Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Highlights: INDIA bloc will rewrite Constitution to give reservation on basis of religion, says PM Modi

#WATCH | Union Minister and BJP candidate from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat Dharmendra Pradhan holds a roadshow in Mayurbhanj, Odisha pic.twitter.com/H5C2Ohvglj

— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2024

In all the seven seats in Jharkhand that had voted till May 20, the turnout among women outnumbered the men in each. Of the 39 Assembly segments that fall within the seven Lok Sabha seats – half of Jharkhand’s total 14 – only in three was the polling participation of men higher.

As per data released by the Election Commission last week, it was only in the fifth phase (May 20) that the turnout of women voters across the country surpassed that of men in these Lok Sabha elections. In the overall turnout of 62.2% in this phase, 63% of the women electors and 61.48% of the men cast their votes.

The gap was particularly stark in Bihar and Jharkhand; with as many as 61.58% of the women voters casting their ballot compared to 52.42% of the men in Bihar, with the figures for Jharkhand, respectively, 68.65% and 58.08%. Both poll officials and parties in Jharkhand said one reason for this was the high migration of men. Read full story here. 

Top leaders of the BJP and the Congress will campiagn in Odisha ahead of the last phase of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Odisha on May 29 and address three public meetings in Baripada, Balasore and Kendrapara, BJP's Odisha unit vice-president Golak Mohapatra, news agency PTI reported. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address three rallies in Chandbali, Korei and Nimapada on May 28.

AICC in-charge for Odisha, Ajoy Kumar said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will address election rallies in Balasore and Bhadrak on May 29, while Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting in Balasore on May 30.

Mohapatra said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will address election rallies in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada and Kakatpur on May 27 and in Rairangpur, Morada, Soro and Jagatsinghpur on May 28.

BJP MP candidates Sambit Patra, Aparajita Sarangi and Pradeep Panigrahi, whose seats have already undergone voting, will hold rallies in the six Lok Sabha constituencies where polling will be held in the last phase.

Voting will be held in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats and 42 assembly segments under these parliamentary constituencies on June 1.

Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday said the Narendra Modi government's tenure is nearing its end, boldly predicting a shift in power dynamics on June 4, when the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections will be declared.

Addressing a rally under Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency, within which Sandeshkhali is situated, Banerjee claimed that the BJP-led NDA will be voted out of power in the elections, news agency PTI reported.

"The BJP government's tenure is for a few days more, change will be ushered in on June 4," Banerjee said.

Claiming that the BJP-led NDA government has "deprived and tormented" the people of the country during its rule, he said this election is to give a befitting reply to the saffron party.

#WATCH | Punjab: During his roadshow in Hoshiarpur, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says, "When I came for the campaign in the last election, I said that I would make your electricity bill zero. I did this in Delhi, and I will do this in Punjab too. Now, the electricity bill in Punjab… https://t.co/IR3QCR3tWT pic.twitter.com/7FbMhftptX

— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that "jihadis" across the border are supporting the Samajwadi Party and the Congress who are appealing for "vote jihad" here, news agency PTI reported.

Addressing an election rally in support of BJP candidates in Bansgaon and Deoria Lok Sabha seats, the prime minister alleged that the INDIA bloc does not want to take the country forward, but back by several decades.

"Their agenda is not the development of India," Modi said.

"In Pakistan, 'duas' (prayers) are being made for the INDI alliance of Samajwadi Party and Congress. Jihadis across the border are supporting them. The SP and Congress are making an appeal for 'vote jihad' here," said the prime minister in an apparent reference to a remark by an INDIA bloc candidate.

Hitting out at the opposition, Modi claimed the "INDI jamaat" has been abusing him for his opposition to reservation on the basis of religion.

???-???????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????????? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ???? ????????? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? https://t.co/Xo3BxtODlM

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2024

In Haryana, which voted in the parliamentary elections on Saturday and, crucially, will see an Assembly election later this year, caste is as entrenched a feature of politics as in the other Hindi heartland states.

The parliamentary elections saw both the ruling BJP and the Congress balance out caste equations when fielding candidates for the 10 seats. In most of the seats, both fielded candidates from the same community or caste group. For the BJP, the key was to consolidate key caste groups under the umbrella of Hindutva, given that Hindus comprise 87% of the state’s population. As a result, the party campaigned on issues such as Ram Temple and Article 370 abrogation and alleged that the Congress would give reservation to Muslims from the OBC share if it came to power. Read more to know how Jats, Muslims, and the SCs and Backward Classes shape the state's politics  

Arvind Kejriwal addressed a town hall in Ferozepur, Punjab, where he said: “I came to Punjab one year ago and met many traders. I and (Punjab CM) Bhagwant Mann discussed with them and wrote down their every issue. A lot of work has been done and a lot is being done. I won’t say that everything has been done. It’s been two years since our government was formed and the condition of the industry here was very bad back then. However, the situation has changed now.”

'We have identified 30 lakh vacancies in government departments, will give those jobs to youths of India', says Rahul Gandhi at his rally in Himachal Pradesh.

"The share prices of Adani companies rise whenever Narendra Modi is sworn in,' says Rahul Gandhi at Himachal Pradesh rally.

Doubling down on his attack at the Opposition, he said: "Samajwadi Party had said that it will change the constitution to give reservation to Muslims. SP had announced that 15 percent reservation will be given to Muslims in police and PAC as well. How these people were bent on snatching the rights of SC-ST-OBC to please their vote bank."

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally in Himachal Pradesh. "BJP leaders attacking Constitution by saying we would abolish it," he says.

"The country has come to know the INDI alliance people very well. These people are extremely communal. They are extremely racist and are extreme nepotists. Whenever their government is formed, these people make decisions on these basis," says PM Modi at rally in Mirzapur.

"Country has decided to form BJP-NDA govt for third time because of its good intentions, policies," says PM Modi at a rally in UP.

"'INDI alliance' has decided to change Constitution to give reservation to Muslims," says PM Modi in UP's Mirzapur.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal requests poll officers to have a proper due diligence during counting of votes to alleviate chances of tampering.

"I want to bring to your notice what you should do when the machines will be opened for counting. I have made a chart. There will be a CU (Control Unit) number, BU (Ballot Unit) number, paper seal, VVPAT ID. You need to match it. You will know about the time reflecting on it. You should cross check it. If there is a different time reflecting then it means that it was opened earlier. You should allow pressing the result button only after checking it. If there is a discrepancy in polling date then there is a problem. Serial numbers should match. Verification is required," says Sibal, reports PTI.

VIDEO | Here's what Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said requesting the poll officers to have a proper due diligence during counting of votes to alleviate chances of tampering.

"I want to bring to your notice what you should do when the machines will be opened for counting. I have… pic.twitter.com/uNKbzIuknS

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 26, 2024

With polling in Delhi now over, Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal is all set to hit the campaign trail in Punjab from today for a five-day period. Kejriwal will attend a town hall meeting in Ferozepur followed by a rally in Hoshiarpur in the afternoon and a roadshow in Bathinda in the evening. Meanwhile, continuing his extensive campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold rallies in Mirzapur, Ghosi and Bansgaon.

As the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls concluded, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the NDA's numbers are looking better and better, and people have realised that since the "INDI alliance" is coming nowhere close to power, voting for it is futile.

The sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections was held in 58 constituencies across six states and two Union territories

"I thank all those who have voted in the penultimate phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. NDA's numbers are looking better and better," Modi said, news agency PTI reported.

"People have realised that since INDI Alliance is coming nowhere close to power, voting for it is futile," he said in a post on X. 

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said it is some people's job to create doubts and asserted the systems in place at the Election Commission are strong to ensure no mistakes creep in, news ageny PTI reported.

He was responding to a question on doubts being cast on the turnout of voters in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, "It is the job of some people to create doubts. Our system is strong, not from today, it has been there for the past 70-72 years," he said.

His remarks come on a day when the poll panel on its own came out with Lok Sabha constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the elections.

Police in Odisha detained BJP’s Khurda MLA candidate Prasanta Jagadev for allegedly vandalising an electronic voting machine (EVM), which affected polling during the sixth phase on Saturday.

Jagadev, along with some of his supporters, had gone to a polling booth at Kuanripatna in Begunua assembly constituency while polling was underway in the afternoon.

He had an argument with polling officials, following which he allegedly vandalised the EVM and left. He was chased by the police and his vehicle, in which BJP’s Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha candidate Aparajita Sarangi was also present, was intercepted.

West Bengal registered a voter turnout of 77.99 per cent till 5 pm in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls in the sixth phase on Saturday, an official said.

Polling began at 7 am in Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur constituencies. It would continued till 6 pm.

Bishnupur (SC) recorded the highest polling at 81.47 per cent, followed by Tamluk 79.79 per cent, Jhargram (ST) 79.68 per cent, Ghatal 78.92 per cent, Medinipur 77.57 per cent, Bankura 76.79 per cent, Kanthi 75.66 per cent, and Purulia 74.09 per cent, he said.

Till 4 pm, the election office in West Bengal has received 1,985 complaints, he added. (PTI)

A voter turnout of 55.93 per cent was recorded in Haryana till 5 pm in its 10 Lok Sabha seats and polling remained peaceful on Saturday, officials said.

Polling ended at 6 pm but the turnout figure will increase as there were several people in queues waiting for their turn.

According to EC data, Sirsa had the highest turnout till 5 pm pm at 59.57 per cent followed by Ambala at 58.44 per cent and 58.38 per cent in Kurukshetra. Gurugram registered the lowest turnout at 51.75 per cent.

Bhiwani-Mahendragarh recorded a turnout of 56.11 per cent, Faridabad 53.64 per cent, Hisar 53.85 per cent, Karnal 55.71 per cent, Rohtak 58.28 per cent and Sonipat 55.49 per cent.

More than 51 per cent of the 18.36-lakh electorate in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Saturday, breaking the poll percentage record of more than 28 years, officials said here.

'The voter turnout in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency at 5 pm was 51.35 per cent,' an official of the election department said here.

Officials said the Rajouri Assembly segment recorded the highest turnout of 67.09 per cent, while Nowshera recorded a poll percentage of 65.47.

The Anantnag, Anantnag West and Kulgam Assembly segments were the only three areas where the voter turnout has so far been below 35 per cent, they said. (PTI)

As polling ends for phase six of the Lok Sabha elections, officials seal EVM machines in Delhi's Nirman Bhawan.

VIDEO | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: EVMs being sealed at a polling booth in Delhi's Nirman Bhawan as sixth phase of polling concludes. #LSPolls2024WithPTI #LokSabhaElections2024

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/doW5ncUvuu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 25, 2024

EVMs are being sealed at a polling booth in Bihar's Sheohar as the sixth phase of polling concludes.

VIDEO | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: EVMs being sealed at a polling booth in Bihar's Sheohar as sixth phase of polling concludes. #LSPolls2024WithPTI #LokSabhaElections2024

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/XidkOw32RP

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 25, 2024

Odisha recorded 59.60 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm in the six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly segments on Saturday, officials said.

Voting was held in Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Puri parliamentary constituencies along with 42 assembly segments within the jurisdiction of these Lok Sabha seats.

Odisha's chief electoral officer N B Dhal said voting was peaceful so far in the 10,581 polling stations, barring some reports of EVM glitches. Till 5 pm, 59.60 per cent of the over 94.48 lakh electorate exercised their franchise, officials said, adding that the highest 65.91 per cent voting was recorded in Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat followed by Keonjhar (62.43 per cent), Puri (61.17 per cent), Dhenkanal (60.88 per cent), Cuttack (54.36 per cent) and Bhubaneswar (53.54 per cent).

Among the 42 assembly segments, Pallahara Vidhan Sabha recorded the highest 73.86 per cent voter turnout while the lowest 42.10 pc was registered at Barabati Cuttack segment by 5 pm, officials said.

Six persons including four women suffered minor injuries in a clash between supporters of two candidates outside a polling station in Mendhar sub-division in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, officials said.

However, the voting at the polling station in the Shahpur sector continued without any disruption as police intervened and separated the clashing groups, they said.

An FIR was registered by police and further investigation is on, the officials said.

Poonch is part of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency where polling is underway in the sixth phase on Saturday. "It is hereby clarified that a minor scuffle took place outside the polling station causing very minor injuries to a few persons. The altercation was stopped in time and an FIR has been lodged in the matter. Polling did not get interrupted at any time and went on smoothly,” the office of deputy commissioner, Poonch, said on X. (PTI)

Altogether 52.24 per cent of 1.49 crore voters exercised their franchise in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar till 5 pm on Saturday, officials said.

A voter turnout of 56.11 per cent was recorded in Vaishali, 55.78 per cent in Purvi Champaran, 55.22 per cent in Paschim Champaran, 54.37 in Sheohar, 54.09 per cent in Valmiki Nagar, 49.15 per cent in Maharajganj, 47.49 per cent in Siwan and 46.77 in Gopalganj till 5 pm.

The constituencies where elections are underway are largely rural areas with only 1,281 of the total 14,872 polling stations located in urban localities, officials said. (PTI)

A voter turnout of 61.41 per cent was recorded till the end of polling in the four Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand at 5 pm on Saturday, officials said. Giridih registered the highest polling at 64.75 per cent, followed by Jamshedpur (64.30 per cent), Dhanbad (58.90 per cent) and Ranchi (58.73 per cent).

Voting is underway in Giridih, Dhanbad, Ranchi and Jamshedpur constituencies. (PTI)

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra casted their votes earlier in the day along with their family members in Delhi.

Express Photos by Anil Sharma

Post casting his vote today, Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud in an interaction with the media said, "Today by voting I have fulfilled my duties as a citizen of the country..."

#WATCH | Delhi: CJI DY Chandrachud cast his vote for the sixth phase of #LokSabhaEections2024

He says, "Today by voting I have fulfilled my duties as a citizen of the country..." pic.twitter.com/GzzKSTNWUV

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2024

Voters at Erashal Village in Kanthi Loksabha constituency of Purba Medinipur on Saturday.

Express Photo by Partha Paul

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to thwart alleged attempts to rob Dalits and backward classes of reservations by the INDIA bloc which he accused of "enslavement" and performing "mujra" for Muslim vote bank.

Addressing back-to-back rallies in Buxar, Karakat and Patliputra Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, the prime minister also charged the opposition coalition with indulging in "scaremongering", and claimed that he had been working "without fear" to wipe out terrorism and root out corruption.

"Bihar is the land which has given a new direction to the fight for social justice. I wish to declare on its soil that I will foil the plans of the INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank," the PM said. (PTI)

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit in an interview with the news agency ANI said, "We are waiting for all the 7 phases to complete and the results on June 4. The BJP will not even win 200 seats. The NDA is not getting the majority..."

#WATCH | Delhi: On the 6th phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit says, "We are waiting for all the 7 phases to complete and the results on June 4. It has been a long time almost 1.5-2 months... The BJP will not even win 200 seats. The NDA is not… pic.twitter.com/0RgesRmcPK

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2024

Haryana recorded a voter turnout of 46.26 per cent till 3 pm, polling is underway in 10 Lok Sabha seats of the state.

According to Election Commission (EC) data, after polling began at 7 am, the overall turnout till 9 am was 8.31 per cent, rising to 22.09 per cent at 11 am, 36.48 per cent at 1 pm and touching 46.26 per cent at 3 pm.

There are 2,00,76,768 registered voters, including 94,23,956 women and 467 people from the transgender community, Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal earlier said.

According to EC data, Kurukshetra had the highest turnout till 3 pm at 50.17 per cent followed by 49.44 per cent in Sirsa. Gurugram registered the lowest turnout at 41.33 per cent.

Ambala recorded a turnout of 48.31 per cent, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh 47.25 per cent, Faridabad 42.33 per cent, Hisar 45.28 per cent, Karnal 46.24 per cent, Rohtak 49.08 per cent and Sonipat 46.14 per cent. (PTI)

Polling is currently underway in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, 45.21 per cent of 1.49 crore voters exercised their franchise till 3 pm today.

Voting began at 7 am in Valmiki Nagar, Pashchim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Siwan, Gopalganj, Maharajganj and Vaishali constituencies and will continue till 6 pm, a senior official at the CEO office said.

The highest and lowest voter turnout was recorded in Vaishali (48.94 per cent) and Siwal (39.81 per cent) respectively till 3 pm.

The constituencies where elections are underway are largely rural areas with only 1,281 of the total 14,872 polling stations located in urban localities, officials said. (PTI) 

A voter turnout of 44.58 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in Delhi, where polling is underway for its seven Lok Sabha constituencies on Saturday.

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that at 47.85 per cent, the highest turnout was recorded in the North East Delhi constituency while the New Delhi seat had the lowest voting percentage at 42.17. 

According to data from the poll body, the turnout at 3 pm in East Delhi was at 44.70 per cent, Chandni Chowk at 43.24 per cent, North West Delhi at 44.78 per cent, South Delhi at 42.96 per cent and West Delhi 44.91 per cent. (PTI)

The villagers in Garbeta on Saturday chased away Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Pranat Tudu. Polling is currently underway in Bengal in the sixth phase of elections.  One of the security personnel of the BJP candidate was injured after villagers pelted bricks and stones at them and the vehicles of the convoy were also damaged.

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party Saturday on Saturday alleged that SP's Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha constituency candidate Lalji Verma has been put under house arrest at the behest of the ruling BJP, news agency PTI reported.

Polling is underway in Ambedkar Nagar in the sixth phase of elections. 

SP leader Arvind Kumar Singh wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer alleging the Ambedkar Nagar administration is influencing the elections by keeping the SP candidate under house arrest.

In a post on X, SP's chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "Police were sent to raid the house of SP's winning Ambedkar Nagar candidate Shri Lalji Verma but the police were not supposed to find anything and they did not find anything. This is an attempt to tarnish the honest image of Shri Lalji Verma. Highly condemnable! This is the frustration of the losing BJP."

??? ?? ??? ??? ?????????? ????????? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?? ?? ????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?? ? ??? ????? ??, ? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ???????!

?? ????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???#???_????_?????_????? pic.twitter.com/Dp3zBdPWDf

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 25, 2024

Independent MLA Rakesh Daulatabad from the Badshahpur assembly constituency died of a heart attack on Saturday morning, police said.

The 45-year-old MLA suffered a heart attack in the morning and was taken to a private hospital, the police said.

He died during treatment at Manipal Hospital in Palam Vihar here, they said.

Daulatabad had won the Badshahpur seat in the 2019 assembly elections as an Independent candidate and later supported the BJP government. (PTI)

The overall voter turnout at 11 am was recorded at 39.13 per cent.

Here's a statewise breakdown as polling continues in six states and two UTs.

- HIGHEST: West Bengal is leading the tally at 54.8 per cent

- LOWEST: Delhi at 34.37 per cent

- Uttar Pradesh’s polling percentage is at 37.23 per cent, Bihar at 36.48 per cent, Jharkhand at 42.54 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir 35.22 per cent, Odisha at 35.69 per cent and Haryana 36.48 per cent, the EC data showed.

“Bihar is the land which has given a new direction to the fight for social justice. I wish to declare on its soil that I will foil the plans of INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank”, said the PM.

PM Modi vowed to thwart alleged attempts to rob Dalits and backward classes of reservations by the INDIA bloc which he accused of “enslavement” and performing “mujra” for Muslim vote bank.

The PM launched the blistering attack at a rally here in the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency, about 40 kms from Patna, where he also blamed parties like RJD and Congress for SCs, STs and OBCs "being deprived of quotas" in minority institutions.

In an apparent swipe at Lalu Prasad Yadav, PM Modi who speaking at a poll rally in Bihar said: "RJD's 'lantern' brings light to only one house, while entire Bihar remains in dark."

- "INDIA bloc leaders are communal, want to provide reservations on basis of religion."

- "As long as I am alive, I will not allow INDIA bloc to rob reservations of backward classes"

- "INDIA bloc parties work towards fulfilment of own interests"

- "My government will construct 3 crore more pucca houses for poor people in next term."

- "This election is between Modi, who works 24x7 to make India strong and INDIA bloc that doesn't have work"

As polling for phase 6 today continues across 6 states and two UTs, political leaders have scaled up their campaigns targetting the last and seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled fr June 1.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is in Bihar today, said: "INDIA bloc has plan for five PMs in five years." 

As the PDP president and her mother Mehbooba Mufti continued a sit-in protest, Iltija Mufti has alleged polling was being deliberately slowed down at a booth in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.

Mehbooba Mufti is contesting the poll from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

"Polling is deliberately being slowed down in Khanabal polling station number 26. Request @DCAnantnag @ECISVEEP to look into it," she said in a post on X.

However, the administration denied the charges, saying voting was going on smoothly.

"The voting at the polling station 26 is ongoing smoothly. The voting percentage till 9.00 am was 11.75 % and till latest update it is 20.7 %," they said.

BJP Tamluk candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay faced protests by a section of voters in one of the polling booths where he was subjected to ‘go back’ slogans.

The BJP candidate from Ghatal constituency, Hiran Chattopadhyay, was stopped by villagers at Keshpur who alleged that saffron party workers had beaten up Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists in the area. He alleged that in some places central forces were working with the state police to help the TMC.

"Tight security has been maintained here in view of the ongoing (Lok Sabha) election in India,” a Nepal Police officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

VIDEO | India-Nepal border in Bihar's Raxaul sealed in view of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

“Tight security has been maintained here in view of the ongoing (Lok Sabha) election in India,” says Nepal Police officer Balkrishna.#LSPolls2024WithPTI #LokSabhaElections2024
(Full… pic.twitter.com/xqZmJcRqn7

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 25, 2024

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Saturday cast his vote along with wife Sunita Kejriwal and other family members at a polling station in the Civil Lines area under the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency.

The overall voter turnout at 11 am was recorded at 25.76 per cent.

Here's a statewise breakdown as polling continues in six states and two UTs.

- HIGHEST: West Bengal is leading the tally at 36.88 per cent

- LOWEST: Odisha at 21.30 per cent

- Delhi recorded a polling percentage of 21.69 per cent till 11 am, Haryana at 22.09 per cent, J-K at 23.11 per cent, Bihar at 23.67 per cent, Uttar Pradesh at 27.06 per cent and Jharkhand at 27.80 per cent.

Union ministers S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi Minister Atishi, outgoing East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir, and candidates of different parties cast their votes early in the morning.

However, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, who had gone to cast her vote at St Thomas School in New Delhi, said she could not vote due to a snag. "The battery of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) was down, that's why I could not vote but I will come again," she said.

She also questioned the arrangements made by the Election Commission.

Over 11.13 crore voters -- 5.84 crore male, 5.29 crore female and 5,120 third gender -- are eligible to exercise their franchise in the sixth phase. The EC has deployed around 11.4 lakh polling officials at 1.14 lakh polling stations.

"I encourage all our people, particularly the young people of our state to exercise their democratic franchise and to vote. I expect a great victory for the Biju Janata Dal both in the Assembly and the Parliament elections. We will form a solid government in the state to serve the people," the Chief Minister said speaking to ANI.

Requesting all voters, especially the young ones to exercise their franchise, Patnaik said, "I request all voters especially young voters to come out and vote. I expect BJD to have a great victory both in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. We will form a very stable government in the state..." The Odisha Chief Minister cast his vote for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 and the third phase of Odisha Assembly elections, at a polling station in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

"I encourage all our people, particularly the young people of our state to exercise their democratic franchise and to vote. I expect a great victory for the Biju Janata Dal both in the Assembly and the Parliament elections. We will form a solid government in the state to serve the people," the Chief Minister said speaking to ANI.

Requesting all voters, especially the young ones to exercise their franchise, Patnaik said, "I request all voters especially young voters to come out and vote. I expect BJD to have a great victory both in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. We will form a very stable government in the state..." The Odisha Chief Minister cast his vote for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 and the third phase of Odisha Assembly elections, at a polling station in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi cast their votes in New Delhi constituency in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday.

They reached the polling station set up at Nirman Bhawan around 9.30 am.

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), constituents of the INDIA bloc, are contesting the Lok Sabha polls together in Delhi.

While the AAP is contesting four seats, the Congress has fielded candidates on the remaining three seats.

West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Live Updates:

A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was allegedly killed by BJP workers at Mahishadal in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district on Friday night, hours ahead of the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the state. Five people have been arrested after the TMC lodged a complaint.

According to the police, local TMC leader Sheikh Moibul (42), a former gram panchayat member of the TMC and district vice-president of the party’s youth wing, was hacked to death when he was returning home Friday night.

A voter turnout of 12.33 per cent was recorded till 9 am in Uttar Pradesh where polling is underway in 14 constituencies in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Polling began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm.

Jharkhand Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates:

In the Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency that votes on Saturday, at least a dozen villages spread across the seat have issued poll boycott calls to attract the attention of administrators and politicians to their problems — from a lack of drinking water and roads to problems with rehabilitation connected to development projects.

- Dhanbad is witnessing a high-pitched battle between the Dhulu Mahato of the BJP, which has replaced three-time MP Pashupati Nath Singh who won by 4.86 lakh votes in 2019, and the Congress’s Anupama Singh.