's crackdown on corruption, notwithstanding allegations of misuse of central agencies from the opposition.

Addressing an election rally in Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar, Modi said the money recovered in raids against politicians “belonged to the country's poor”.

“I will tell you why they are crying hoarse against the action of agencies like the ED. During the previous Congress regime, the ED seized only Rs 35 lakh, which could be contained in a school bag. Ever since we took over, the agency has recovered Rs 2,200 crore, which would require 70 small trucks to be carried,” said the PM.

Modi said unlike his opponents, who were concerned about promoting their offspring, “I have no ‘waaris' (successor). The common people are my waaris”.

He reiterated the charge that parties like the Congress and RJD, which “allowed extortion and kidnapping to flourish” while in power, will “give away reservations” to Muslims “to pursue their vote bank politics”, but added that “as long as I am alive, I will not let this happen”. --PTI

While Pune has witnessed enthusiasm from voters who flocked to the polling stations early morning, there have also been reports of some voters having to return home without exercising their franchise due to their names being missing from the voters’ list.

The Indian Express spoke to some of these voters as they came out after being turned away from the booths.

In Andhra Pradesh's Guntur, MLA VS Shivakumar and a voter were captured slapping each other at a polling booth.

As the fourth phase of voting in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Monday, Google Doodle celebrated the day with a Doodle showing an image of an index finger marked by a purple-black indelible ink. Upon clicking, Google directs the user to the search results related to the latest Lok Sabha elections 2024 updates.

Congress is accusing Trinamool Congress' 'goons' of blocking roads and threatening voters and INC agents in West Bengal's Salar.

West Bengal saw 32.78 per cent turnout, the highest among all states polling, while Jammu and Kashmir saw the lowest turnout at 14.94 per cent. 

How the rest of the states fared:

• Telangana - 24.31%
• Madhya Pradesh - 32.38%
• Andhra Pradesh - 23.10%
• Maharashtra - 17.51%
• Uttar Pradesh - 27.12%
• Bihar - 22.54%
• Jharkhand - 27.40%
• Odisha - 23.28%

With the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election underway in 96 constituencies across nine states and a Union Territory (Jammu and Kashmir), the approximate voter turnout data till 11 am was recorded at 24.87 per cent.

Three generations of the Abdullah family on Monday cast their vote in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, with National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah appealing to people to turn out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

NC president and former J-K chief minister Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and his two grandsons and first-time electors Zahir and Zamir cast their vote at the polling station at the Burn Hall School here.

"We have two first-time voters with us. It is for the first time that three generations of our family are voting together," Omar Abdullah, also a former chief minister, said.

Both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have lodged complaints alleging malfunctioning of electronic voting machines, agents being stopped from entering polling booths and voters being either threatened or stopped from going to cast their votes in different constituencies.

Till 9 am, the TMC had lodged around 139 complaints and the BJP over 35. 

“We have received 350 complaints, of which 99 were disposed of,” said the official.

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PTI is reporting that a former Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal, Pradeep Vasant Naik, expressed surprise over the name of his wife Madhubala having been deleted from the voters list.

As per the report, ACM Naik, 75, along with his wife and son Vineet, 43, went to exercise their franchise at polling booth 26 at Sapling School Baner Road in Pune on Monday morning as soon as voting began.

“While I and my son were able to vote, my 72-year-old wife's name was found deleted from the voters list. When we brought this to the attention of the official there, he said that there was nothing he could do to help,” ACM Naik told PTI.

In Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich, every first voter at a polling booth was a person with disability, says EC in a statement.

People queue to cast vote in Tahab Naira polling station in Pulwama district. (Express photos by Shuaib Masoodi)

“I appeal to everyone to cast their vote. It’s our fundamental right,” says Jharkhand CM Champai Soren after casting his vote.

Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu along with their respective family members, were among the early voters in the state on Monday.

Assembly elections are being held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh.

Governor Nazeer and First Lady Sameera Nazeer exercised their franchise at the green polling station in Vijayawada. Jagan Mohan Reddy cast his vote at Bhakarapuram in Pulivendula constituency in Kadapa district while Chandrababu Naidu and his wife exercised their franchise in Amaravati. Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan voted in Mangalagiri.

According to a PTI report, prior to the start of polling at 6 am in Macherla mandal in Palnadu district, violence broke out between ruling YSRCP and TDP cadres. A female TDP supporter suffered a large gash on her forehead.

Veteran actor, director and psychiatrist Dr Mohan Agashe cast his vote at Bhandarkar road in Pune. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)

West Bengal saw 15.24% turnout, the highest among all states polling, while Jammu and Kashmir saw the lowest turnout at 5.07%.  

How the rest of the states fared:

• Telangana - 9.51%
• Madhya Pradesh - 14.97%
• Andhra Pradesh - 9.05%
• Maharashtra - 6.45%
• Uttar Pradesh - 11.67%
• Bihar - 10.18%
• Jharkhand - 11.78%
• Odisha - 9.23%

As the fourth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election kicked off in 96 constituencies across nine states and a Union Territory (Jammu and Kashmir) today, the approximate voter turnout data till 9 am was 10.35%.

(Photos by Partha Paul)

PTI is reporting that Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena on Monday said three TDP polling agents who were allegedly kidnapped in Chittoor district have been traced and secured.

According to a press release from the CEO's office, the TDP agents were kidnapped from Bokaramanda village in Chittoor district's Sadum mandal, which falls under the Punganuru Assembly constituency, the report said.

"TDP district in-charge Jagan Mohan Raju complained that TDP agents belonging to polling stations 188, 189 and 199 were kidnapped by YSRCP leaders while going to the polling stations," said Meena.

After casting his vote, JKNC Chief Farooq Abdullah says, 'it is sad that they say that there is no violence and everything is smooth but I want to say that the workers of our party have been locked up for 2 days. I want to ask Union HM and PM Modi why have our workers been locked? Are they scared that they will lose? They will definitely lose,' quotes ANI.

The BJP, in a complaint, has alleged that Trinamool Congress workers ransacked the homes of polling agents, and illegally detained a BJP worker in Purba Bardhaman district last night.

Till 8 am, the Trinamool Congress has filed a total of 110 complaints, maximum of which are from Murshidabad.

These complaints are mostly EVM-related, and in few areas of Murshidabad, they are of CRPF personnel threatening voters.

In Paschim Bardhaman, a complaint has also been raised against MLA Lakhan Ghorui for creating hindrance during polling.

In a written complaint to the Election Commission, Congress has noted that G Kishan Reddy, state BJP President and Union Minister after casting his vote at Barkatpura, addressed the media and taken the name of Narendra Modi, which is a violation. 

"Please instruct the concerned to register a case against him," the complaint states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X early morning, urging voters to exercise their right to vote in large numbers. He called upon young voters as well as women voters to make their voices heard.

Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar showing indellible ink, along with his wife Pratibha and son Pranav at Kamala Neharu School in Ravivarpeth. (Express Photo By Pavan Khengre)

“Normal voting has begun. I hope this to continue like this, however, at a few places, we are facing issues. Our agents are not being allowed to enter,” says BJP candidate from West Bengal’s Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency Dilip Ghosh, reports ANI.

Photos of early morning voters are trickling in across the country. The Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir took to X to share these glimpses from the election:

AIMIM candidate from Hyderabad, Asaduddin Owaisi says "Every election cannot be the same as it was 5 years ago. The challenges are different, issues are different. This is a very important, historic parliamentary election in our country...People have a different understanding and what they want for the country...Elections should always be taken seriously whether it is a Parliament election or a Panchayat election."

Owaisi has already cast his ballot during early morning voting in Hyderabad.

Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy casts his vote at Kadapa Constituency's Jayamahal Anganawadi Polling Booth No. 138.

Congress's YS Sharmila, TDP's Chadipiralla Bhupesh Subbarami Reddy and YSRCP's YS Avinash Reddy are in the fray from this seat.

Telugu actor Allu Arjun has cast his vote in Hyderabad during early morning polling.

"Please cast your votes. It is a very responsible day for us. I know it's hot but let's put that little effort because today is most crucial for the next five years of the country," he says.