1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: The first phase of polls will decide the fate of 217 candidates.
The Election Commission, in a press briefing, said Phase 1 of Lok Sabha elections today were largely peaceful barring a few stray incidents. The Deputy Election Commissioner also spoke about the various complaints registered in Phase 1.
"570 poll complaints have been received and 547 decided," he said. He also said that 15 EVMs have been damaged and legal action is being taken.
On the NaMo TV row, he said they got a report from Chief Electoral Officer Delhi and a report from I and B said it is not a channel. EC is examining the legal issues, he said.
The Congress has written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh alleging breach in party president Rahul Gandhi's security during his visit to Amethi in Uttar Pradesh to file his nominations this week. Three senior Congress leaders have asked the centre to ensure that the protocol relating the Congress president's security detail is strictly followed. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi's mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today filed her nomination from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. But before filing the nomination, the Congress leader issued a message to the BJP. "Don't forget 2004," said the former Congress President before filing her nomination from Rae Bareli, a seat she has been representing since 2004.
Sporadic incidents of violence have been reported across Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. A TDP worker died in the clashes that erupted in Andhra Pradesh which is holding assembly polls simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. The state also witnessed widespread malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines, prompting Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to write a letter to the Election Commission, requesting an extension of polling time in the state to compensate for the time lost due to the issue.
An improvised explosive device (IED) blast was reported in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district as voting was underway in the Maoist-affected district. No one was injured in the incident, reports said. A similar blast was triggered by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency in the early hours this morning, officials said. The blast was triggered around 4:15 am when a team of security men was escorting polling personnel to their booth, they said.
The first phase covers all the Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh (25), Telangana (17), Uttarakhand (5), two seats each of Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya and one seat each of Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar as well as Lakshadweep. Coinciding with the Lok Sabha elections are assembly elections in four states today - Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha. While polling for the assembly elections in Andhra, Arunachal and Sikkim will complete in a single-phase today, voting for the Odisha Assembly will be held in four phases - first being today - coinciding with the four phases of the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Apart from the eight seats in Uttar Pradesh - which votes in all the phases of the seven-phased election, four out of 40 seats of Bihar and two out of 42 seats of West Bengal will also be covered in the phase.
Voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases: April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. Counting will be done on May 23.
Here are the live updates of 1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019:
Polling continued in some polling centres in Andhra Pradesh past 10 pm on Thursday as voters stood in long queues waiting for their turn to exercise their franchise.
Without food and water for three to four hours, men and women were seen standing in queues at the polling centres in Guntur, Krishna and other districts.
The polling process was delayed due to malfunctioning of EVMs and violence.
Though the polling ended at 6 p.m., officials said those standing in queues would be allowed to vote.
Delegations of Left parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party approached the Election Commission on Thursday with complaints of violence and demanding repolling.
A Left Front delegation led by Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretariat member Rabin Deb called on Chief Electoral Officer, Aariz Aftab, after Cooch Behar's All India Forward Bloc candidate Gobinda Rai was attacked in Mathabhanga's booth number 238, and his car vandalised. The LF leaders demanded punishment for the culprits.
"We also demand that wherever the poll was conducted with state armed police in Cooch Behar, we demand a repoll. There were as many as 170 booths where there were disturbances," AIFB state committee Secretary Naren Chatterjee told reporters.
Bhima Mandavi's family votes in phase 1
Bhima Mandavi was a BJP member of legislative assembly,
who was killed by Maoists on Tuesday while returning after campaigning in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada.
Election Commission on removal of objectionable content in social media
Namo Food Packets In Noida Triggers RowSome security personnel on election duty in Noida were served meals in packets labelled
"Namo Foods", triggering criticism from the opposition even after the local police said the packs only displayed the name of food shop.
The Bahujan Samaj Party said it has complained to the Election Commission.
"NaMo" are widely-recognised Hindi initials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, previously seen on BJP merchandise and recently as the name of a TV channel.
The packets were brought in the boot of a hatchback and distributed among police personnel in Noida's sector 15A around 9.30 am, while polling was on in the Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency under which the Delhi suburb falls.
The packets, coloured in a shade of saffron, had ''Namo Foods'' emblazoned on top in Hindi. They soon started generating a buzz among curious onlookers.
When contacted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer L Venkateshwarlu said he has already spoken with the district magistrate on the issue.
"It is nothing related to the prime minister as the name of the company itself is Namo," he told PTI.
But the Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav blamed the BJP.
"Voters are turning out in large numbers to vote for #MahaParivartan which perhaps explains this desperate move. Clearly, the only thing the BJP knows how to do is branding and marketing," he said, quoting a re-tweet.
Voter Turn Out For Phase 1:Chhattisgarh- 56%
Andaman and Nicobar- 70.67%
Lakshwadeep- 66%
Telangana - 60%
Jammu and Kashmir - 54.49%
Uttarakhand - 57.85%
Andhra Pradesh - 66%
Sikkim - 69%
Mizoram - 66%
Nagaland -78%
Manipur -78.2%
Tripura - 81.8%
Assam - 68%
West Bengal -81%
Maharashtra- 56% (till 5pm)
Bihar- 50% (till 5pm)
Arunachal Pradesh- 66%
Five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam that polled saw a high voter turnout despite growing protests against the BJP-led government's move to pass the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.
The five constituencies that went to polls on Thursday -- Tezpur, Kaliabar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur -- are also known as the tea belt of Assam since majority of the tea gardens in the state fall under these five constituencies.
Overall voting percentage in these constituencies stood at about 59.46 per cent at 3.00 p.m, with Tezpur witnessing over 63 per cent polling, Kaliabar 60 per cent, Jorhat 62 per cent, Dibrugarh 59.29 per cent and Lakhimpur recording 53 per cent voting.
Allegations of deleted or missing names on voters' lists were reported from various parts of the country and also circulated on social media on the first day of voting for the seven-phase national election. Votes had been deleted on an "unprecedented scale", Arvind Kejriwal alleged in multiple tweets.
Phase 1 Turn Out Till 5 PM
First phase polling ends in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh
Polling for seven Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and the Naxal-affected Bastar constituency in neighbouring Chhattisgarh came to an end at 5 pm Thursday.
As much as 46.13 per cent turn-out had been registered in seven seats in Maharashtra's Vidarbha by 3 pm, as per the state election officials.
The prominent candidates in these constituencies include Union ministers and senior BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, who is contesting from Nagpur, and Hansraj Ahir, who is the nominee from Chandrapur seat.
More than 45 per cent voters exercised their franchise in Bastar by 3 pm.
Early in the morning, Naxals detonated an IED (improvised explosive device) in Narayanpur district, which comes under Bastar constituency.
There were no casualties.
Naxals also triggered an IED blast near a polling booth in Maharashtra's Gadchroli district Thursday while voting was underway. There were no casualties, a police official said.
Polling in Jammu and Baramulla Lok seats of Jammu and Kashmir ended amid stray incidents of violence, some incidents of EVM malfunction and alleged misconduct by a security man at a polling station.
Poll officials said the final voting figures in both the constituencies were being compiled and would be announced by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Shailendra Kumar at a press conference in Jammu later.
Till 3 pm, over 46 per cent voting was recorded in both the constituencies.
An estimated 69 per cent of the voters in Sikkim have exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Thursday to elect a 32-member state Legislative Assembly as well as the lone Lok Sabha member from the state, an official said.
The polling percentage will go up as large number of voters who have queued up at polling stations till 5 pm would be allowed to vote, the CEO said.
There was no report of any violence from anywhere in the state during the polling of the state Assembly and the lone Lok Sabha seat which was held simultaneously, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ravindra Telang told PTI.
As many as 7,780 polling booths are categorised as sensitive in the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu, said a senior Election Commission Official.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said these booths will be closely monitored and additional security forces deployed there.
According to Sahoo, about 5.99 crore people are eligible to vote in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
He said the election flying squads and static surveillance teams have seized unaccounted cash of about Rs 127 crore from across the state.
Elections for Lok Sabha and for 18 vacant assembly constituencies will be held on April 18 in Tamil Nadu.
Chandrababu Naidu to news agency ANI:
Today I cast my vote. All of you have the responsibility to vote. Most of you went to polling booths this morning. However some of you couldn't vote due to EVM problems. You faced inconvenience.
Election commission which acted actively in transferring the officials; couldn't maintain EVMs and VVPATs. They've failed. You had to face troubles in the scorching heat. I'm very disappointed and feeling bad for it. However I once again appeal to all of you to cast your vote.
Poll percentage till 5pm:Telangana: 60.57%
Meghalaya: 62%
Uttar Pradesh: 59.77%
Manipur: 78.20%
Lakshadweep: 65.9%
Assam: 68%
Naxal killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh on polling day
A Naxal was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, police said.
The encounter took place in the restive Orchha area of the district when ultras attacked a team of security forces guarding a helipad, Director General (Anti-Naxal Operation) Girdhari Nayak told PTI.
Firing on security forces by the rebels triggered the gunbattle, which left one Naxal dead, he said.
Polling ends in 16 Lok Sabha constituencies of Telangana
Barring Nizamabad, polling for the Lok Sabha seats in Telangana ended peacefully at 5 pm.
About 49 per cent voter turnout was recorded in all 17 constituencies till 5 pm. The final polling percentage will be known late in the evening.
Polling in 13 Maoist-affected Assembly segments under five Lok Sabha constituencies ended at 4 pm.
In Nizamabad, a record number of EVMs are being used to accommodate 185 candidates, and the polling will continue till 6 p.m.
Chief Electoral Officer Rajath Kumar said those standing in queues would be allowed to vote, irrespective of the time this would take.
Nearly 2.97 crore voters were eligible to cast their votes to decide the fortunes of 443 candidates including 25 women.
The election authorities had set up 46,120 polling stations and deployed three lakh personnel including about a lakh security men as part of the elaborate arrangements.
Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrashekar Rao's daughter K. Kavitha, senior TRS leader Vinod Kumar, state Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, former Union Minister Renuka Chowdary (Congress) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi were among the prominent candidates.
The counting of votes will be taken up on May 23 after completion of the polling process across the state.
In 2014, the TRS had bagged 11 seats while the Congress secured two seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), AIMIM and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) had won a seat each.
The TDP and the YSRCP did not contest the elections in Telangana this time.
Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha says in 6 booths of Chitrakonda in Malkangiri district there has been no voting due to threat by Naxals.
The oldest voter of Sikkim, Sumitra Rai (105), Kamrang South District
Differently Abled Voters being assisted in Tobu Village, Nagaland
Voting has concluded in UttarakhandIn Uttarakhand,voting has concluded. EVMs and VVPAT being packed at a polling station in Haldwani after voting concludes.
UP voting percentage at 5:
A centenarian votes in Sector 104, Samudayik Kendra Hazipur, Noida
Akhilesh Yadav tweeted alleging a Dalit couple was not allowed to cast their vote in Kairana:
It is a crime and a sin to stop Dalit brothers and sisters from casting their votes.
Crime, because voting is the basic right of every citizen
Sin, because only voting can wipe out all differences between people for a day.
Now the BJP leaders are openly saying that this country is not for everyone and people are spreading hatred among people.
Mr Yadav tweeted in Hindi, tagging a video of a person alleging humiliation when he went to vote
Young voters of Mizoram making their voice count
(Picture credit: CEO Meghalaya Election via Twitter) Model Polling Station at Pallel High School under Kakching AC, Manipur
A centenarian from Tajang village of Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, with her youngest son in read coat (Village headman) joins the festival of democracy.
(Picture Credit: Chief Electoral Officer, Arunachal Pradesh)
BSP alleges Dalit voters being stopped from voting:"We are receiving information from various polling stations that BSP voters specially Dalits are being stopped from reaching polling booths by use of force by UP police which is even going to the extent of using force so that they may not be able to cast their votes. All this is apparently being done under the dictates of higher authorities. Immediate intervention is required on this otherwise no purpose of elections and advertisements of CEC to vote."
-- SC Misra National General Secretary, BSP
Poll percentage of phase 1 LokSabha elections in Bihar till 4PM
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) writes to Chief Electoral Officer, Bhubaneswar, over violation of EC guidelines by BJP for holding press meet today and details of the same being provided on scrolling news on OTV.
Glimpses of voting from Aurangabad parliamentary constituency, Bihar
(Pictures credit: Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar)
Phase 1 Turnout Till 3 PM:
Overall voting percentage in Jammu and Kashmir is 46.3%
Poll percentage of phase 1 Lok Sabha Election in Bihar till 3.00 PM The data was shared by the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar:
Uttar Pradesh Poll percentage by 3pm:
EVM glitches reported from Maharashtra polling booths, reports news agency PTI
Glitches in EVMs were reported at some places in the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra where polling is being held, an official said.
After reports of VVPAT machines not working in Gondiya district of Bhanadara-Gondiya constituency, returning officer there said that the faulty machines are being replaced quickly and the election is going on smoothly without delay.
EVM glitches were also reported from Booth No. 127 (Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency) and Booth No. 147 (Yavatmal-Washim) in Maharashtra.
Bhandara district Collector Shantanu Goel told PTI that polling is underway smoothly sans any obstruction in the Bhandara-Gondiya constituency.
"The faulty machines, if any, are being replaced in 15 minutes," he said.
A voter outside the Blue Diamond School polling booth in Nagpur constituency said voters there were waiting in a long queue and the EVM machine there has stopped working.
Some of those in the queue are returning to their homes, he said.
After an EVM machine stopped working in Yavatmal constituency, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance candidate Bhavana Gawali requested the Election Commission to extend the poll timings in that booth.
The state Congress unit has sent 39 complaints to the Election Commission (EC) about "glitches" in the functioning of EVMs at some booths in six Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra where polling was underway, the party said.
The party, in a statement said it made 12 complaints to the EC via e-mail, pointing out glitches in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) at some booths in Nagpur, followed by eight such complaints in Chandrapur, six in Wardha and five in Ramtek.
The party also sent four complaints each of such snags in Yavatmal-Washim and Gadchiroli-Chimur seats, it said
After Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination from Rae Bareli today, her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in Hindi with a picture:
Every candidate, every politician, should learn from my mother's devotion to the people of Rae Bareli. Political motive is public service and dedication. Whoever gets this opportunity should be thankful to the people.
"Green light" pointed at Rahul Gandhi came from mobile phone: Centre
The "green light" pointed at Rahul Gandhi was found to be that of a mobile phone, the government said today, rejecting Congress claims that Mr Gandhi's security was compromised in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi.
"As soon as MHA's attention was drawn to reports that there was an incident of "green light" being pointed at him yesterday in Amethi, the Director (SPG) was asked to verify the factual position. The "green light" shown in the clipping was found to be that of a mobile phone used by the AICC photographer, who was videographing the impromptu press interaction of Shri Rahul Gandhi near the collectorate at Amethi," MHA spokesperson said.
Congress letter to Centre on alleged breach of Rahul Gandhi's security
Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination from Rae Bareli. The former Congress president has been representing the state since 2004.
Lok Sabha Election 2019 Phase 1: Northeast witnesses impressive voter turnout
Tripura witnessed an impressive voter turn out among the north-eastern states, with 63 per cent of the registered voters in the states exercising their franchise by 1 pm. Nagaland also recorded an impressive turnout of 57.2 per cent. Manipur (53%), Assam (44.3%), Mizoram (43.4%) and Arunachal Pradesh (40.3%) respectively.
BSF personnel fire in the air to ward off a group of fake voters in Kairana constituency in western Uttar Pradesh. Around 25-30 people carrying fake voter cards were trying to cast vote.
The sitting MP of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Begum Tabassum Hasan is seeking a re-election from the constituency.
Earlier today, Sonia Gandhi performed a puja before filing her nomination papers in Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. She was seen, flanked by her children Rahul Gandhi, the Congress president, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at a havan organised by a party worker.
The former Congress president has reduced her public engagements and participation in active politics because of her health.
There were rumours that she would retire from elections and Priyanka Gandhi would take over as the Congress candidate in Raebareli, a long-time Gandhi family stronghold once held by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, Priyanka's grandmother.
Sonia Gandhi has been representing Raebareli since 2004.
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Namo Food Packets At Noida Polling Station
For policemen posted outside a polling station in Noida, neighbouring Delhi, the wait on Election Day just got longer. Food packets that had come for police officials posted at Sector 15A drove in and then straight out at the sight of journalists.
The reason? The food packets, which had "Namo Foods" emblazoned on top in Hindi, had started generating a buzz among curious onlookers. Several people noted that NaMo are the widely-recognised initials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that have previously been seen on everything from BJP merchandise to a controversial TV channel exclusively promoting him.
Chandrababu Naidu writes to EC seeking extension of polling time
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as written a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), requesting an extension of polling time in the state to compensate for the time lost due to reported technical glitches in EVMs in several polling booths.
Polling in a few districts of Andhra Pradesh was disrupted briefly on Thursday morning due to malfunctioning of electronic voting machines (EVM).
"A number of complaints are being received from the contesting candidates, chief election agents and the media that in several cases EVMs did not function to start the polling at 7 am. As a result commencement of polling got delayed between half an hour to one hour. However, polling has commenced in those stations after repair/replacement of EVMs. In all these cases it is necessary that polling time is extended to compensate the time lost in repairing/replacing the EVMs," Mr Naidu wrote in his letter.
Constituency-wise polling percentage in Maharashtra
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: World's Shortest Woman Jyoti Amge Votes In Nagpur, Has A Message
Jyoti Amge, the world's shortest woman who made a guest appearance in reality TV show Big Boss in 2012, today posted a photo of herself on her Facebook profile, showing an inked finger. "I request everyone to vote. Please vote first and then go to complete everything else," Ms Amge told reporters outside a polling booth in Nagpur."
The 25-year-old who entered the Guinness World Records for being the shortest woman, standing only 62.8 cm tall, was seen walking to the polling booth in a bright red frock. People quickly recognised her and greeted her warmly.
On her Facebook post, she uploaded three photos with the caption "Vote"; she is seen holding her voter identity card and showing her inked finger.
In December 2011, the Nagpur resident was declared the world's shortest woman by the Guinness World Records.
Just In: IED blast near a voting booth in Gadchiroli
Naxals triggered an IED blast near a voting booth in Gadchiroli. The blast occurred at Waghezari polling booth under Kasansur police station. No injuries have been reported so far.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Meghalaya Chief Minister waits for his turn at a polling booth in the state
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma waits for his turn at a polling booth in the state.
Conrad Sangma's National People Party (NPP) is contesting the April-May national election in 14 out of 25 seats by itself in the northeast.
Phase 1 Elections 2019: 37.8 per cent polling in West Bengal's Cooch Behar37.8 per cent polling was recorded in West Bengal's Cooch Behar, while Alipurduar witnessed 43.2 per cent polling in the first four hours.
Cooch Behar is witnessing a fierce contest between the state's ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The north Bengal constituency has been in the news over the transfer of Cooch Behar superintendent of police by the Election Commission.
The poll body's decision has triggered another round of war of words, with the Trinamool Congress alleging that the move was "arbitrary, motivated and biased".
Phase 1 Elections 2019: Over 1.5 crore voters in western UP are voting in the first phaseA total of around 1.5 crore voters in the eight seats in western Uttar Pradesh are voting in the first phase.
The eight seats - Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar -- constitute almost 10.45 per cent of the total over 14 crore voters in the state.
The first phase of Uttar Pradesh polling is crucial as any polarisation in the western part -- as seen during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections -- may help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) get an impressive tally.
Phase 1 Elections 2019: "Vote margin would be bigger this time," says Nitin Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that he is contesting the elections on the basis of work he has carried in his Lok Sabha constituency, Nagpur. "I had good support from people and party workers. I am contesting this election on the bases of work in Nagpur. This time my vote margin would be bigger than last time," Mr Gadkari was quoted by news agency ANI.
Nitin Gadkari is up against Congress candidate Nana Patole.
In 2014, Mr Gadkari got six lakh of 10 lakh votes
The constituency has a strength of 22 lakh voters and of the approximately ten lakh votes polled last time Nitin Gadkari won around six lakh votes
Earlier in the day, BJP President Amit Shah appealed to the people to vote, saying "your one vote will decide the future of this great nation".
"I request each and every voter to come out and vote," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. "The power of democracy lies in your single vote, your one vote will decide the future of this great nation."
Mr Shah issued similar appeals, in different languages, to people in various states going to the polls on Thursday in the first of the seven-phased election to pick a new Lok Sabha.
Phase 1 Elections 2019: Smriti Irani performs 'pooja' ahead of filing nomination
Union Minister Smriti Irani performs 'pooja' ahead of filing nomination from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, which will vote in the fifth phase of the seven-phased elections.
Ms Irani is likely to be accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for the nomination.
Ms Irani is pitted against Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who had filed his nomination papers on Wednesday.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi had defeated Smriti Irani by a margin of 1.07 lakh votes. Since then, Ms Irani has been regularly visiting the cconstituency.
Phase 1 Elections 2019: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal casts vote at a booth in Dibrugarh
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal casts vote at a booth in Dibrugarh. Five seats of the states' 14 seats are part of the first phase. These are all from Upper Assam that saw massive backlash against the controversial citizenship bill.
Mr Sonowal has claimed that the BJP will form government at the centre as people have seen the development in the region. "People of Assam and northeast will vote for BJP this time. They want Narendra Modi by heart for second term because of the development taking place in entire northeast," he told NDTV.
Phase 1 Elections 2019: Tura constituency
Tura Lok Sabha seat is one of Meghalaya's two Lok Sabha seats.
Key candidates: Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Mukul Sangma is locked in a triangular fight with the ruling National People's Party candidate Agatha K Sangma and BJP candidate Rikman G Momin. While Mukul Sangma is one of the state's most prominent leaders, Agatha Sangma is the daughter of former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma.
YSR Congress Party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, who turned up early at a voting booth in Andhra Pradesh's Pulivendula, had a message for first-time voters. "Vote for change, vote without fear," Mr Reddy told NDTV, smiling, his supporters cheering from behind. "I am very confident. I am pretty sure people are looking for a change and I hope it would happen. I think the turnout will be past 80 per cent," he added.
Moments later, the YSR Congress Party chief was seen playfully holding and hugging a baby as he walked towards a polling booth, surrounded by supporters.
"There is an issue of credibility. During the elections in 2014, whatever promises they made... everything is proven to be a lie. People are looking for credibility; it will lead to change," Mr Reddy told NDTV.
On accusations by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's Telegu Desam Party that he had a hand in the tax raids on people linked to the rival party, Mr Reddy told NDTV, "Wherever there is black money or scent of black money, anybody wanting to deliver a free and fair poll will definitely raid. Since there is no money with us, they are not raiding us. Since there is a lot of money with them, they are raiding them."
Mr Reddy has declared assets worth Rs. 510.38 crore and is among the richest in the state, according to election watch non-profit Association of Democratic Reforms. "That's all accounted for and tax-paid. That's a different story altogether. But this (raids) is black money they are talking about," he said.
Phase 1 Elections 2019: Furious Andhra candidate smashes EVM at polling station, arrested
A Jana Sena Party candidate in Andhra Pradesh was arrested today after he broke an Electronic Voting Machine or EVM in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district.
Madhusudan Gupta threw the EVM on the floor at a polling station in the Guntakal Assembly constituency of Anantapur district, the police said.
Mr Gupta, who had come to cast his vote at the polling station in Gutti, was angry with the polling staff over names of assembly and parliament constituencies not being displayed properly, news agency IANS reported.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: "They will see worst kind of defeat," BJP's Satya Pal Singh on UP grand alliance
Union Minister Satya Pal Singh said that he was confident of winning the from Baghpat against RLD's Jayant Chaudhary.
"They will see the worst kind of defeat... Their arithmetic won't work": BJP's Satyapal Singh tells NDTV on prospects of SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
The union minister is contesting from Baghpat against RLD's Jayant Chaudhary
In 2014, Satya Pal Singh had defeated Jayant Chaudhary's father, Ajit Singh, by a margin of nearly two lakh votes.
Satya Pal Singh, who is junior Minister for HRD and Water Resources, believes that controversies surrounding his views on Darwin''s theory of evolution and Newton''s laws will not have any impact on the elections.
Baghpat Lok Sabha has traditionally been a bastion of the Chaudhary family.
The Northeastern states are witnessing brisk voting in the first phase. The Election Commission has released voter turn out till 9 in some of the constituencies in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim.
Assam: Overall - 10.2%
Tezpur: 10%
Kaliabor: 10%
Lakhimpur - 9%
Dibrugarh - 10%
Jorhat - 12%
Nagaland - 21%
Sikkim - 32%
Outer Manipur - 16%
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Top 10 heavyweights
Nitin Gadkari - The Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways is the BJP candidate from Nagpur. Mr Gadkari, who had defeated the Congress's Vilas Muttemwar in the 2014 parliamentary election, is facing BJP rebel Nana Patole, who has been fielded by the Congress this time.
Kiren Rijiju - The Union Miinster of State for Home faces a tough battle on his home turf - the Arunachal West constituency. He will go against the Congress's candidate Nabam Tuki, a former chief minister, and the National People's Party's Khyoda Apik.
VK Singh - The former army chief and junior minister in the External Affairs Ministry is battling from Ghaziabad in western Uttar Pradesh where the Congress has fielded Dolly Sharma and Suresh Bansal is the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance candidate.
Asaduddin Owaisi - The AIMIM chief is the sitting lawmaker from Hyderabad in Telangana and has held the Lok Sabha constituency since 2004. All 17 seats of Telangana will vote in the first phase of elections today.
Renuka Chowdhury - The Congress candidate for Khammam Lok Sabha seat in Andhra Pradesh, Renuka Chowdhury has served as the Union minister of State for Ministry of Women and Child Development and Tourism in the UPA government. She will take on Devaki Vasudeva Rao of the BJP.
Mahesh Sharma - The Union Culture Minister is the sitting lawmaker from Gautam Buddh Nagar. He will take on the BSP's Satveer Nagar and the Congress' Arvind Singh along with 10 other candidates.
Ajit Singh - The 80-year-old leader of the Rashtriya Lok Dal is the candidate of the Samajwadi Party-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh from Muzaffarnagar. He will take on former Union minister Sanjiv Balyan of the BJP in this crucial western UP constituency.
Satyapal Singh - The Union Minister and former Mumbai police commissioner is the sitting lawmaker from Baghpat in western Uttar Pradesh and will go against RLD's Jayant Chaudhary. In 2014, Satyapal Singh had defeated Jayant Chaudhary's father, Ajit Singh.
Chirag Paswan - Five years ago, the former actor and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader made his electoral debut from Jamui in Bihar, riding the Modi wave. PM Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are among the NDA star campaigners who have held rallies in Jamui for Chirag Paswan.
Gaurav Gogoi - The son of former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Gaurav Gogoi is the sitting lawmaker from Kaliabor in the state. The Congress leader will take on Moni Madhab Mahanta from the Asom Gana Parishad.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Voters defy Maoists' boycott call in Dantewada
Voters have come out in large numbers in Dantewada despite a Maoist call to boycott the elections. People were seen queuing up in Shyamgiri area as they waited for their turn to exercise their right.
Voting is taking place in the district two days after Bhima Mandavi, the BJP lawmaker from Dantewada, was killed while campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made across Bastar Lok Sabha constituency where polling is being held in its four Assembly segments - Dantewada, Konta, Bijapur and Narayanpur - from 7 am to 3 pm.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Nitin Gadkari, Hansraj Ahir among high-profile candidates in Maharashtra
The fate of 116 candidates in Maharashtra will be decided today. While union minister Nitin Gadkari is facing Nana Patole of Congress (Nagpur), Hansraj Ahir is pitted against Suresh Dhanorkar of Congress in Chandrapur. Seats represented by former state Congress President Manikrao Thakre (Yavatmal-Washim) and state Women's Congress President Charulata Tokas also feature in the first phase.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019:: Union minister Nitin Gadkari casts his vote in Nagpur
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari casts vote in Nagpur. Mr Gadkari is seeking a re-election from the seat.
Key candidates: Nitin Gadkari is up against Congress candidate Nana Patole.
In 2014, Mr Gadkari got six lakh of 10 lakh votes
The constituency has a strength of 22 lakh voters and of the approximately ten lakh votes polled last time Nitin Gadkari won around six lakh votes
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad candidate Asaduddin Owaisi casts vote at a polling booth in the city.
He is a three time sitting lawmaker from the constituency
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: "Send a message against communalism," says Omar Abdullah
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah has appealed to people to vote against communalism.
"To all my colleagues and workers in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts please vote and use your vote to send a message against communalism, against fear & against the broken promises of the last 5 years. Vote for Raman Bhalla & send him to the Lok Sabha to fight for J&K," tweeted Mr Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Jamui constituency
Key candidates: In Bihar's Jamui, sitting Lok Janshakti Party MP Chirag Paswan is up against Bhudeo Chaudhary, who won it in the first general elections in 2009.
Five years ago, Chirag Paswan made a successful debut by winning the Jamui Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 85,947 votes
PM Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are among the NDA star campaigners who have held rallies in Jamui for Chirag Paswan.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Nagaland, Meghalaya witness high voter turnoutNortheast is witnessing high voter turnout. Nagaland parliamentary constituency reported 21% voter turnout till 9 am, while Meghalaya recorded 18 per cent polling.
Polling in most of the seats in north part of the country have been marginally low. Uttarakhand registered 13.3 per cent till 9 am, while Chhattisgarh witnessed a turnout of 9.9 per cent.
Bihar witnessed only 5.6 per cent voting till 8 am.
21% voter turnout recorded till 9 am in Nagaland parliamentary constituency.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Rahul Gandhi highlights failed promises of Modi government
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi asked voters to exercise their vote judiciously as they voter for the country's future. Mr Gandhi said that the Modi government has failed to fulfill its promises made in the 2014 elections.
"No 2 Crore JOBS. No 15 Lakhs in Bank A/C. No ACCHE DIN. Instead: No JOBS. DEMONETISATION. Farmers in Pain. GABBAR SINGH TAX.
Suit Boot Sarkar. RAFALE. Lies. Lies. Lies. Distrust. Violence. HATE. Fear.
You vote today for the soul of India. For her future," he tweeted.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Ghaziabad constituency
Union Minster and the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Ghaziabad VK Singh voted early this morning. The Minister of State for External Affairs in the NDA government went to the polling station at Schiller Public School in Raj Nagar accompanied by party workers to exercise his franchise.
Key candidates: VK Singh is locked in a triangular contest with Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party coalition candidate Suresh Bansal, and Congress nominee Dolly Sharma, a young professional with a political lineage.
The former army chief had polled in 7.58 lakh votes, 56 percent of the total votes polled in 2014 elections.
The Election Commission has reprimanded Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey for the 'casual and trivial' response to the ECI's advisory dated April.
"The commission has noted with extreme displeasure, the tone and tenor used for addressing a constitutional authority in stark violation of the established protocol. Therefore, the commission reprimands the department of revenue for making unwarranted remarks and expects that the directions issued by the commission in the said advisory (dated April 7) are followed in letter as well as in spirit" EC in its letter to Revenue Secy.
On April 7, the poll body had written to Revenue Secy to keep enforcement actions during polls "neutral, impartial and non-discriminatory" and had also asked the Revenue Dept "to keep concerned Chief Electoral Officers in the loop during raids".
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Baghpat constituency
Key candidates: The Baghpat Lok Sabha seat is witnessing a contest between Union Minister Satya Pal Singh and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary.
In 2014, Satya Pal Singh had defeated Jayant Chaudhary's father, Ajit Singh, by a margin of nearly two lakh votes.
Satya Pal Singh, who is junior Minister for HRD and Water Resources, believes that controversies surrounding his views on Darwin''s theory of evolution and Newton''s laws will not have any impact on the elections.
Baghpat Lok Sabha has traditionally been a bastion of the Chaudhary family.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Muzaffarnagar constituency
Key candidates: Sitting BJP lawmaker Sanjeev Balyan is up against Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, who is the candidate for the opposition "Grand Alliance".
Sanjeev Balyan won by a margin of more than four lakh votes in 2014
In the Lok Sabha polls, held about six months later, BJP's Sanjeev Balyan defeated Bahujan Samajwadi Party's Kadir Rana by a margin of more than four lakh votes.
Voters stand in queue to cast vote at Jamui Parliamentary Constituency in Bihar.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Voting largely peaceful in Jammu and Baramulla Lok Sabha constituencies
Voting is largely peaceful in Jammu and the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, election officials said.
"Voting has started peacefully in the Jammu and Baramulla Lok Sabha constituencies under tight security," the officials said.
Voters were seen lined up outside polling stations in Jammu's rural areas of R.S.Pura, Suchetgarh, Samba and Nowshera.
In urban areas like Gandhinagar, Chinni, Satwari, voters came out in ones and twos in the morning as authorities said the turnout was likely to pick up as the day progresses, news agency IANS reported.
Baramulla Lok Sabha seat witnessed very few voters in the morning especially in urban centre's like Sopore, Baramulla old town, Kupwara and Bandipora.
Reports from border areas like Gurez, Karnah and Uri of Baramulla said voters started coming out in good numbers to exercise their franchise in the morning.
Voting started at 7 a.m.. It will end at 6 p.m.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: PM Modi has sought another term to fulfil his promises
PM Modi has sought another term to fulfil his promises. "I don't claim to have finished all the work. When they (Congress) cannot say so in 70 years, how can I make that claim in just five years? A lot has to be done, have potential to do a lot, and for this, there is a need for constant efforts," he told an election rally in Bihar.
PM Modi has managed to retain his popularity, but his government has taken a hit with opposition criticism over its handling of the economy, failure to create jobs and the crisis in the farm sector, opinion polls show.
Modi government's failure to control the right-wing fringe groups and cow vigilantes have also went against the BJP.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Arunachal West constituency
Key candidates: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju is pitted against former chief minister Nabam Tuki, Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Jarjum Ete and Khyoda Apik of the National Peoples' Party (NPP).
Mr Rijiju won his seat in 2014 by defeating his nearest rival Congress nominee Takam Sanjoy by a margin of 41,738 votes.
Voting is underway in Andhra Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections and Legislative Assembly elections. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YS Jaganmohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party can play the role of a kingmaker if both the TDP as well as YSRCP fail to gain a majority.
While Mr Naidu is contesting from Kuppam seat for the seventh time, his son Nara Lokesh has been fielded from Mangalagiri. YSR's Jaganmohan Reddy is contesting from Pulivendula. Pawan Kalyan is contesting from Bheemavaram in West Godavari district and Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam district.
The election results for the 176-seat Assembly will be declared on May 23.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: "Vote for change, vote without fear," says Jagan Reddy
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Jagan Mohan Reddy arrives to cast vote. "Vote for change, vote without fear," the YSR Congress chief appealed to voters.
Mr Reddy, who is contesting from contesting from Pulivendula, said that he was confident that his people will perform well. "I am very confident. I am pretty sure people are looking for a change," he said.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: EVM malfunctioning reported at a few places in Northeast
EVM malfunctioning reported at a few places in Northeast. Fourteen Lok Sabha seats across Northeast are voting today. Assembly polls are being held simultaneous in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim along with the national elections.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Maoists' have called for a poll boycott in Chhattisgarh
Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region have scribbled warnings on walls in Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma and Narayanpur districts, asking voters to boycott the national election.
The warnings were written by the Darbha division committee of the outlawed group on the walls of government establishments such as post offices, schools and health centers.
"BJP ko maar bhagao (Force the BJP to flee)" warning written on one of the walls read.
Two days before polls, BJP lawmaker Bhima Mandavi, 40, his driver and three security officials were killed in a powerful IED blast at Shyamagiri hills - nearly 350 km from state capital Raipur. The blast ripped the lawmaker's vehicle into two, killing the occupants on the spot.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Polling starts at Polampalli, Sukma District
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to file nomination for Rae Bareli today
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi will file nomination papers for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and hold a road show today. Sonia Gandhi is trying to retain the Rae Bareli seat for the fifth time.
Sonia Gandhi's schedule today
11:30 Sonia Gandhi will organise a ''havan'' at the Congress's central office.
12:00 Road Show via Hathi Park - Kachahari Road - To Collectorate.
12:40 File nomination at the Collectorate office
13:10 Return to Bhuyemau Guest House.
15:00 Leave for Fursatganj in Amethi
15:45 Meeting with Congress workers.
15:55 Leave for Fursatganj Airport
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: 1,014 third genders will exercise their votes today
In the first phase, as many as 1,50,65,682 voters-- 82,24,835 males, 68,39,833 females and 1,014 third genders-- will exercise their franchise in 16,518 booths set up inside 6,716 polling centres to decide the fate of 96 candidates.
1st Phase Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Nagpur constituency
Key candidates: Nitin Gadkari, the sitting BJP lawmaker, is up against Congress candidate Nana Patole.
Nitin Gadkari got six lakh of 10 lakh votes in 2014 Lok Sabha polls
The constituency has a strength of 22 lakh voters and of the approximately ten lakh votes polled last time Nitin Gadkari won around six lakh votes
Nana Patole, the giant slayer
BJP rebel Nana Patole has a reputation of being the giant slayer. In 2014, Mr Patole, who was contesting on a BJP ticket, had defeated NCP heavyweight Praful Patel in the neighbouring Bhandara-Gondiya district.