Voting for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections has concluded with people of 95 out of 543 seats will cast their votes to choose their representative in the parliament. Amidst the incidents of violence reported from West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, 11 states and 1 union territory voted today.
Voting took place in some parts of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
While the first phase saw the voter turnout of 69.43 per cent, the total voter turnout for the second phase was 61.12% till 5 pm.
Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, BJP MP Hema Malini, Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah were among the prominent candidates for Phase 2 Lok Sabha election 2019.
6:00 pm:
Times Now has reported that Hindu voters were reportedly blocked from voting at a polling booth in Raiganj constituency in West Bengal. As per Times Now, Hindu voters at a village in the constituency have alleged that while some were stopped from proceeding towards the polling booth, others claimed that bogus votes in their names had already been cast when they reached the polling station in the morning.
Surendra Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha has recommended re-polling in booth 213 in Sundergarh, booth 129 in Bonai, and booths 210 & 222 in Daspalla assembly constituency due to technical problems in EVM machines and VVPATs. He said that the technical snag happened due to lapses on the part of polling officers.
Total estimated voters’ tunout has been recorded at 61.12% till 5 pm.
Total voter turnout for 2nd phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 is 61.12%. pic.twitter.com/mw2R25FLWC
— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2019
2:30 pm:
Shoe hurled at BJP Rajya Sabha MP GVLN Rao while he as addressing media.
#WATCH Delhi: Shoe hurled at BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao during a press conference at BJP HQs .More details awaited pic.twitter.com/7WKBWbGL3r
— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2019
Election Commission Flying Squad searched Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy’s chopper.
Voter turnout till 1 pm:
Assam: 46.42%
Karnataka: 36.31%
Manipur: 49.07%
Jammu and Kashmir: 29.6%
1:30 pm:
TMC workers clash with BJP workers inside a polling booth in Chopra, Darjeeling, break an EVM machine.
#LokSabhaElections2019 | Watch: #BJP and #TMC workers clashed inside a polling booth and broke the #EVM machine in #Chopra, #Darjeeling. Follow #LIVE updates here: https://t.co/qFpGcwZBJM pic.twitter.com/k7W5EoqJq1
— Firstpost (@firstpost) April 18, 2019
12:45 pm:
Stone-pelting incidents reported at polling station in Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Yesterday, two Army personnel, one CRPF jawan and one personal security officers were injured in pre-poll violence.
One ITBP jawan is injured in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon.
11:30 am:
Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy bats for dynasty, says it is because of dynasty that India has developed.
K’taka CM HD Kumaraswamy after casting his vote in Ramanagara: Dynasty politics isn’t an important issue now,country’s problems are the main issue.Only because of dynasty politics®ional politics,this country developed in several states.We’re not bothered abt criticism from BJP pic.twitter.com/twOgOyrHKk
— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2019
His son Nikhil Kumaraswamy and father former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda are both fighting the elections. Nikhil is contesting from Mandya while HD Deve Gowda is contesting from Tumakuru in Karnataka. Kumaraswamy’s brother and JDS leader HD Revanna’s son, Prajwal Revanna is also contesting from Hassan.
In West Bengal, security personnel had to resort to lathi charge after people blocked NH-34 to protest after they were prevented from voting in West Bengal’s Chopra.
WB: Security personnel lob tear gas shells and lathi charge locals as they block NH-34 in protest after unknown miscreants allegedly prevented them from casting their votes at Digirpar polling booth in Chopra, in Islampur subdivision of North Dinajpur. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/XukT8B8Aol
— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2019
Meanwhile, voters in Garhi herbal village of Sadabad, Uttar Pradesh boycott election due to lack of development in Hathras. Election Commission flying squad has seized Rs 11.85 Lakh cash in Sion area of Mumbai City district. Polling has temporarily halted at booth number 217 in Solapur’s Shastri Nagar due to a fault in EVM.
10:30 am:
BJP worker’s body found hanging from a tree in West Bengal’s Purulia. In February this year, a VHP leader who had gone to attend Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath’s rally had gone ‘missing’ under mysterious circumstances. Two BJP workers Trilochan Mahto and Dulal Kumar had also gone missing from the same Balrampur area last year and were found murdered later. While Mahato’s body was hanging from a tree, that of Kumar was hanging from a high tension electric pole.
Acts of savageness due to extreme animosity have become common in West Bengal under the TMC supremacy. BJP workers have in the past few months, succumbed to a string of brutal political murders and political rapes.
9:45 am:
Goons stop people from voting in North Dinajpur, women voters attacked in North Dinajpur’s Chopra. Locals who protested the violence said that the police were mute spectators and remained inactive. North Dinajpur is the place where Bangladeshi actor Ferdous Ahmed was invited by TMC for campaigning for their candidate. Following a notice issued by the MHA, Ahmed was sent back, his visa was cancelled and he has been blacklisted.
Mutilated body of a person believed to be BJP worker recovered from Agajhola village in Bhanjanagar. This is reportedly third such murder of a person related to the BJP in a week in Odisha.
And again… 3rd BJP-related person killed in Odisha this week!
This is the new Odisha. Urgent need for ECI to step in, take strict action on state administration, arrange for extra forces at booths ??? https://t.co/hpUzYue6V0
— Chowkidar Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) April 18, 2019
9:00 am:
Reports of incidents of violence are coming in from West Bengal. As reported by ABP Ananda, some people were not being allowed to vote. When ABP Ananda journalists went to see, they were beaten up by TMC goons. A reporter and cameraperson were reportedly thrashed.
— ABP Ananda (@abpanandatv) April 18, 2019
Reports of intimidating and threatening of voters in Darjeeling also pouring in.
8:15 am:
Polling is yet to begin at booth number 29/134 at Islampur Hindi FP School of Uttar Dinajpur, in Raiganj Parliamentary constituency, West Bengal as the EVM at the booth is not functioning.
Manipur Governor, Dr Najma Heptullah has cast her vote in an all women polling station.
Dr Najma Heptullah, Hon’ble Governor of Manipur, after casting her vote at 11/34 Sagolband Assembly Segment at an All Women Polling Station. #GotInked#GoVote #IndiaElections2019 #LokSabhaElections2019 @CeoManipur @DDNewsHindi@DDNewsLive pic.twitter.com/vxzPgVvwIM
— Election Commission #DeshKaMahatyohar (@ECISVEEP) April 18, 2019
The VVPAT which was not working properly in polling station no 200 in Silchar, Assam earlier today is working fine now.
In Bihar, voter turnout in 5 constituencies is 5.73% till 8 am.
8:00 am:
Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami has cast his vote. Congress candidate BN Chandrappa sought his blessings from a cow before casting his vote in Tamil Nadu.
WATCH: Sitting MP and #Congress candidate for Chitradurga #BNChandrappa sought blessings from a cow before casting his vote in #TamilNadu.
Input by Lakshmi Bavge/101Reporters
Follow LIVE updates on the #LokSabhaElections in the South here: https://t.co/asM21wgXxE pic.twitter.com/Ojf7gfsuI2
— Firstpost (@firstpost) April 18, 2019
7:45 am:
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has just cast her vote in Bengaluru South constituency.
Son of former Union Minister P. Chidambaram and Congress leader Karti Chidambaram has cast his vote in Sivaganga.
Tamil Nadu: Nalini Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram and his wife Srinidi Rangarajan casts their vote at a polling station in Karaikudi, Sivaganga. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/2C5hLVUsPb
— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2019
Income Tax Commissioner S. K. Srivastava had written to the Election Commission against Karti and his father P. Chidambaram for allegedly using black money to bribe voters. Labelling the DEO and RO as partisan and compromised, Srivastava has said that the officer has ignored that Karti Chidambaram has concealed that fact he is out on bail in many cases including cases relating to undeclared properties and assets. The I-T officer wrote that P Chidambaram has compromised the electoral process completely.
7:30 am:
Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde has cast his vote in Solapur, Actor Rajinikanth has voted in Stella Maris College, Chennai Central and Congress leader P. Chidambaram has cast his vote in Sivaganga.
Odisha state assembly elections also being held simultaneously. 35 out of 244 seats in Odisha Assembly will be in the fray today.
