Elections 2021: An elderly voter assisted towards a polling booth in Bengal.
Votes were polled in 1,53,538 Polling Stations spread across 475 Assembly Constituencies today, in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and for third phase of Assam and West Bengal. The number of Polling Stations has increased in view of the fact that the number of voters per polling station has been reduced from 1,500 to 1,000 keeping social distancing norms in view.
The voter turnout In Assam was 82.28% and 84.21% in West Bengal. While 73.40% of the people voted in Kerala till 6 pm, neighbouring Tamil Nadu witnessed 62.86% during the period till 5 pm. 77.87% voters cast their votes in Puducherry.
Meanwhile, an election officer in Bengal was suspended after he claimed he slept overnight with an electronic voting machine (EVM) at the home of a Trinamool Congress leader. The EVM and VVPAT will not be used in the polls, the election body said this morning. Tapan Sarkar, the deputed officer for Howrah's Sector 17 in AC 177 Uluberia Uttar, was found to have taken a reserve EVM to his politician-relative's home to sleep over. Charges for major punishment will now be framed against the official, authorities have said. Police officials attached to him will also face action, they said.
Along with the state polls, voting will also take place for Lok Sabha bypolls for Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari and Kerala's Malappuram seats.
Here are the live updates of assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry:
Clash Between BJP, CPI (M) Workers In Kerala's Kattayikonam
A clash erupted on Tuesday afternoon between the workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Kattayikonam area of rural Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala during the elections, reports news agency ANI.
Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 65.11 per cent in the single-phase assembly elections.
Tamil Nadu polls: AIADMK MP Ravindranath's car attacked in Bodinayakanur
AIADMK MP P Ravindranath's car was allegedly attacked on Tuesday when he went to inspect polling in Bodinayakanur constituency from where his father and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is contesting the elections.
Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 62.42 per cent till 5.30 pm in the assembly polls in the state, according to the Election Commission (EC).
Polling across 234 assembly constituencies in 38 districts of Tamil Nadu started at 7 am.
Complaint against BJP candidate for sporting lotus emblem on sari while voting in Tamil Nadu
A complaint on violation of the Model Code of Conduct was lodged against BJP candidate in Coimbatore South Constituency Vanathi Srinivasan for sporting a Lotus emblem while casting her vote here on Tuesday, official sources said.
Vanathi Srinivasan, who arrived with a few party workers to the election booth, was found having a white lotus engraving on her sari, while casting her vote and her opponent Congress candidate, Mayura Jayakumar lodged a complaint with the returning officer.
The complaint was forwarded to the Chief Electoral Officer, Chennai for follow up, since lotus is the BJP symbol, official sources said.
This election will create milestone in Kerala's political history: V Muraleedharan
The Kerala assembly poll is going to create a milestone in the state''s political history, said Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Tuesday after casting his vote at the Kottaram polling station in Ulloor.
"This poll is going to create a sort of milestone in the political history of Kerala. People will express their dissatisfaction and reject both United Democratic Front and Left Democratic Front alliances," the BJP leader said
DMK MP Kanimozhi, Other COVID-19 Affected People In Tamil Nadu Vote Wearing PPE Kit
DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi, who is being treated for COVID-19, on Tuesday voted at a polling station by wearing the Personal Protective Equipment kit.
Also, a number of others being treated for the virus voted here and in other parts of Tamil Nadu.
Ms Kanimozhi arrived in an ambulance from the hospital where she is being treated for the infection and voted with the PPE kit on. She had tested positive for the virus on April 3.
Ahead of the arrival of people infected with the coronavirus, all personnel in polling stations donned the PPE kits and facilitated their voting. The premises were sanitised later.
Kerala elections: Minor incidents of violence reported in some places
Kerala continued to witness a massive turnout of voters on Tuesday with 69.81 per cent electors casting their franchise till 5 PM as minor incidents of violence were reported from few places. As many as 957 candidates are in the poll arena vying for 140 Assembly seats in the state where the election is being held as per COVID-19 protocol.
Tempers ran high at Kattayikonam in Kazhakootam constituency, a stronghold of the Marxist party in Thiruvananthapuram district, as CPI(M) and BJP workers clashed.
Four BJP workers were injured and their car was damaged.
Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, who is the LDF candidate from the constituency, told reporters that the aim of the protestors was to disrupt the voting procedure and alleged that police had acted as "BJP agent".
Voting peaceful at Assam's Bhogdanga, polling station outside Indo-Bangla border fencing
With the hope that the new government of Assam will address their problems, Haleswar Ray on Tuesday voted for the party of his choice at the sole polling station set up outside the Indo-Bangladesh border fencing in the state's Dhubri district.
Mr Ray is one of the 386 voters of the polling station at Bhogdanga, a tiny hamlet in the Gauripur assembly constituency in the district, and voting was held peacefully in the third and final phase of the elections.
Dhubri district, which shares 153 kms of the total 267.5 kms of Assam's border with Bangladesh, has 63 polling stations along the international boundary with 26 in Dhubri, 18 in Gauripur and 19 in Golokgunj constituencies, an official said.
All these polling stations are inside the border fence except Bhogdanga which is outside it.
Kerala Law minister files complaints with Election Commission against Opposition leader, NSS chief
Kerala Law Minister AK Balan on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and Nair Service Society chief G Sukumaran Nair for "misusing the traditions and names of Gods in an unprecedented manner" on polling day.
The Sabarimala women's entry issue, one of the major poll planks of the opposition UDF and the NDA against the ruling LDF during campaigning, took centre stage even on Tuesday.
"The UDF and the BJP are misusing the traditions and the names of Gods in an unprecedented manner during this election. The Election Commission should take serious note of such incidents," Mr Balan said in his complaint.
Bengal voting: Candidates with criminal cases contesting in phase 3 of assembly elections
Kerala voting: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala have cast vote
Kerala is voting in a single phase for the 140 constituencies in the state.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is contesting from Dharmadam in Kannur, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala (Haripad), Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy (Puthupally),
BJP state president K Surendran, trying his luck from Konni and Manjewswaram and ''Metroman'' E Sreedharan, (Palakkad) were among those who have already cast their votes.
Election voting: Over 20 crore people are voting in third phase
Over 20 crore people from Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are voting in a mammoth electoral exercise today. For the latter three, this is the first and only phase of polling. It is Assam's third and final, while Bengal has five more.
Puducherry voting: Heavyweight candidates contesting in 30 seats
Kerala voting: BJP has fielded 107 rich candidates, ruling CPM has 72
Kerala voting: Actor Mammootty casts vote in Ernakulam
Actor Mammootty casts vote at a polling booth in Ponnurunni, Ernakulam.
Bengal voting: Trinamool candidate chased out of polling booth with lathis
A candidate from Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress was chased with lathis by a group of people in Arandi area of the Arambagh constituency. Ms Banerjee said "BJP workers chased Trinamool candidate Sujata Mondal and hit her on head near a polling booth".
The Trinamool Congress has claimed that a security personnel was injured. (Read full story
here)
Election voting: 53% turnout in Bengal, Assam and Puducherry till 1 pm
Over 50% of the eligible voters have exercised their franchise in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry till 1 pm, according to the Election Commission. While 47.28% of the people have voted in Kerala, neighbouring Tamil Nadu witnessed 39.8% during the period. Both the states along with Puducherry are voting in a single phase.
Election voting: Heavyweight candidates in Kerala
Phase 3 election news: 20 crore voters in 4 states, 1 union territory voting today
Over 20 crore people from Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are voting in a mammoth electoral exercise today. For the latter three, this is the first and only phase of polling. It is Assam's third and final, while Bengal has five more.
Tamil Nadu voting: Chief Minister E Palaniswami voted in Siluvampalayam
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami voted at a polling station in Siluvampalayam, Eddapadi and urged voters in the state to do the same. "I appeal to all to cast their vote in the legislative assembly elections," said the Chief Minister.
Polling across 234 Assembly constituencies in 38 districts of the state began at 7 am.
Kerala voting: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor casts vote
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor casts vote at a polling station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
140 seats in the state are voting in single phase today. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's CPM is contesting 77 seats, with 21 going to the CPI and the rest to smaller allies, including the JDS (four) and Sharad Pawar's NCP (three). The LDF is also supporting 11 Independents. The Congress, which leads the UDF, is contesting 93 seats, the IUML 25 and the Kerala Congress 10. The BJP is contesting 113 seats, with 21 going to the BDJS.
Tamil Nadu voting: EPS's biggest election against DMK-Congress, Kamal Haasan
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is fighting from Edappadi, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam from Bodinayakanur and DMK chief MK Stalin from Kolathur. AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran is on the ballot in Kovilpatti and Kamal Haasan from Coimbatore (South). The BJP's big names include Vanathi Srinivasan - who faces Kamal in Coimbatore - and actor Khushbu Sundar.
Election voting: 34.71% turnout in Bengal, 31.04% in Kerala, 33.18% in Assam till 11 am
Over 30% of the eligible voters have exercised their franchise in West Bengal, Kerala And Assam till 11 am. The union territory of Puducherry has seen an impressive turnout of 35-59% so far. Tamil Nadu - where polls are being held in single phase - has recorded a turnout of 20.84% in the first five hours of polling.
Congress leader AK Antony cast his vote at Government High School, Jagathy in Thiruvananthapuram.
Assam voting: Himanta Sarma casts vote in Guwahati
Assam Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma casts his vote at a polling station in Amingaon, Guwahati.
30 seats in Assam will vote in the third and final phase. The ruling BJP - which is targeting a second term - is contesting 20 seats, with allies AGP and UPPL contesting 13 and eight, respectively. . The Congress, at the head of an opposition alliance, is contesting 24, with Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF getting 12, the BPF eight and CPM one. In some seats, allied parties have each put up their own candidate.
In 2016, the BJP-AGP pair won 15 seats. The BPF, which was then an ally, won eight. The Congress won 11 and the AIUDF six.
Elections 2021: 20 crore voters in four states, 1 union territory are eligible to vote today
Over 20 crore people from Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are voting in a mammoth electoral exercise today. For the latter three, this is the first and only phase of polling. It is Assam's third and final, while Bengal has five more.
Kerala voting: State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac casts vote
Some 2.74 crore voters will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 957 candidates including high-profile leaders and independents in 140 Assembly constituencies across the state. The ruling LDF is hoping to retain power for a second consecutive term breaking the state's four-decades-old trend of alternating between the UDF every five year.
Puducherry Elections: Congress contesting in 14 seats, ally DMK in 13
Puducherry - which is voting in single phase - witnessed an impressive turnout of 15.12 per cent in the first three hours of polling. The union territory is currently under President's Rule after the dramatic collapse of the V Narayanasamy-led Congress government. The party is contesting 14 of the 30 Assembly seats, with the DMK getting 13 and smaller allies the rest. As in Tamil Nadu, the BJP has ceded majority to a local party - in this case, the AINRC of former Chief Minister N Rangaswamy. The BJP is contesting nine to its 16 seats, with the AIADMK getting the rest.
Assam Voting: 40 seats vote in third and final phase in Assam
Assamese actor Kopil Bora is among early voters in the state. (Pic credit: Ceo Assam)
In Assam, the final phase sees 40 seats in play, with the ruling BJP targeting a second term. The Congress, at the head of an opposition alliance, is contesting 24, with Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF getting 12, the BPF eight and CPM one. In some seats, allied parties have each put up their own candidate. The BJP is contesting 20 seats, with allies AGP and UPPL contesting 13 and eight, respectively. In 2016, the BJP-AGP pair won 15 seats. The BPF, which was then an ally, won eight. The Congress won 11 and the AIUDF six.
Tamil Nadu Voting: Congress leader Karti Chidambaram casts vote in Tiruppathur
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram casts vote at polling booth number 276 in Tiruppathur, Sivaganga district.
Kerala Voting: Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja casts her vote in Kannur
Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja casts her vote in Kannur. She is contesting for the fourth time and has lost once in the Assembly elections. As a health minister, she led Kerala's efforts against the outbreak of Nipah and the COVID pandemic. (ANI)
Election News Live: 14.62% Polling In Bengal, Over 13% In Kerala And Tamil Nadu Till 9 am
15.12 per cent of the eligible voters have cast their vote till 9 am in Puducherry, according to the Election Commission. Neighbouring Tamil Nadu (13.80 per cent) and Kerala (13.88 per cent) have also seen impressive turnout.
Meanwhile, 14.62 per cent of the voters in West Bengal have exercised their faranchise till 9 am, data shows. Voter turnout at Assam is 12.83 per cent.
Kerala assembly election 2021: State BJP president, family cast their votes
Kerala BJP President K Surendran and his family cast their votes in Modakkallur, Kozhikode (ANI)
Assembly Election 2021 Voting: 31 seats in Bengal are voting in phase 3
The Trinamool is contesting all 31, as is the BJP. The Congress, which has allied with the Left, is contesting seven and the CPM 13, with the rest going to smaller allies like the ISF, AIFB and RSP. In 2016, the Trinamool won 29 of these seats and pocketed over 50 per cent of the votes.
Phase 3 election news: Voting to take place in single phase in Kerala
Assembly Elections 2021 news: CPM is contesting 77 seats, Congress in 93 seats
The 140 seats of Kerala vote in a single phase today, with the LDF government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan looking to retain power. Mr Vijayan's CPM is contesting 77 seats, with 21 going to the CPI and the rest to smaller allies, including the JDS (four) and Sharad Pawar's NCP (three). The LDF is also supporting 11 Independents. The Congress, which leads the UDF, is contesting 93 seats, the IUML 25 and the Kerala Congress 10. The BJP is contesting 113 seats, with 21 going to the BDJS.
Phase 3 election live news: Senior citizen inaugurates a polling booth in Assam
A senior citizen inaugurates a polling booth in Bongaigaon in Assam. He was the first voter at the polling station to cast his vote.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2021: EPS's biggest election against DMK-Congress, Kamal Haasan
Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami and his ruling AIADMK, which has allied with the BJP, is contesting against the MK-Stalin-led DMK-Congress combine that swept 38 of 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019.
There are a total of 3,998 candidates across the 234 constituencies and around 6.3 crore people eligible to cast their votes, with the results to be declared on May 2.
Elections 2021: Over 20 crore people in 4 states, 1 union territory expected to vote today
Over 20 crore people from Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are voting in a mammoth electoral exercise today. For the latter three, this is the first and only phase of polling. It is Assam's third and final, while Bengal has five more.
Election News: Voting will be held in 40 seats in Assam
Elections 2021: "India counting on you," Rahul Gandhi appeals to people to vote
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has appealed to people in the four states and union territory of Puducherry to vote in large numbers.
West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021: BJP candidate from Diamond Harbour casts vote
BJP candidate from Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas, Dipak Haldar casts his vote at Abdalpur F P Primary School in the district for the third phase of West Bengal assembly elections.
Tamil Nadu phase 3 polling: Rajinikanth casts vote in Thousand Lights constituency
Actor Rajinikanth casts vote at a polling booth in Stella Maris of Thousand Lights constituency. The key candidates in the constituency are Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan of the DMK and Khushbu Sundar of the BJP.
Elections 2021: Puducherry votes for 30 assembly seats
Puducherry will see a contest between the Congress-DMK alliance and the opposition tie-up of All India NR Congress, BJP, and AIADMK.
Tamil Nadu phase 3 voting: Actor Ajith with wife Shalini at Thiruvanmiyur polling station
Actor Ajith with wife Shalini at Thiruvanmiyur polling station. Thiruvottiyur is one of the many assembly consetuencies in Tamil Nadu that will see close fight between the DMK and AIADMK. The constituency has been without an MLA since the passing of K P P Samy in February 2020. The by-elections were postponed due to the onset of COVID-19 pandemic.
Tamil Nadu assembly election 2021: EPS's biggest election against DMK-Congress, Kamal Haasan
Tamil Nadu votes for a new government today in a single-phase Assembly election that pits Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami and his ruling AIADMK, which has allied with the BJP, against the MK-Stalin-led DMK-Congress combine that swept 38 of 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019.
Assembly Elections phase 3: PM Modi urges people to vote in record numbers
Minutes after polling began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted urging the young voters to exercise their franchis in record numbers.
Kerala assembly election 2021: 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan among first to vote in Kerala
'Metro Man' E Sreedharan arrives at a polling station in Ponnani to cast his vote. Mr Sreedharan is BJP's candidate from Palakkad.
JUST IN: Voting begins in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and parts of west Bengal and Assam.
Assembly election 2021: Kerala votes in single phase
Some 2.74 crore voters will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 957 candidates including high-profile leaders and independents in 140 Assembly constituencies across Kerala. The ruling LDF is hoping to retain power for a second consecutive term breaking the state's four-decades-old trend of alternating between the UDF every five year.
Social distancing being maintained at a polling station in Assam's Kokrajhar.
In Tamil Nadu, EPS's Biggest Election Against DMK-Congress, Kamal HaasanTamil Nadu votes for a new government today in a single-phase Assembly election that pits Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami and his ruling AIADMK, which has allied with the BJP, against the MK-Stalin-led DMK-Congress combine that swept 38 of 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019.
Also in the mix are actor-politician Kamal Haasan and his MNM (Makkal Needhi Maiam) and a whole host of regional parties, in a state where politics (and elections) is usually dominated by the DMK and AIADMK, leaving even the BJP and Congress with very little space to operate.
Over 20 Crore People From 4 States, 1 UT Vote Today: 10 Points
Over 20 crore people from Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will vote in a mammoth electoral exercise today. For the latter three this is the first and only phase of polling. It is Assam's third and final, while Bengal has five more.