The third and the biggest phase of national elections is being held today in 117 parliamentary constituencies across 13 states and two union territories. Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the seven key states voting today. Polling is being held in all of Gujarat, which has 26 parliamentary constituencies, and Kerala that has 20 Lok Sabha seats.
The party chiefs of two national parties - the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress - are among the key candidates in this phase. BJP chief Amit Shah is contesting from Gujarat's Gandhinagar; he has replaced veteran leader LK Advani. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Kerala's Wayanad, his second seat besides Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, which is Congress stronghold.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi voted earlier this morning in Gujarat Ahemdabad's after meeting his 98-year-old mother. "A voter ID is more powerful than the IED (improvised explosive device) of terrorism," PM Modi said as he addressed the reporters after casting his vote. BJP chief Amit Shah accompanied him. LK Advani, Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah are among the other senior party leaders who voted today in Gujarat.
Here are the Highlights of Lok Sabha elections phase 3 voting in key states:
Lok Sabha Elections Phase 3: Two Elderly Voters Die While Waiting For Their Turn In KeralaTwo senior citizens collapsed and died while waiting to cast their vote in two Lok Sabha constituencies, while another elderly person shortly after exercising his franchise in Kerala Tuesday.
Long queues were seen outside several polling centres.
As per the data released by the Chief Electoral Officer, North Goa constituency witnessed 58.31 per cent polling by 3 pm while South Goa registered 56.93 per cent turnout, according to PTI.
By-elections are also being held for three Assembly constituencies in the coastal state Tuesday.
Mapusa Assembly constituency witnessed 56.28 per cent polling by 3 pm, Shiroda witnessed 61.39 per cent while Mandrem registered a high 64.91 per cent turnout, said a PTI report.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his wife were among the early voters. Governor Mridula Sinha and her husband also cast their votes in the morning in Dona Paula area.
Congress candidate from North Goa Lok Sabha seat Girish Chodankar and BJP nominee and sitting MP Shripad Naik exercised their franchise early in the day.
Nabakishore Nayak collapsed inside booth number 41 in Kantapal village under the Parjang Assembly segment of Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency. He was declared dead by doctors at Kamakhyanagar hospital, said sources, according to IANS.
However, the Chief Electoral Officer's office here said they were yet to receive any report regarding the tragedy.
The highest turnout was recorded in Shivamogga with 41.66 per cent and the lowest in Gulbarga with 30.48 per cent till 1PM, poll officials said, according to PTI.
Interestingly, both Shivamogga and Gulbarga are high profile constituencies.
In Shivamogga, former Chief Minister and state BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa's son BY Raghavendra is pitted against another former Chief Minister S Bangarappa's son Madhu of JD(S).
BREAKING: Elections 2019 Phase 3: Man said to be Congress worker killed on way home after voting in Bengal's Murshidabad: party blames ruling TrinamoolMadhya Pradesh: BJP workers thrashed an NCP worker at SDM office in Bhopal after he allegedly showed black flags to Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP LS candidate from Bhopal, during her roadshow. pic.twitter.com/WsbgIiThWD
- ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019
Assam: Former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh leaves after casting his vote at a polling booth in Dispur. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/vrdI28NIXw
- ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019
Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut today said NDA government will form government at the centre. "In the Lok Sabha elections, there are three main alliances contesting this time. There is United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-led by Congress, then there is Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of SP-BSP and RLD and the third is NDA-led by BJP," Mr Raut said.In #Pilibhit , 10 year old Chitraman Singh , dragged his grandparents to the polling booth , in the middle of a very hot afternoon , because he was most excited about the vote and would not wait till evening ! #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/ychiNNdF9t
- Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) April 23, 2019
#KnowYourCandidate | Mehbooba Mufti fell out with the BJP in June 2018. Since then Jammu and Kashmir has been under Governor's rule #ElectionsWithNDTV #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/Zq5dYjI0jY
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
- Assam 46.6
- Bihar 33.8
- Chhattisgarh 43.0
- Gujarat 39.3
- Jammu & Kashmir: 9.7
- Karnataka: 36.7
- Kerala: 38.8
- Maharashtra: 35.7
- Odisha: 34.0
- Uttar Pradesh: 35.5
- West Bengal: 51.0
- Tripura: 50.63
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli: 43.1
- Daman & Diu: 43.0
- Goa: 45.1
Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Dungarpur, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi promised 22 lakh jobs in a year.
#WATCH Independent candidate from Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency Pappu Yadav sings 'Ye public hai ye sab jaanti hai'. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/j4qZGJCuWm
- ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019
#ElectionsWithNDTV | Finance Minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley votes in Ahmedabad in #Phase3 of #LokSabhaElections2019
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
Follow live coverage on https://t.co/Fbzw6mR9Q5 and NDTV 24x7
(Photos: ANI) pic.twitter.com/2G5W8CQbom
#ElectionsWithNDTV | Sharad Yadav, contesting from Bihar's Madhepura on RJD ticket, is pitted against sitting lawmaker Pappu Yadav
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
Follow live coverage on https://t.co/Fbzw6mR9Q5 and NDTV 24x7 pic.twitter.com/ggk6cxCVBQ
Popular actor Sunny Deol joined the BJP today in presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister Piyush Goyal. "Like my father joined Atal Bihari Vajpayee, I have decided to go with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I want PM Modi for the next five years," said the actor in a short speech," Sunny Deol said in a short speech after joining the party. Read here. 
In the third phase of national elections, the biggest phase of the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls, BJP chief Amit Shah, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Yadav, SP's Azam Khan are among the key contenders. Take a look at the full list of candidates here.
#ElectionsWithNDTV | Ten seats of Uttar Pradesh which are voting today will decide the fate of several key leaders, including Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh, senior leader Azam Khan and BJP's Jaya Prada#LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/OsVd1bMSWQ
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
Among the larger states polling today, while Assam recorded a voting turnout of 28.6 per cent, Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir recorded a voting turnout of just 4.7 per cent at 11 am.
- Assam- 28.6
- Bihar- 19.4
- Chhatisgarh- 27.3
- Gujarat- 24.9
- Jammu and Kashmir- 4.7
- Karnataka- 20.7
- Maharashtra- 21.4
- Kerala- 22.2
- Odisha- 18.4
- Uttar Pradesh- 22.6
- West Bengal- 34.9
#ElectionsWithNDTV | Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel votes at a polling station in Durg #LokSabhaElections2019
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
(📸credit: ANI) pic.twitter.com/Y8eBJwwwuT
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has alleged in a tweet that voting machines across India are either malfunctioning or voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "EVMs across India malfunctioning or voting for the BJP. DMs say poll officials untrained to operate EVMs. 350+ being replaced. This is criminal negligence for a polling exercise that costs 50,000 crs," Mr Yadav tweeted.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has alleged in a tweet that voting machines across India are either malfunctioning or voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "EVMs across India malfunctioning or voting for the BJP. DMs say poll officials untrained to operate EVMs. 350+ being replaced. This is criminal negligence for a polling exercise that costs 50,000 crs," Mr Yadav tweeted.
All voting machines have been replaced at a polling station in Cuncolim Assembly constituency in South Goa have been replaced after reports of malfunctioning, Goa Chief Electoral Officer Kunal said on Tuesday.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and wife Sulakshana Sawant vote at a polling booth in Sankhali #LokSabhaElections2019
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
(📸credit: ANI) pic.twitter.com/cYuyJ15KUS
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and wife Sulakshana Sawant vote at a polling booth in Sankhali #LokSabhaElections2019
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
(📸credit: ANI) pic.twitter.com/cYuyJ15KUS
#ElectionsWithNDTV | BJP candidate, Kummanam Rajasekharan, pitted against Congress' Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, in queue to cast his vote for #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/OjfNQCEXHV
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
#WATCH Moradabad: BJP workers beat an Election Official at booth number 231 alleging he was asking voters to press the 'cycle' symbol of Samajwadi party pic.twitter.com/FokdXCAJ1z
- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 23, 2019
Anna Hazare, 81-year-old anti-corruption crusader, votes in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar (ANI)#LokSabhaElection2019 #Phase3 #ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/6D7awic8H1
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
To the voters of Anantnag, please don't reward the death, destruction & deceit of the last 4 years by staying home & boycotting the election. Come out & vote to give your anger a voice. Vote for the best candidate in the field, vote for @masoodi_hasnain
- Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 23, 2019
"I understand machine malfunction can happen, but I am curious that always such malfunction seems to be benefiting the lots recently. That is a bit too much. I am glad the machines have been replaced," says Shashi Tharoor as voting machines malfunction in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram
#ElectionsWithNDTV | Voter turnout recorded till 9am in Goa, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir#LokSabhaElections2019 #Phase3 pic.twitter.com/OBQ8Gd8JPZ
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
98-year-old Heeraben Modi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother, votes in Ahmedabad (ANI)#LokSabhaElection2019 #Phase3 #ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/nmBFdr4XGN
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
117 constituencies in 13 states and two union territories are polling today. States which are voting in Phase 3 Lok Sabha Elections are: Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura and Union Territories Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Read here
In West Bengal's Malda, poll-related violence injured three, claimed Congress. A bomb was thrown at a camp office, the party alleged.
- The BJP, having a considerable presence in the southern state, aims to improve its tally banking on the ''Modi wave'' and the support of dominant Lingayat community, considered its vote base
- Congress and JD(S) have again teamed up for national elections. Their performance is likely to have a bearing on the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy
- A key constituency is Gulbarga, where Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, a nine-time MLA and two-term Lok Sabha member who has never tasted electoral defeat. BJP has fielded Umesh Jadhav, who recently quit Congress
- Of the 14 constituencies going to polls, the BJP is contesting in all the seats while the Congress and the JD(S) have fielded candidates in 12 and two constituencies respectively as per the seat sharing arrangement
What makes #Phase3 biggest of #LokSabhaElections2019 https://t.co/IJbt61zYEn#ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/LLjS2Z04Eq
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
BJP chief Amit Shah casts his vote in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. His candidature from Gandhinagar, announced in party's first list last month, had sparked a major controversy; he had replaced veteran leader LK Advani.
Amit Shah and his wife Sonal cast their votes at polling booth in Ahmedabad
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
The BJP chief has replaced LK Advani in Gandhinagar #ElectionsWithNDTV #Phase3 #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/gmBUSh7AZv
- EVM malfunctioning has been reported from several polling booths in Assam
- Polling process has been delayed due to change of EVM
- Four parliamentary constituencies in the state are polling today
- 17 candidates are contesting in Guwahati, 15 in Dhubri, 13 in Barpeta and nine in Kokrajhar
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani reached a polling booth in Rajkot this morning to cast his vote. His wife accompanied him.
#ElectionsWithNDTV | NCP candidate and Congress ally, Supriya Sule, and her family at a polling station in family stronghold, Baramati in Maharashtra. She has won from Baramati twice earlier #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/iHBYSDpAuu
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
- Ten seats of Uttar Pradesh, where polls are being held today, will decide the electoral fortunes of several key leaders, including Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh, his nephews Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav, senior party leader Azam Khan and the BJP's Jaya Prada
- The BJP had won seven of the 10 seats in 2014, while the SP bagged three
- A total of 1.78 crore voters would would choose from 120 candidates contesting in Muradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Ferozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Aonwla, Bareilly and Pilibhit
- Polling will be held in these booths between 7 am and 6 pm
- Ten seats of Uttar Pradesh, where polls are being held today, will decide the electoral fortunes of several key leaders, including Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh, his nephews Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav, senior party leader Azam Khan and the BJP's Jaya Prada
- The BJP had won seven of the 10 seats in 2014, while the SP bagged three
- A total of 1.78 crore voters would would choose from 120 candidates contesting in Muradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Ferozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Aonwla, Bareilly and Pilibhit
- Polling will be held in these booths between 7 am and 6 pm
#WATCH PM Narendra Modi after casting his vote in Ahmedabad says, " The weapon of terrorism is IED, the strength of democracy is voter ID." #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/X0LBPI5qcu
- ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019
In Bihar, voting began in five Lok Sabha seats
- Technical glitches reportedly delayed the polling process in Khagaria, Madhepuea and Araria, which will see over 88 lakh voters deciding the fate of 82 candidates, along with Supaul and Jhanjharpur -- all of which are in Koshi and Seemanchal region, news agency IANS reported
- Prominent candidates contesting in Bihar are Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Sharad Yadav from Madhepura seat, who has been fielded against Pappu Yadav. Congress's Ranjeet Ranjan is contesting from Supaul, while the main contestant from Araria is RJD's Sarfaraz Alam; and LJP's Mahboob Ali Qaiser is from Khagaria seat, whose main contestant is VIP chief Mukesh Shahni
PM Narendra Modi appeals to first-time voters as he addresses media after casting vote in Ranip, Ahmedabad. "Voter id is stronger than IED," he says- Highlights of his address to media:
- "I am fortunate to cast my vote... Everyone must vote for a bright future," says PM Modi
- "Voter Id is stronger than IED, the weapon of a terrorist," he says
- After voting, I feel as blessed as I would after taking a holy dip
- The electorate in India is wise. They know the reality on the ground. They have seen and know what has been done.
"Fulfilled my duty by casting my vote": PM Modi#LokSabhaElections2019 #ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/1nP677DCmg
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
It is my honour and pleasure to have executed my right to vote. I request all the voters to go out and cast their vote at their earliest for a #NewIndia. #EveryVoteForModi pic.twitter.com/oQXjDEpSIS
- Chowkidar B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) April 23, 2019
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after meeting his mother, casts his vote in Gujarat's Ahmedabad
- BJP chief Amit Shah accompanied him
- He was seen interacting with people outside the polling booth
PM Narendra Modi after casting his vote at a polling booth in Ranip,Ahmedabad #Gujarat
#ElectionsWithNDTV | PM Narendra Modi after casting his vote at a polling booth in Ranip, Ahmedabad #Gujarat #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/3r0dlUsUdM
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019PM Modi casts his vote in Gujarat's Ahmedabad #LokSabhaElections2019 #ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/QrZ2lX0tB7
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
PM Modi meets his mother at her residence in Gujarat's Gandhinagar before he casts his vote #WATCH PM Narendra Modi meets his mother Heeraben Modi at her residence in Gandhinagar and takes her blessings. #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/uRGsGX0fcw
- ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019
#ElectionsWithNDTV | Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a booth in Kannur, where it's a 3-cornered contest between CPM's Sreemathi, Congress' K Sudhakaran and BJP's CK Padmanabhan #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/TRk06bC3eW
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2019
Ex-Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa visited a temple this morning before the voting for third phase began in 14 parliamentary seats of the state. "Participate in the festival of democracy," he later tweeted.
I appeal all the voters of Karnataka to participate in this festival of democracy. Let us cast our vote to uphold our culture, tradition while moving ahead towards development and becoming a world leader.#EveryVoteForModi
- Chowkidar B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) April 23, 2019
Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa's son reached a polling booth in Karnataka's Shimoga this morning to cast his vote. He is the BJP's candidate in the parliamentary constituency contesting against Janata Dal Secular candidate Madhu Bangarappa, son of the late S Bangarappa, ex-Karnataka chief minister 
Before he votes in the third phase of national elections, PM Modi arrives at his mother's residence in Gandhinagar, where BJP president Amit Shah is the party candidate this time Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people across the country to "vote in record numbers" in phase 3 of general elections. He will be voting shortly from his home state, Gujarat, shortly, he said. PM Modi will vote from Ahmedabad.
Urging all those voting in today's Third Phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to do so in record numbers. Your vote is precious and will shape the direction our nation takes in the years to come.
- Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 23, 2019
I'll be voting in Ahmedabad in a short while from now.
Voters queue up outside a polling booth in Kalpetta in Kerala's Wayanad where Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is contesting for the first time.
Among the key states voting today are also Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is contesting against the Congress-NCP alliance. 14 parliamentary seats in the state are voting here in the third phase. In Karnataka, where Congress and the JDS teamed up to form a government after a hung assembly last year, the BJP will give their alliance a tough fight.14 constituencies poll here.
