Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Highlights: 60.03% voter turnout in biggest phase amid sporadic incidents of violence

The live blog session has concluded. For more news, views and updates, stay tuned with Moneycontrol.com.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Tribals Andaman And Nicobar Islands

Today in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, voters from the Shompen tribe, one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), cast their first vote. Within the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, the Shompen people inhabit the lush tropical woods of Great Nicobar Island, creating a distinct tribal group.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: CM Pushkar Singh confident of BJP's victory in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "BJP will win all 5 seats in Uttarakhand. INDI alliance's 'nafrat ki dukaan' is going to shut."

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Mahua Moitra files nomination

Mahua Moitra, a candidate for the Lok Sabha from Krishnanagar, submitted her nomination today.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Tripura records 79.9% voter turnout in the 1st phase of LS polls

Tripura witnessed 79.90% of eligible voter turnout until 7 pm in the first round of the Lok Sabha elections, which took place across 21 States and UTs, according to ECI.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Madhya Pradesh witnesses around 63% voter turnout in first phase for 6 LS Seats

Over 63% voter turnout was recorded in six Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, including the well-known Chhindwara constituency, according to an official.

The official also said that Chhindwara had the greatest turnout, at 73.85%, followed by Balaghat at 71.08%, Mandla at 68.96%, Shahdol at 60.40%, Jabalpur at 56.74%, and Sidhi at 51.56%.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Uttar Pradesh records around 67.5​% voter turnout in first phase

Eight Lok Sabha constituencies witnessed peaceful first-phase elections today. Voting was open at most locations from 7 am to 6 pm, but it was still open at other sites. As per the data gathered up till 5 pm, the average voting percentage in Uttar Pradesh stands at 67.54%.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Overall voter turnout for 1st phase of Lok Sabha polls was 60.03%, says EC

The Election Commission said that aggregate voter turnout at 7 pm was 60.03 per cent in phase one of Lok Sabha polls.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Bihar records approx. 48.23 voter turnout till 6 pm in first phase

"Four constituencies went to polls in the first phase - Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada and Jamui. Voting was held in 7,903 polling centres. Till 6 pm, approximately 48.23 per cent average voter turnout was recorded in the four constituencies. Polling is underway at some polling centres. This is 5 per cent less than the voter turnout recorded in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," said Bihar Chief Election Officer HR Srinivasa while addressing a press conference.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: CRPF man killed, officer hurt in Naxal-hit Bastar

In Chhattisgarh's Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which is devastated by the Naxal attacks, there was a 63 per cent voter turnout until 5 pm today. An officer was injured in an IED blast, and a CRPF constable died after a grenade went off by accident, according to officials.

In the first round of the elections, polling in the Bastar seat began at 7 am and was conducted under strict security at various times.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Music composer AR Rahman casts vote in Chennai
Oscar awardee and music composer AR Rahman cast his vote this evening in the first phase. "I am curious to know what the result is, but let’s hope it is for the best. Let’s hope it is for the people, for the benefit of the people,” said the singer.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Andaman and Nicobar sees 56.8% voter turnout till 5 pm for lone LS seat
As per an official, until 5 pm, an estimated 56.87 percent of the total 3,15,148 voters in Andaman and Nicobar Islands had cast their votes for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the Union territory. Voting is scheduled to continue until 7 pm.
In total, there are 12 candidates vying for the seat, including two women and five independents. The primary contest is between BJP's Bishnu Pada Ray and Congress' Kuldeep Rai Sharma, the incumbent MP. The Andaman Nicobar Islands parliamentary constituency encompasses three districts and nine tehsils.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Uttarakhand sees over 53% voter turnout as Phase 1 wraps up
Officials in Uttarakhand reported that until 5 pm, more than 53 percent of the voters had cast their votes in the five Lok Sabha constituencies. There are a total of 55 candidates contesting, and over 83 lakh individuals are eligible to vote in the hill state, which is holding elections in a single phase.
Polling commenced at 7 am, and by 5 pm, the overall voter turnout across the five constituencies reached 53.56 percent, when polling concluded. Officials mentioned that individuals already queuing up would be permitted to cast their votes.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Arunachal Pradesh's Malogam sees 100% turnout as single female voter casts vote
Officials reported that the Malogam polling station in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh achieved a 100 percent voter turnout, with the single female voter exercising her constitutional right today.
Sokela Tayang, aged 44, cast her vote around 1 pm, according to a district official. To facilitate her voting, a team of polling officials embarked on a nearly 40 km trek on foot through challenging terrain, ultimately setting up a voting booth in the remote polling station.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Maharashtra records around 55% voter turnout in first phase for 5 LS seats
Till 5 pm today, an official reported a voter turnout of 54.85 per cent in the first phase across five Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
The breakdown of turnout percentages in each constituency by 5 pm is as follows: Gadchiroli-Chimur recorded 64.95 per cent, Bhandara-Gondia stood at 56.87 per cent, Chandrapur at 55.11 per cent, Nagpur at 47.91 per cent, and Ramtek at 52.38 per cent.
In total, 97 candidates are vying for these seats, including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. These constituencies, namely Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Bhandara-Gondia, Chandrapur, and the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) are all situated in the easternmost regions of the state.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Himanta expresses confidence about winning Guwahati by a margin of over 5 lakh votes

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, expressed confidence that the BJP will win the seat by more than five lakh votes as Bijuli Kalita Medhi, the party's candidate for the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat, registered her candidature on Friday.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Assam sees nearly 71% voter turnout in Round 1
Poll officials have reported that until 5 pm, a total of 70.77 percent of the over 86.47 lakh voters across five Lok Sabha seats in Assam had cast their votes. It's anticipated that the turnout will rise further as individuals who were in queues by 5 pm will be permitted to vote. Among these constituencies, Jorhat witnessed the highest turnout at 76.20 percent, followed by Dibrugarh (70.65 percent), Sonitpur (69.84 percent), Kaziranga (68.90 percent), and Lakhimpur (68.34 percent).

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Bengal records highest voter turnout in Phase 1

As of 5 pm, West Bengal had the highest voter turnout of any State or Union Territory participating in today's first phase of Lok Sabha elections, with 77.57 percent. In the first phase, three Lok Sabha constituencies of Bengal - Alipurduars, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri - went into polls.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: BJP's Cooch Behar candidate accuses TMC for causing ruckus in polling booths, scaring away women

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Cooch Behar, Nisith Pramanik, at the polling booth in Dineshwari primary School in Cooch Behar complained today during an interaction with the press, "I've received reports indicating that a large group of individuals, belonging to the TMC, arrived at the polling booth on over 100 motorcycles, engaging in vandalism and assaulting individuals present. What actions can the Security Forces take when confronted with such a scenario?"

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Six Nagaland Districts Saw No Voter Turnout Following Shutdown Order

In six eastern districts of Nagaland, poll workers waited in booths for nine hours, but after a shutdown call issued by an outfit demanding "Frontier Nagaland Territory" (FNT), none of the four lakh voters in the region cast their votes, stated PTI.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Nearly 60% polling till 5 pm in phase one of Lok Sabha polls

A voter turnout of nearly 60% was recorded till 5 pm across the 21 states and union territories who went to vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Voting for INDIA bloc is like wasting one's vote, says PM Modi

Country has decided to vote for strong, decisive government; voting for INDIA bloc is like wasting one's vote, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Union minister and BJP candidate from Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency Nisith Pramanik casts his vote

Union minister and BJP candidate from Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency Nisith Pramanik casts his vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

TMC has fielded Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia and Congress has fielded Piya Roy Chowdhury from Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Before 2014, there was disappointment everywhere, says PM Modi

Addressing a public meeting in Wardha, Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Before 2014 there was a perception that nothing good can happen in the country. There was disappointment everywhere. Villagers thought that water, roads, and electricity could never reach their village. 'Jisko kisi ne nahi poocha, usko gareeb ke iss bete ne puja hai'."

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Chandrababu Naidu, Andhra Pradesh BJP chief Purandeswari file nominations

TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeswari filed their nominations for the forthcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections respectively in the state on Friday.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: One civilian injured following firing and clash in Manipur

There was firing and clash by unidentified miscreants at a polling booth in Moirangkampu Sajeb Awang Leikai of Imphal during voting in Lok Sabha elections today. One civilian was injured in the incident.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Vehicle carrying EVM sinks in Assam river

An SUV carrying an electronic voting machine partially sank into a river after water level rose suddenly washing away a mechanised boat that was ferrying the vehicle in Assam's Lakhimpur constituency on Friday, officials said.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Shivraj Singh Chouhan files nomination

Former Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP candidate from Vidisha, Shivraj Singh Chouhan filed his nomination earlier today.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi files nomination

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader and candidate from Hyderabad constituency Asaduddin Owaisi filed nomination for Lok Sabha elections.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Sikkim registers 52.73 per cent polling till 3 pm

Over 50 per cent of the 4.64 lakh voters in Sikkim have exercised their franchise in the 32 Assembly seats and in the lone Lok Sabha constituency till 3 pm on Friday, an official said.

Voting for the 32 Assembly constituencies and in the lone Lok sabha seat in the Himalayan state began at 7 am and will end at 5 pm.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Tripura records highest voter turnout at 68.35%

Tripura recorded 68.35% voter turnout till 3 pm, the highest amongst the state/union territories voting in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls today.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Doppelganger of Shah Rukh Khan campaigns for Congress candidate

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's doppelganger campaigned for Congress candidate Praniti Shinde at Solapur.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Police plan to step up security, border surveillance in Delhi-NCR

On Friday, an inter-state coordination meeting of police chiefs was held to discuss security arrangements and border surveillance in view of the Lok Sabha elections in the national capital.

The meeting was led by Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Delhi, Madhup Tewari with police chiefs of neighbouring districts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to discuss the issues for the general assembly elections.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi casts his vote

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and his wife cast their votes in the first phase of polling in UP's Rampur.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Polling stopped in 5 booths in Manipur

Polling has been stopped in a total of five booths -- two in East Imphal and three in West Imphal after a ruckus broke out when people alleged irregularities, news agency ANI reported citing polling officer.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Northeastern states record high voter turnout

Voter turnout saw an increase across states, with North Eastern state of Tripura leading the charts at 53.04% till 1 pm, according to the data by Election Commission of India.

Other Northeastern states such as Meghalaya (48.91%) and Manipur (46.92) are also witnessing high voter turnout percentages.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Over 50% votes cast till 1 pm in West Bengal's 3 Lok Sabha seats

A voter turnout of 50.96 percent was recorded till 1 pm in the three Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal where elections were underway in the first phase on Friday, officials said. Polling started at 7 am in Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduars seats, where a total of 56.26 lakh people are eligible to vote.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Live: Congress' Manickam Tagore casts vote in Thirunagar

Congress MP and Virudhunagar constituency candidate Manickam Tagore cast his vote this afternoon in Thirunagar, Madurai.
Actor-turned-politician Raadhika Sarathkumar has been fielded by the BJP, while Vijaya Prabhakaran from the DMDK has been fielded from the Virudhunagar Assembly constituency.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Assam reports minor EVM glitches

Assam reported EVM malfunctioning at three polling booths of Bihpuria in Lakhimpur, one each in Hojai, Kaliabor, and Bokakhat, and one in Naharkatia of Dibrugarh, an official said.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Lakshadweep records lowest voter turnout till 1 pm

Lakshadweep records the lowest - 29.91 percent Tripura records the highest - 53.04 percent of polling till 1 pm, according to the EC.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Madhya Pradesh mayor urges voters to back Congress after joining BJP

Chhindwara mayor Vikram Ahake, who recently joined the BJP, urged people to vote for Congress' Nakul Nath. "Soon after joining a political party, I was feeling suffocated. I felt that I was not doing the right thing with a person who has developed Chhindwara," Ahake said in a video message shared on social media.

"I appeal to the voters to ensure the victory of Nakul Nath (and his father Kamal Nath) with a huge margin," he said in the video message.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Congress leader Sachin Pilot casts vote in Jaipur

Congress leader Sachin Pilot cast his vote at a polling station in Jaipur today.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Tripura sees 53.04% voter turnout till 1 pm

A voter turnout of 53.04% was recorder in Tripura till 1 pm in phase one of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Friday.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: About 25% polling recorded in Uttarakhand in first 4 hours

In the first fours hours of voting for the Lok Sabha election in Uttarakhand on Friday, about 25 per cent polling was recorded.

Fifty-five candidates are in the fray for the five Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. Election officials said polling began at 7 am and by 11 am, 24.83 per cent of voters cast their votes.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Violence reported in Inner Manipur constituency

At a polling place under the Moirang assembly segment in Thamanpokpi, there was a shooting incident by miscreants. Authorities increased security measures in the region after reports of three injuries. Additionally, there have been reports of vandalism at a voting place in the Imphal East district under the Thongju Assembly seat.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Next 5 years will be about laying the foundation for building a Viksit Bharat, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that in this election, the whole country is excited to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the third time with 400 'paar'.

"Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the country has gained glory in the entire world...The 10 years that the people of the country gave were spent in filling the holes made by the UPA government and these next 5 years to be the years of laying the foundation for building a Viksit Bharat," he said.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Senior BJP leader and former Minister Malikayya Guttedar joins Congress

Former Minister and BJP leader Malikayya Guttedar on Friday joined the Congress.

The six-time MLA from Afzalpur in Kalaburagi district has been upset with the induction of his brother Nithin Guttedar into the BJP.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: INDIA bloc candidate writes to EC alleging booth capturing by BJP agents

Harendra Singh Malik, Muzaffarnagar INDIA bloc candidate, wrote to the Election Commission alleging booth capturing by BJP agents in Kutba village (the home place of BJP leader Sanjeev Balyan) and requesting deployment of paramilitary forces.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat

Union Home Minister Amit Shah filed his nomination from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat on April 19 in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Congress has fielded its party secretary Sonal Patel from Gandhinagar.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: CRPF assistant commandant injured in IED blast in Chhattisgarh

An assistant commandant of CRPF got injured in an IED blast while on election duty near Chihka village of Bhairamgarh. Injured assistant commandant was brought to Bhairamgarh hospital for treatment, said Bijapur Police.