Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: Amid row over controversial remarks, Sam Pitroda resigns as chairman of Indian Overseas Congress

Senior Congress leader took to X, and said: "Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision."

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Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 8, 2024

Amid row over his controversial remarks regarding “looks” of people from various parts of a diverse India, Sam Pitroda resigned as the chairperson of Indian Overseas Congress today. Pitroda, with a history of courting controversies, found himself at the midst of the latest furore after a podcast came out with his comments, saying here “people in the East look like the Chinese, people in the West look like the Arabs, people in the North look like, maybe, White and people in the South look like Africans”. He added: “It does not matter. All of us are brothers and sisters.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chair is "shaking" after three phases of the Lok Sabha elections as he has resorted to attacking his own "friends". This shows the "real trend" of the result, he added.

Kharge made these remarks after the prime minister during an election rally in Telangana said the Congress should explain why it has stopped raising the "Ambani-Adani" issue and asked if the grand old party has struck a "deal".

Addressing a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "For the years you have voted for the family of Mulayam Singh Yadav, but this is the family who do not come to see you, no matter they win or loose. Corona pandemic was tough, did Dimple Yadav or Akhilesh Yadav come to see you... When the vaccinations were being rolled out, Akhilesh Yadav made a statement and appealed not to get vaccinated and called it the 'Modi-vaccine'. But, it's good that people don't listen to him..."

#WATCH | While addressing a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "For the years you have voted for the family of Mulayam Singh Yadav, but this is the family who do not come to see you, no matter they win or loose. Corona pandemic was… pic.twitter.com/ibokGsnxU7

— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2024

Slamming the INDIA opposition bloc, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said if it comes to power after the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, it will put a 'Babri' lock at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

During a rally in support of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, in Lakhimpur Kheri, Shah also accused the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of defaming the saffron party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying if he gets 400 seats in the ongoing election, reservation will be done away with.

The senior BJP leader said though it is not going to happen, if the opposition parties come to power, they will put a 'Babri naam ka tala (Babri lock)' at the Ram temple.

With PTI inputs

'I can tolerate it when abuses are hurled at me, but not when they are hurled at my people. Can we decide a person's merit based on skin colour? Who permitted the Prince to look down on my people like that? We will not accept this racist mentality!' PM Modi said.

PM Modi's remarks were in response to Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda's comments on diversity of India. In an interview to The Statesman, Pitroda has said, “People in the East look Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North like, maybe, White, and people in the South look like African.”

"Congress, SP, BSP defaming BJP and PM, saying if Modi gets 400 seats, reservation will end, " Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in UP's Lakhimpur.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in Raebareli, "Today inflation and unemployment are the two biggest problems in the country. There is so much inflation in Modiji's rule that even after earning through hard work the needs are not fulfilled. Instead of helping you, the government gave you 5 kg ration. There is no earning even in farming because GST has to be paid on everything,"

During his rally in Warangal, Telangana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "When you gave BJP a chance in 2014, we gave you a Dalit President, Ram Nath Kovind. Again, in 2019, we gave the country an Adivasi President, Draupadi Murmu. Congress is against the Presidentship of Murmu ji because the Prince of Congress has a 'philosopher and guide uncle' in America, who acts like the 'third umpire' in Congress' confusion. He has said that people with dark skin are from Africa."

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi targeted the BJP and says their schemes are for billionaires; they talk about religion, caste, temple-mosque and not real issues. "Entire BJP machinery is engaged in spreading lies against Rahul Gandhi,"Priyanka said in UP's Rae Bareli. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Vaman Usgaonkar (42) took a ferry from Old Goa to Divar island, drove four kilometres on his scooter, and boarded another ferry to reach Vanxim island.

En route, he pointed to a cross on a rock in the middle of the river. “Decades ago, a doctor was on his way to visit a patient in Vanxim when his canoe capsized here. The villagers constructed a cross to commemorate his memory,” he said.

Vanxim, one of the smallest inland islands on the Mandovi river, is not connected to the mainland with a bridge and is accessible only through a state-run ferry, which carries passengers and vehicles. The island, known earlier as ‘Capao’ by the Portuguese, comes under Sao Matias panchayat in North Goa’s Cumbarjua constituency and has 152 voters. Read more

Taking a dig at the Congress party, PM Modi said in Karimnagar, "For years, Congress' shehzadey used to chant the name of 'five industrialists', 'Ambani', 'Adani'...But since the elections are declared, they have stopped abusing Ambani, Adani...Why? I wish to ask the Shehzadey of Congress, how much black money have they recieved from Adani, Ambani? How much the Congress party has 'received' from those industrialists for the elections?"

"People of Telangana have seen my work in the last 10 years. Your one vote made India the world's fifth largest economy. Your one vote abrogated Article 370 and ensured peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir. Your one vote turned India from defence importer into defence exporter," PM Modi said in Karimnagar.

Further, slamming BRS and Congress, PM Modi said, "The BJP believes in the 'Nation-First' principle. But the Congress and BRS, on the other hand, works on the 'Family-First' principle in Telangana."

"Congress and BRS are all about 'by the family, of the family, for the family!' Both these parties are two sides of the same coin," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his rally in Telangana's Karimnagar lauded BJP contribution towards farmers' welfare.

PM Shri @narendramodi addresses public meeting in Karimnagar, Telangana. https://t.co/9EGdsqcmZJ

— BJP (@BJP4India) May 8, 2024

THE SUDDEN removal by BSP chief Mayawati of nephew Akash Anand as both the party national coordinator and “successor” comes less than five months after she anointed the 28-year-old as her political heir.

At the party meeting in December 2023 where she made the announcement, the BSP chief said Akash would continue to strengthen the party in states apart from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Last month, in one of his first poll rallies since then, and the first for the current Lok Sabha elections, Akash targeted the BJP at length, in a departure from Mayawati, who has focused her attacks on the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) in recent years.

Read more

After polling was held in Madhya Pradesh, a bus carrying election officials caught fire on its way back from Goula village in Multai assembly constituency of Betul Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday night. News agency ANI in a tweet said that four EVMs suffered damages and election officials remained safe after jumping off the bus.

Watcj video:

#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: A bus, carrying polling personnel, burst into flames while returning from Goula Village in the Multai assembly constituency of Betul Lok Sabha constituency last night. The polling personnel jumped off the bus and were safe. However, four EVMs suffered… pic.twitter.com/wlqMXrlB2z

— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2024

• A nearly 62 percent voter turnout was recorded on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories with stray incidents of violence in West Bengal.
• Assam recorded the highest turnout at 75.53 percent followed by Goa at 74.47 percent and West Bengal at 73.93 percent, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest at 55.54 percent.
• With the BJP bagging Surat unopposed, 25 seats in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat went to polls on Tuesday, besides 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 of the 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who exercised their franchise in Gujarat.
• Shah (Gandhinagar) was among the bigwigs in the fray along with Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).
• Amid rains, people used different modes of transport, including boats, to reach the polling stations across Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar constituencies.
• In Uttar Pradesh, where several members of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's family are contesting, party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP workers were trying to "loot booths" in Mainpuri and people from opposition parties were being detained in police stations.
• In Gujarat, the Banaskantha district collector ordered an inquiry after Congress Lok Sabha candidate Geniben Thakor alleged that electors were threatened and asked to vote for the BJP by some youngsters posing as CRPF personnel at a polling station.
• Sporadic incidents of violence marred the polling in the four constituencies in West Bengal as TMC, BJP and Congress-CPI(M) workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats.
• Not a single vote was also cast in three villages of Firozabad -- Nagla Jawahar, Neem Kheria and Nagla Umar -- as the villagers tried to draw the administration's attention to their problems.
• Two government officials on poll duty died in Karnataka after suffering a heart attack, sources in the Election Commission said.
• A 45-year-old woman polling officer - Kaushika Babariya- deployed at a polling booth in Amreli district of Gujarat, also died of a heart attack.
• The overall voting percentage in the first and second phases was 66.14 per cent and 66.71 per cent respectively.
• With this, voting has been completed in 20 states/UTs and 282 Lok Sabha seats out of 543.

Around a thousand voters from across three villages in Gujarat boycotted voting in the Lok Sabha polls, while those in as many other villages partially stayed away from the process over their unfulfilled demands from the government, officials said.

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that as per the preliminary information, the voters of Kesar village in Bharuch district, Sanadhara in Surat district and Bhakhari in Banaskantha district completely boycotted voting, while the voters at Bhatgam village in Junagadh district, and Bodoli and Kunjara villages in Mahisagar district boycotted it partially.

As per the Election Commission report, none of the 320 voters in Sanadhara village cast their votes over certain outstanding issues even as the local poll administration and representatives of political parties tried to persuade them to come out and exercise their franchise.

Around 300 voters in Bakhri village that falls under Patan parliamentary constituency also decided to collectively boycott voting in protest against division of their gram panchayat.

Around 350 voters in Kesar village of Bharuch district also remained adamant on their decision to not cast their votes and by the end of the day not a single vote was cast. This was not the first time that the voters had boycotted their votes. They have done so in the past as well, as their demands to build a bridge over a river has not been fulfilled by the government despite repeated demands, locals said.

Repolling at a polling station in Rajasthan's Barmer Lok Sabha seat, which was ordered over a breach of confidentiality of vote, will be held on May 8.

Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said that the Election Commission has issued instructions for re-polling at a polling booth in Dudhwa Khurd village in Barmer constituency. He said that four members of the polling team were suspended over allegations of breach of confidentiality of vote.

Gupta said that repolling will be held on Thursday, May 8 from 7 am to 5 pm at polling centre number 50, Government Higher Secondary School, Dudhwa Khurd booth in Chauhtan assembly constituency.

Neither age nor disability stopped them from voting as polling was held in 93 constituencies in the third round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. Here are the snapshots from the day:

** In Gujarat's Nadiad, Ankit Soni who lost his hands some years ago cast his vote using his leg. He has been doing so in every election.

** 110-year-old Gattigitti Lakshmibai reached a polling station in Kapalapur village in Karnataka's Bidar along with her son and grandson to cast her vote while 100-year-old Gurama exercised her franchise in Sindbandagi village. In many polling stations, the elderly reached on wheelchairs.

** The first vote for the election to Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency was cast by Ali Mohammad Rather, a visually impaired person, under the Election Commission's new home voting facility.

** Thirteen people were injured when swarms of bees attacked them in two separate polling booths of two constituencies in north Chhattisgarh. Eight people were injured in Aara village under Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency and five at Jawaharnagar under Surguja Lok Sabha constituency.

** There were also reports of poll boycott from Uttar Pradesh's Budaun where villagers of Dhoranpur protested against politicians for not paying heed to their demand for a road. In Chhattisgarh, residents of Dhumadand village in Koriya cited the lack of a road. Three villages of Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad -- Nagla Jawahar, Neem Kheria and Nagla Umar -- also reportedly boycotted the polls.

** In Gujarat's Ahmedabad scores of people gathered outside the polling station at Nishan Public School to get a glimpse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was there to exercise his franchise as a voter of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat from where Union Home Minister Amit Shah is reelection.

** A 45-year-old woman polling officer deployed at a polling booth in Gujarat's Amreli district died after she complained of uneasiness while on duty. Kaushika Babariya was a teacher at a government school.

** A 71-year-old man collapsed and died while standing in the queue to cast his vote in a village in Jashpur district under Chhattisgarh's Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency. Jartiyus Toppo was waiting to cast his vote at polling booth no 303 in Jamtoli village when he collapsed.

A 45-year-old woman polling officer deployed at a polling booth in Gujarat's Amreli district died after she complained of uneasiness while on duty, an official told PTI.

Kaushika Babariya, a teacher at a government school, was deployed at a school in Jafrabad town, said Ajay Dahiya, Amreli collector and district election officer. Doctors concluded that the probable cause of death was a heart attack, he said.

"The officer was on duty at a polling booth in Jafrabad city. She complained of uneasiness in the afternoon and was immediately rushed to a community health centre. She was later referred to a private hospital for treatment. She died soon after being admitted to the hospital," Dahiya said.

#LokSabhaElection2024 | Voters in Jharkhand said they expect the government that comes to power to work on issues like employment, education and development.

Follow Live Updates: https://t.co/k8VBAOmepi

(Express videos by Jayprakash Naidu) pic.twitter.com/XmjeB0q6kQ

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) May 7, 2024

Suggesting a possible reshaping of Opposition politics after the 2024 elections, Sharad Pawar has said that regional parties will move closer or, in some cases, even merge with the Congress.

Among the tallest leaders in the Opposition today, the former Union Minister and Maharashtra Chief Minister Pawar told The Indian Express: “In the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress. Or they may look at the option of merging with the Congress if they believe that is the best for their party.”

Read more here

Women in West Bengal's Malda staged a protest regarding development issues in their area and boycotted voting during the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

#WATCH | Malda, West Bengal: A woman boycotting the voting says, "No development work has been done in our area, roads and bridges have not been built. The MP and MLA of the area are absent from here. The government will have to listen to us. We will sit here as long as the… pic.twitter.com/th5xp3mCNH

— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2024

Just over a fortnight to go for the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, three Independent MLAs withdrew their support to the BJP government in the state and extended “outside” support to the Congress.

This leaves the BJP, with 40 MLAs, tentatively placed in the Assembly. With the House strength reduced to 88, the majority mark is 45. Technically, the BJP government has the support of 43 MLAs now, though it claimed on Tuesday that four Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) MLAs too may offer “tactical assistance to the government if needed”, taking its strength to 47.

Read more

Congress leader and party candidate from Chandigarh Manish Tewari had a prediction for the BJP after the third phase of polls - "BJP dakshin me saaf hai, uttar me half hai (BJP will vanish in south, half in north)".

#WATCH | Congress candidate from Chandigarh seat Manish Tewari says, "After third phase of elections it will be clear that 'BJP dakshin me saaf hai, Uttar me half hai'. On June 4, there will be a new morning for which the country is waiting and the INDIA alliance govt will be… pic.twitter.com/p2C9P4jg51

— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2024

At least 20 people, including children, were hospitalised in Vadodara due to suspected food poisoning after they allegedly consumed free poha distributed near polling stations in the Fatehgunj area Tuesday. Vadodara police officials said a probe will be initiated into the incident after the close of voting as those affected claimed that they did not know who was distributing the food.

The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon when migrant labourers consumed the poha that was being distributed near Maikrupa school polling station, close to the Suryanagar settlement.

Read more here

An incident of firing was reported near a polling booth in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind, state Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan told ANI.

"It happened because of an internal conflict. It has nothing to do with the elections... In Guna, there was news that 11 votes were cast at a booth and the EVM showed 50 votes. The collector inquired about this to the presiding officer and the polling agents. This news is wrong... There are a total of 905 voters there and 295 of them voted till 11 am. There was 32% polling," he said.

Women danced and celebrated in tribal attire at a polling booth in Chhattisgarh's Durg district.

Uniting in love and democracy! ?Newlyweds exercising their rights together.

Celebrate #ChunavKaParv and #GoVote #YouAreTheOne #InkWaliSelfie #Phase3 #GeneralElections2024 #LokSabhaElections2024 #DeshKaGarv #IVote4Sure pic.twitter.com/MsRABPfeuJ

— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) May 7, 2024

Meanwhile, first-time voters were driven in a chariot to a polling booth in Madhya Pradesh.

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— Chief Electoral Officer, Madhya Pradesh (@CEOMPElections) May 7, 2024

Cultural performances, voters in their best clothes and chariots taking voters to polling booths were among the sights seen across states during Phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

In Gujarat's Dahod, cultural performances and decorations greeted voters.

#LokSabhaElection2024

#ModelPollingStation

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134- ????? ?????? ???????? ????? ???????? ????? ????? ??? 114-???? ??????-1 ???? ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????@CEOGujarat @ECISVEEP@CollectorDahod @SpokespersonECI @DEO_Dahod pic.twitter.com/WMx1W5v9Pi

— ERO-134 & SDM DevgadhBaria (@office_sdm) May 7, 2024

Taking out time to exercise their duty as citizens, many newly-weds also made their way to polling booths

Uniting in love and democracy! ?Newlyweds exercising their rights together.

Celebrate #ChunavKaParv and #GoVote #YouAreTheOne #InkWaliSelfie #Phase3 #GeneralElections2024 #LokSabhaElections2024 #DeshKaGarv #IVote4Sure pic.twitter.com/MsRABPfeuJ

— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) May 7, 2024

Appealing voters to reject the proponents of lies and hatred, senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday asked people to vote for the Congress party for a “brighter and more equal future.” Her appeal came on the day of the third phase of polling for the Lok Sabha polls.

In a video message on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi said, “Reject the proponents of lies and hatred and vote for the Congress for a brighter and more equal future for all. Press the hand button and together let us build a stronger, more united India with peace and harmony for all.”

Symbol of Sacrifice,CPP Chairperson Smt Sonia Gandhi’s message to you .#Elections2024 pic.twitter.com/icBrs58gFY

— Manickam Tagore .B??????????? ??????.? (@manickamtagore) May 7, 2024

Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge alleged that the BJP bribed voters in the state's Sedam and Chittapur constituencies.

. @BJP4Karnataka are indeed taking PM @narendramodi’s digital payment mission to the next level.
BJP is bribing voters directly using PhonePe in Sedam and Chittapur constituencies.

We are filing a complaint with more evidence of such transactions to the Election Commission.… pic.twitter.com/DErP48Yhkp

— Priyank Kharge / ????????? ????? (@PriyankKharge) May 7, 2024

A three-cornered fight between three of the richest candidates in Telangana is underway in the Chevella Lok Sabha seat, parts of which comprise the IT corridor and the most upmarket localities of Greater Hyderabad, while the rest cover the backward outskirts of the city.

While the BJP’s Konda Vishweshwar Reddy (declared assets Rs 4,568 crore) is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress’s G Ranjith Reddy (Rs 435 crore) is hoping to ride the advantage of being a candidate of the ruling party in the state. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which won the seat the past two elections, but is struggling to hold its own in the state since its Assembly poll loss last year, has fielded Kasani Gnaneshwar Mudiraj (worth Rs 228 crore).

Read more

The queues began forming at Blue Ridge Public School in Hinjewadi at 6.45 am on Tuesday. One of the eight co-operative societies to have polling booths this time around, in a new initiative by the Election Commission, the turnout looked promising right from the beginning. Interestingly, the crowd was a mix of IT professionals who work and live in the area and farmers from the surrounding villages, all of whom have the same demand.

The Blue Ridge Co-operative Society has been facing a major drinking water crisis, with bloodworms being detected in its potable water some weeks ago. Read more

Ramesh Patil, a farmer from the Latur district of Maharashtra, has decided to shun the soyabean crop and try his luck with vegetables this kharif season. He is not alone as even amid the ongoing voting in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, more than who to vote for, farmers of the area had a more pressing question to ask — what to grow this kharif season?

While casting his vote, Patil, a resident of Chapuli in Chakur taluka, said he has decided to shift from soyabean as it is not lucrative for farmers like him anymore. “If it rains well, I might dedicate my entire three-acre land to grow vegetables,” he said.

Read the full story here

Shiv Sena (Shinde) MP Dr Rajendra Gavit on Tuesday returned to the BJP after he was denied a chance to retain the Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra. 

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies Shinde Sena and the BJP were caught in a power tussle for the Palghar seat. After lengthy negotiations, the BJP fielded Hemant Savra, the son of former BJP minister Vishnu Savra, as its candidate for the 2024 polls. Palghar is among the 13 seats in Maharashtra that go to polls in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on May 20.

Addressing the media, Gavit said, "I have decided to return to the BJP. I want to work for the BJP in the state." 

Read more

With the third phase of polling in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections currently underway, PM Modi’s AI-generated ‘dance’ video is doing rounds online. Congress levelled an attack on the pre-poll interviews of PM Modi and ECI appreciated eco-friendly polling booths in Goa. We take a look at what’s been buzzing in social media today!

Read more here

Assembly constituency-wise voting (till 5 pm) :

Mohol : 52.22 %

North Solapur : 51.21 %

Central Solapur : 47.01 %

Akkalkot : 47.85 %

South Solapur : 51.88 %

Pandharpur : 49.10 %

The Election Commission asked social media platform X to take down an animated video post by the BJP Karnataka handle, calling it “violative of extant legal framework”.

The video was seen to be underlining the party’s allegation of Muslim appeasement by the Congress. The Congress had filed a complaint with the state chief electoral officer on Sunday (May 5).

Earlier on Tuesday, the Karnataka Police had issued a notice to X, asking it to take down the post targeting Muslims, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Read more here

Voter turnout till 5 pm - 60.19%

Assam 74.86%
Bihar 56.01%
Chhattisgarh 66.87%
Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu 65.23%
Goa 72.52%
Gujarat 55.22%
Karnataka 66.05%
Madhya Pradesh 62.28%
Maharashtra 53.40%
Uttar Pradesh 55.13%
West Bengal 73.93%

Hours after images of NCP leader Rupali Chakankar performing pooja at a polling station were circulated, an offence was registered against her with the Pune City Police. Chakankar is Chairman of State Women's Commission and is the President of Maharashtra State Women's wing of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

A senior police officer with Pune City police confirmed that an offence against her was registered under The Representation of the People Act, 1951 section 131 (Penalty for disorderly conduct in or near polling stations) and 132 (Penalty for misconduct at the polling station) and Indian Penal Code section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant). Chakankar and other workers of the party who were present at the time have been booked.

Maharashtra | "A case of violation of Model Code of Conduct has been registered against the Chairman of Maharashtra State Women Commission and NCP leader Rupali Chakankar after she had performed aarti in front of the EVM," said senior police officials of Pune City Police. pic.twitter.com/LfjLVDaHZd

— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2024

A man tried to set an EVM on fire in the Madha Lok Sabha constituency's Bagalwadi area.

Kumar Ashirwad, District Collector and Election Officer, Solapur, said, "Today an incident was reported in Sangola assembly constituency area, at polling booth number 86 in Bagalwadi. A voter tried to set an EVM on fire. In the incident, ballot units have been partially blackened on the outside. But the ballot units, control units and VVPAT units are all intact. The polling process was not affected. But to ensure that nobody has any doubt, we have replaced the entire EVM unit. A mock poll was conducted on the new EVM and polling has resumed. Because the earlier machine is intact, the votes cast on it earlier will be considered at the time of the counting. So repoll is not required." 

Kumar Ashirwad further said, "The man who tried to set the machine on fire has been taken into custody by the police and a probe has been initiated. We appeal to citizens not to believe in any rumours."

Singer Arijit Singh cast his vote at the Jiaganj polling booth in West Bengal's Murshidabad constituency.

#LokSabhaElection2024 | Singer Arijit Singh cast his vote in West Bengal's Murshidabad constituency.

Follow Live Updates: https://t.co/k8VBAOmepi pic.twitter.com/9BTv9KDFPU

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) May 7, 2024

Many senior citizens from Hatkanagale constituency in Maharashtra's Kolhapur complained of their name being deleted from the voters' list.

From this constituency, former MP Raju  Shetti is locked in a three-way fight with sitting Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Dhaiyrasheel Mane and MVA candidate Satyajit Patil.

It may be the most underrated issue for a parliamentarian, yet it concerns the Chandigarh citizens the most – street dog bites. Despite 2024 being a general election, one of the top concerning issue that most residents of the ‘City Beautiful’ want their member of parliament (MP) take it on priority at the national level is of street dogs menace.

While the civic body states that it is continuously holding the sterilisation of the street dogs under the animal birth control (ABC) rules, citizens on the other hand say they are not finding any results on ground. Result – alarming dog bite numbers across the city and residents in fear. Read more here

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, along with his family, cast their votes at Shilaj polling station of Ghatlodiya in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

After casting his vote, he made an appeal to everyone to vote for Sresth Bharat (Better India), Samrudh Bharat (prosperous India) and Viksit Bharat (developed India). An assembly member himself from one of the constituencies in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha Seat, he exhorted people to ensure maximum voter participation.

#WATCH | Ahmedabad: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel says, "The festival of democracy is being celebrated. The polling for the third phase is underway. I have also voted. It is our responsibility to vote. All of you should vote for 'Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat'..." pic.twitter.com/Q2O7aJEv8R

— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2024

Voter turnout of 58.19% was recorded in Chhattisgarh till 3 pm. While the voter turnout was lower in urban seats like Raipur and Bilaspur, it was higher in tribal seats Sarguja and Raigarh. Here is the constituency-wise break-up: 

• Bilaspur - 50.76% 
• Durg - 58.06% 
• Janjgir-Champa- 55.38% 
• Korba - 62.14 % 
• Raigarh - 67.87% 
• Raipur - 51.66% 
• Sarguja - 65.31%

Shares ended lower, led by losses in heavyweight financials and auto stocks, with volatility rising to a 15-month high amid the ongoing national elections.

The blue-chip Nifty 50 was down 0.62% at 22,302.50 points, while the S&P BSE Sensex shed 0.52% to 73,511.85. The Nifty Volatility Index, a gauge for domestic market volatility, rose for the ninth consecutive session to close at 17.01, a 15-month high.

Volatility in India will continue to be elevated as uncertainty over election results will make sections of investors hold back or even take some money off the table, said Raghvendra Nath, managing director at LadderUp Wealth Management. (Reuters)

NCP(SP)’s Baramati Lok Sabha candidate Supriya Sule on Tuesday sent a complaint to the state Election Commission via email after a video, purportedly showing Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Dattatraya Bharne allegedly threatening a party worker, went viral on social media, said party MLA Rohit Pawar.

Party MLA Rohit Pawar, a member of the NCP(SP), said, “We have lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission against the (Indapur) NCP MLA (Bharne) for abusing and threatening our party worker in Indapur. This is a violation of the model code of conduct.” The complaint has been lodged from the email id of Sule, the MLA said. The video reportedly went viral on Monday.

Maharashtra's 11 constituencies register 42.63 percent voting till 3 pm in the third phase of general elections.

Leading the tally were Kolhapur (51.51%), Hatkanangale (49.94%) and Latur (44.48%).

In Nashik, a 64-year-old ascetic who frequently takes a vow of silence is giving his fellow Lok Sabha candidates sleepless nights.

Shantigiri Maharaj, also known as Mauni Baba, has taken his second electoral plunge and is contesting from the Nashik Lok Sabha seat as an Independent candidate. Over the past few days, he is said to have held discussions with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Nashik guardian minister Dada Bhuse and state Cabinet minister Girish Mahajan, all of whom have requested him to withdraw his candidature.

Shantigiri Maharaj’s rivals are understandably wary of his ability to garner votes. The last time he contested a Lok Sabha election – from Aurangabad in 2009 – he had bagged over 1.48 lakh votes. Read more here

Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) national general secretary Shivpal Yadav has left the Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh after receiving a notice from the district police in compliance with Election Commission of India guidelines. Shivpal’s son Aditya Yadav is contesting on an SP ticket from Badaun, where polling was underway in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

The police notice cited ECI regulations stipulating that no outsider can remain in a poll-bound district 48 hours before and after the election campaign concludes. The election campaign in Badaun concluded on Sunday, May 5.

Carved out in 1966, the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency — which has the large presence of Jaats and Gurjar communities — accommodates both affluent and non-affluent localities, from major fashion brands, cafes, clubs, restaurants, farmhouses, and bungalows in Mehrauli and Chattarpur to migrants and labour communities in Deoli, Sangam Vihar and Badarpur.

The seat is known as a stronghold of the BJP with incumbent MP Ramesh Bidhuri winning the seat consecutively for the last two terms, 2014 and 2019, with a vote share of 56. 58 per cent in the last election in 2019. Although AAP had fielded Raghav Chadha from the seat, the party lost the election, while bagging a vote share of 26.35 per cent. The reason: the constituency accommodates a large number of labourers, migrants and lower-middle class people spread especially across Sangam Vihar, Deoli and Badarpur constituencies. Read more here

Supriya Sule, the NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidate from Baramati for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, called upon the police and election machinery to ensure that voting takes place in a transparent and fair manner even as a case was registered at Bhor in the constituency over alleged distribution of cash to voters on Monday night.

Sule was speaking after casting her vote in Baramati town along with several members of her family on Tuesday. “Last night, I was getting calls from party workers in Bhor, Velha, and Baramati until 2 am about rivals indulging in unfair means… We have also shared photographs and videos about it which bear the time stamp. In a democracy, it is important that elections take place in a fair, just and peaceful manner. Three-four incidents were brought to my notice yesterday and we hope the administration will probe those,” said Sule.

#WATCH | Baramati, Maharashtra: After casting her vote, NCP-SCP MP and candidate from Baramati Lok Sabha seat, Supriya Sule says, "In a strong democracy, the Constitution should be kept at the centre and third phase of voting is taking place, it should be done peacefully."… pic.twitter.com/bMxvrDaOVM

— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2024

A presiding officer of a polling booth in Supaul, Bihar has passed away due to a heart attack, during the ongoing third phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The presiding officer has been identified as Shailendra Kumar. What happened to him and what does the doctor have to say about it? Watch the video.

There has been a 39.9% voter turnout for Phase 3 of Lok Sabha elections till 1 pm this morning, as per Election Commission’s Voter Turnout app.