As it happened: Seventh phase polling of Lok Sabha elections 2019

Polling concludes: Election Commission

Election Commission: Polling has concluded in 542 parliamentary constituencies across states and union territories.

Total voter turnout till 5.30 pm: 60.27%

Bihar - 51.61%

Himachal Pradesh - 65.30%

Madhya Pradesh - 69.38%

Punjab - 58.80%

Uttar Pradesh - 53.76%

West Bengal - 73.05%

Jharkhand - 70.54%

Chandigarh - 63.57%

West Bengal: BJP alleges violent incidents

BJP writes to Chief Electoral Officer West Bengal, alleging violent incidents in 9 parliamentary constituencies of the state. Letter states, "We have filed 417 complaints to ECI, out of which 227 were resolved, a whooping number of 190 complaints are unresolved".

Total voter turnout till 5 pm: 54.42%

Bihar - 49.29%

Himachal Pradesh - 57.63%

Madhya Pradesh - 60.66%

Punjab - 52.34%

Uttar Pradesh - 48.36%

West Bengal - 66.36%

Jharkhand - 66.64%

Chandigarh - 51.18%

CPI-M alleges widespread rigging in West Bengal. 

India's first voter exercised franchise again

102-yr old Shyam Saran Negi, first voter of Independent India, cast his vote for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 in Kalpa, Kinnaur earlier today. 

He was welcomed by officials with traditional folk music. He had cast the first vote in the 1951 general elections. Himachal Pradesh

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after casting her vote for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 at a polling station in Kolkata.

Spurts of violence in Uttar Pradesh

Violence erupted in Chandauli Lok Sabha constituency of Uttar Pradesh where state Bharatiya Janata Party chief Mahendra Nath Pandey is seeking re-election, when supporters of the saffron party and the Samajwadi Party clashed.

A report from Chandauli said the fingers of Dalits had been inked before they could actually cast their vote in Tara Jivanpur village under Alinagar police station.

Two election officials deputed at different polling booths in Gorakhpur and Bansgaon constituencies died of sudden illness, officials said.

Polling is underway in Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Robertsganj (SC).
Union minister Manoj Sinha is seeking re-election from Ghazipur.
 

Total voter turnout till 4 pm: 52.89%

Bihar - 46.66%

Himachal Pradesh - 56.52%

Madhya Pradesh - 59.38%

Punjab - 48.74%

Uttar Pradesh - 46.58%

West Bengal - 63.66%

Jharkhand - 64.81%

Chandigarh - 51.18%

Tension in Bihar 

Police official on polling duty allegedly attacked for stopping bogus voting at polling booth 49 in Arrah. ADM says, "We received info of stone pelting but there has been no disturbance in voting, some people might have tried to create trouble, they've been chased out".

Sourav Ganguly votes

Kolkata: Former Indian cricket team Captain Sourav Ganguly cast his vote at a polling booth in Barisha Janakalyan Vidyapith earlier today.

BJP candidate for Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, Nilanjan Roy's car vandalised in Dongaria area of the constituency on Sunday. 

West Bengal: TMC alleges interference by central forces

The Trinamool Congress Sunday alleged that the central forces were "brutally torturing" and "intimidating" voters in West Bengal and acting as per orders of BJP leaders.

In a statement, Trinamool Congress lawmaker Derek O' Brien said, Bengal wants peaceful polling, which BJP doesn't.

Total voter turnout till 3 pm: 47.49%

Bihar - 42.72%

Himachal Pradesh - 46.84%

Madhya Pradesh - 50.98%

Punjab - 44.74%

Uttar Pradesh - 44.02%

West Bengal - 54.86%

Jharkhand - 60.56%

Chandigarh - 37.50%

Clashes in Patna, Bihar

Patna, Bihar: Polling was stopped at booth number 101 & 102 in Sarkuna village of Paliganj after a clash broke out between two groups.

Conjoined sisters vote as separate individuals

Conjoined sisters Saba and Farah cast their votes as separate individuals with independent voting rights for the first time.

Total voter turnout till 2:30 pm: 44.59%

Bihar-36.20%
Himachal Pradesh- 44%
Madhya Pradesh-46%
Punjab-38%
Uttar Pradesh-37%
West Bengal- 50%
Jharkhand-53%
Chandigarh-38%

Villagers boycott polls, smash EVM in Nalanda

Shouting "no road, no vote", a group of villagers in Bihar`s Nalanda district on Sunday boycotted polling and smashed an electronic voting machine (EVM).

They also damaged the vehicle of a block development officer (BDO).

The group was protesting against alleged lack of proper road connectivity and development.

Meanwhile, a scuffle ensued between two groups after someone went ahead and cast his ballot at booth number 299 in Chandora village of Rajgir block of Nalanda district. Security personnel posted at the polling station were also chased away by the group of protesting villagers 

Video: Tej Pratap Yadav's personal security guards beat up a journalist in Patna

Speaking to media Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son said, “My bouncers have not done anything. I was leaving after casting my vote when a photographer hit the windscreen of my car. I have filed an FIR in the incident. A conspiracy is being hatched to kill me.”

Total voter turnout till 12:30 PM

Violence mars voting in West Bengal

Voter turnout till 10:30 AM

Total voter turnout till 10 am: 11.59%

Bihar-10.65%
Himachal Pradesh- 11%
Madhya Pradesh-13.20%
Punjab-10%
Uttar Pradesh-10%
West Bengal- 14.33%
Jharkhand-15%
Chandigarh-10.40%

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya casts his vote at polling booth number 316 in Indore.

Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad cast his vote at a polling booth in Patna Women's College.

Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad

(Graphics courtesy: PIB)

Prime Minister Modi urges people to vote in record numbers

EVM glitches recorded in Patna Sahib

EVM malfunction reported at booth no.6 in Pant Nagar of Patna Sahib, Bihar, reports ANI.

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh waits in queue to cast his vote at a polling booth in Jalandhar's Garhi village. (ANI Photo)

"Elections should not be held over such a long duration, there was a long gap between each phase of voting. I will write to leaders of all parties to build a consensus on this," said Nitish Kumar.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath exercises his franchise at polling booth no 246 in Gorakhpur. (ANI Photo)
 

Voting begins in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)

Key contestants: Narendra Modi (BJP), Ajay Rai (Congress) and Shalini Yadav (SP)

Main factors and issues: Modi is banking on his development agenda, not only in Varanasi but across the country, as also on his image as a strong leader. The BJP left no stone unturned to ensure a big victory for him, something which Modi had achieved in 2014 when he defeated Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by over 3.7 lakh votes. 

These 59 constituencies will vote from 7 am to 6 pm in most states except in Jharkhand and parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where voting will end early at 4 pm.

All votes polled in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election will be counted on 23 May.

All parliamentary constituencies in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, along with the Union Territory of Chandigarh, will vote in the final phase of the polls.

In Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, voting will take place in a few Lok Sabha constituencies. The Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to be re-elected, is one of the key seats that will vote in Phase 7.

In 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 30 of the 59 seats going to the polls.

Over 10.17 crore voters across seven states and one Union Territory will decide the fate of 918 candidates.

PM Modi among 918 candidates

PM Modi among 918 candidates whose fate to be decided in the final phase of polling today

The fate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with 917 other candidates will be decided today, the last phase of seven-phased Lok Sabha polls.

According to Election Commission of India (ECI), over 10.01 lakh voters will decide the fate of 918 candidates. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.