117 parliamentary constituencies are voting across 13 states and 2 union territories. (File)
Phase three of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections began at 7 am today, and 117 parliamentary constituencies are voting across 13 states and 2 union territories. Coinciding with today's Lok Sabha elections are assembly elections in Odisha. Six Lok Sabha and 42 assembly seats in Odisha are going to polls. The counting of votes for the assembly elections in Odisha will be held simultaneously with that of the Lok Sabha or parliamentary elections on May 23, and the results will be declared the same day. Along with voting in all the 26 parliamentary constituencies in Gujarat, by-elections are also being held on four assembly seats -- Dhrangadhra, Manavadar, Unjha and Jamnagar (Rural) -- which fell vacant following the resignation of sitting Congress lawmakers who later joined the ruling BJP.
Polling for two Lok Sabha seats and bypoll for three state Assembly seats in Goa is also being held in a single phase today.
Here are the Highlights for Assembly Elections:
62% Voting In Gujarat Amid EVM Snags; PM Modi, Amit Shah Cast VoteKey political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, party veteran L K Advani, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Congress leader Ahmed Patel and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani exercised their franchise at different places in the state.
There were complaints of EVMs malfunctioning at some booths in the state, but Election Commission (EC) officers said the faulty machines were promptly replaced with new ones and the polling was not affected.
The VVPAT in polling station no. 183 of 19-Deogarh assembly constituency under 03-Sambalpur parliamentary constituency developed an error after 143 votes were cast.
Baijayant Jay Panda casts his vote in Odisha
Polling Booth in Gir for 1 Voter
Polling adjourned at Odisha polling booth, fresh poll sought: Odisha CEO
The VVPAT of Polling Station No. 196 of 87-Badamba Assembly Constituency was changed after commencement of actual poll, due to some error. 134 votes had been polled in the machine by then. Concerned Sector Officer reached booth with replacement VVPAT
Around 46 per cent polling was recorded till 1 pm during elections for two Lok Sabha constituencies and bypolls to three Assembly seats in Goa. Following complaints of malfunctioning of EVMs at some polling booths, the faulty machines were replaced, an election official said.
In the by-elections underway in three Assembly seats, Mandrem has recorded 45.95 per cent voter turnout while Shiroda turnout was 45.86 per cent and Mapusa was 47.19 per cent.
Voter turnout in Odisha
An estimated 18 per cent of 92.56 lakh voters have exercised their franchise till 11am in six Lok Sabha and 42 assembly constituencies of Odisha, an election official said.
Voter turnout in Goa
Around 26.55 per cent polling was recorded in Goa's two Lok Sabha constituencies by 11 am, poll officials said.
In the Shiroda, Mapusa and Mandrem Assembly segments, the polling percentage by 11 a.m. was recorded at 29.16, 26.81 and 25.60, respectively.
Around 13 per cent polling was recorded in the first two hours of polling for Goa's two Lok Sabha constituencies and three Assembly seats on Tuesday.
In the Shiroda, Mapusa and Mandrem Assembly segments, the polling percentage in the first two hours was recorded at 13.18, 14.47 and 13.05, respectively.
Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik casts his vote at a polling booth in Bhubaneswar, reports news agency ANI.
Odisha records 4.2 per cent voter turnout till 9:00am in phase 3 of assembly elections.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant votes in Goa
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was among the early ones to cast his vote for the Lok Sabha elections in the state's North Goa constituency, where Union minister Shripad Naik is the BJP candidate.
He arrived around 8 am at a polling booth located in his Sankhalim Assembly segment along with his wife Sulakshana Sawant, who is head of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Goa. After exercising his franchise, the chief minister told news agency PTI that he was expecting a good voter turnout.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan casts his vote at a polling booth in Talcher, in Odisha.
Former IAS officer and BJP MP candidate from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Aparajita Sarangi casts her vote at a polling booth at Government Primary School, IRC village, reports news agency ANI. She is up against former IPS officer and Biju Janata Dal candidate Arup Patnaik.
Using art to raise voter awareness, Odisha-based sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a sand art sculpture 'Go Vote and Make your Vote Count' at Puri beach, urging people to cast their vote as the third phase of elections got underway.
Voting in Odisha
Voting began at 7 am and it will continue till 6 pm. In the Maoist-affected areas, polling will end at 4 pm, said an election officer. As many as 92,56,322 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise for the Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal, Koraput Lok Sabha seats and 42 Assembly constituencies under them.
The Election Commission has identified 3,186 critical polling booths while CCTVs have been installed in 779 booths and Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed in 596 polling stations.
Elections are being held in four phases in Odisha.
The BJP's performance in this phase will be crucial in deciding its political fortunes. It had won 62 of the 117 third phase seats in 2014.
The Congress had won 16 seats, while the remaining seats were divided between Biju Janata Dal (6), Communist Party of India- Marxist (7), Nationalist Congress Party (4), Samajwadi Party (3), Shiv Sena (2), Rashtriya Janata Dal (2), All India United Democratic Front (2), Indian Union Muslim League (2), Lok Janshakti Party (1), People's Democratic Party (1), Revolutionary Socialist Party (1), Kerala Congress-Mani (1), Communist Party of India (1), Swabhimani Paksha (1) and Trinamool Congress (1). Three seats were won by Independent candidates.
Goa bypoll candidates:
In the Goa bypolls, Congress' Joshua D'Souza, son of former deputy Chief Minister late Francis D'Souza whose death necessitated the bypoll at Mapusa assembly seat, is contesting against Congress' Sudhir Kandolkar.
In Mandrem, BJP's Dayanand Sopte is facing a challenge from Congress' Babi Bagkar and independent candidate Jeet Arolkar, while in the Shiroda Assembly bypoll, BJP's Subhash Shirodkar, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party's Deepak Dhavalikar and Congress' Mahadev Naik are engaged in a tri-corner contest.
Bypoll in Goa
Bypoll for three state Assembly seats in Goa is being held in a single phase. Polling for two Lok Sabha seats is also being held simultaneously today.
Over 1,600 polling booths have been set up for the elections in North Goa and South Goa Lok Sabha constituencies and Shiroda, Mapusa and Mandrem Assembly seats. There are 18 candidates in the fray for the three Assembly seats.
Around 11 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.
The by-elections in Shiroda and Mandrem were necessitated after their sitting Congress lawmakers resigned and joined the ruling BJP. The Mapusa seat fell vacant following the death of its sitting lawmaker.
Gujarat by-polls:
The bypolls in Gujarat were necessitated after Congress lawmakers in
the four seats quit and joined the BJP. The Talala Assembly bypoll, which was also to be held simultaneously today, was stayed by the Supreme Court.
By-elections are being held on the assembly segments of Dhrangadhra, Manavadar, Unjha and Jamnagar (Rural), which fall under Lok Sabha constituencies of Surendranagar, Porbandar, Mehsana and Jamnagar, respectively.
A total of 45 candidates are in the fray on these seats, won by the opposition Congress in the 2017 polls.
Pre-Poll Violence in Odisha
A Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate was arrested for allegedly assaulting an EC magistrate, while OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik and another BJD nominee were among 11 injured as a series of violence rocked Odisha on Sunday.
Bombs were also hurled at a BJP assembly candidate's car though none was injured. The violence started around an hour before the campaign for the third phase of polls ended on Sunday afternoon.
Over 92.56 lakh voters will decide the fate of 417 candidates in the third phase of polls for six Lok Sabha and 42 assembly seats in Odisha, where pre-poll violence have left several injured, including an EC magistrate and a ruling party candidate.
Polling is being held in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly segments that come under them.