Lok Sabha elections Phase 4: From MLA-voter brawl in Andhra to attack on Dilip Ghosh’s convoy in Bengal, here are top 5 poll day highlights

YSR Congress (YSRCP) MLA A Sivakumar was seen slapped a man waiting to cast his vote at a polling booth only to receive it back himself. In a video that went viral during the simultaneous Lok Sabha phase 4 and State Legislative Assembly polling in the state, the ruling party MLA was seen attacking a voter. According to news agency ANI, the brawl broke out when a voter standing in line for polling at a booth in Tenali, Guntur objected to Sivakumar cutting the queue.

🔴 BJP Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha seen asking burqa-clad women to lift veil

BJP’s Hyderabad candidate Madhvi 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 (EC) after a video emerged of the incident.

#WATCH | Telangana: BJP candidate from Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, Madhavi Latha visits a polling booth in the constituency. Voting for the fourth phase of #LokSabhaElections2024 is underway. pic.twitter.com/BlsQXRn80C

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024

The first-time candidate up against four-time MP Owaisi is a self-proclaimed “daughter of RSS”, “typical traditional Indian woman”, entrepreneur, hospital administrator, and trained Bharatanatyam dancer.

🔴 Srinagar witnesses record polling percentage

Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, the only seat to go to polls from J-K in this phase of the polls, saw a turnout of almost 36% until 5 pm, according to the Election Commission. This is more than double the 14.43 per cent recorded in the last polls in 2019 but lower than the national average of about 62.31 in phase 4.

Three generations of the Abdullah family — National Conference president and former J-K chief minister Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and his two grandsons and first-time electors  — were also spotted after they cast their vote.

National Conference president and former J-K chief minister Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah after voting. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

The seat is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with the National Conference fielding Shia leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and PDP its youth unit president Waheed Para, besides candidates from Apni Party, DPAP, and 20 others, including two women, in the fray.

🔴Baramati candidate Supriya Sule alleges ‘suspicious shutdown’ of CCTV cameras at EVM godown

Taking to X, Baramati candidate of the NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar Supriya Sule shared a post alleging that the security cameras of the godown where electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been stored after the polling on May 7 were shut off for 45 minutes on Monday morning. She demanded clarification and probe into the “suspicious shutdown”.

Following her post, Baramati Returning Officer Kavita Dwivedi reacted to the allegation and offered a clarification. She stated that the screen that projected the visuals of CCTV cameras had been unplugged for some time by the technician, but the cameras were functional.

🔴 Scattered incidents of violence in West Bengal

Scattered violence were reported on polling day in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. Of the eight parliamentary constituencies which went to vote, reported clashes between TMC and BJP workers resulted in injuries on both sides in Birbhum and Bardhaman-Durgapur seats, PTI reported.

The convoy of former BJP president and Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency candidate Dilip Ghosh was attacked by TMC supporters at Monteshwar in Purba Bardhaman district.

Ghosh was visiting the district after learning about BJP agents been driven out of the polling booths. As soon as his convoy reached the area, TMC workers surrounded him and a verbal altercation ensued between them. Ghosh was pushed and the central force, on his security duty, baton-charged the mob to clear the area.

In retaliation, TMC supporters pelted stones and bricks at his convoy and staged a protest against the attack.

Ghosh lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, and alleged that the entire incident took place in front of the police.

In Birbhum, BJP workers clashed with TMC activists in Nanoor after the ruling party alleged that their polling agents were forcibly ousted from a booth.

The state recorded 75.66 per cent voter turnout, which is the highest as of 5 pm today, as per the EC.

Meanwhile…

🔴 PM Modi holds roadshow for a stretch of over 5 km in heart of Varanasi

PM Modi, with UP CM Yogi Adityanath, held a roadshow in Varanasi from where he is seeking a third consecutive term. He is all set to file his nomination papers from Varanasi constituency on Tuesday morning.

Modi garlanded a statue of educationist and social reformer Madan Mohan Malviya at the Malviya Chauraha in the Lanka area before beginning the roadshow.  From outside the Banaras Hindu University main gate, he then headed towards Ravidas Gate, Pushkar lake, Assi Ghar, Mata Anandmayi Hospital, Shivala, Sonarpura, Madanpura, Jangamvadi Math, Marwari Hospital. It concluded at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Gate number 4.