Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: 'First phase, great response!' PM Modi thanks voters

Members of Shompen tribe, part of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), cast votes for the first time in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. 

PM Modi writes on X: "First phase, great response! Thank you to all those who have voted today."

"Getting EXCELLENT feedback from today’s voting. It’s clear that people across India are voting for NDA in record numbers."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said "bumper voting" took place in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections today and claimed that "Modi, Modi" chants were heard outside polling booths, reported news agency PTI.

On the first phase of voting, Chief Electoral Officer of Andaman and Nicobar Islands BS Jaglan said, "...56.87% voting took place till 5 pm. 64.93% voting took place in North and Central Andaman, 52.75% in South Andaman, 66.67% in Nicobar. Overall 56.87% voting took place till 5 pm...People voted peacefully with great enthusiasm..." 

On violence erupted at a booth in the Khurai assembly area of Imphal East region, Manipur, Presiding Officer Vimal Chandra says, "This happened around 2:40 PM. There may be some proxy voting and that's why it happened...It (violence) was from the public side, they want re-poll. Approximately 60% of votes are polled and we have closed it now. Security was alright early in the morning but since the violence erupted, it feels very risky. No one is injured, only some VVPAT units are damaged."

Lowest voter turnout was 46.32 in in Bihar and highest was in West Bengal with 77.57 till 5 PM. Here's the list: 

Andaman- 56.87
Arunachal- 63.92
Assam- 70.77
Bihar- 46.32
Chhattisgarh- 63.41
J&K- 65.08
Lakshadweep- 59.02
MP- 63.25
Maharashtra- 54.85
Manipur- 68.43
Meghalaya- 69.91
Mizoram- 52.91
Nagaland- 55.97
Puducherry- 72.84
Rajasthan- 50.27
Sikkim- 68.06
TN- 62.08
Tripura- 76.1
UP- 57.54
Uttarakhand- 53.56
WB- 77.57

BJP candidate from Cooch Behar Nisith Pramanik on allegations of giving freebies in exchange for votes said, “Giving Rs 100 or 1,000 does not mean that people have been bought. The money given by Mamata Banerjee is of taxpayers and not her personal. Trinamool Congress has applied the Sandeshkhali model to the entire Bengal .”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wardha, Maharashtra said, "The thinking of Congress and INDI alliance has been anti-national and anti-farmer, that is why the condition of farmers in the country remained bad for decades...Stones were laid in the name of the family, generations passed but the work was not completed..."

AIMIM President & candidate from Hyderabad constituency, Asaduddin Owaisi files nomination for Lok Sabha elections. 

There was a firing and clash by unidentified miscreants at a polling booth in Moirangkampu Sajeb Awang Leikai of Imphal during voting in Lok Sabha elections today; 1 civilian was injured in the incident, media reports said. 

51.41 percent voter turnout recorded in Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha elections and 45.43% in Vilavankode Assembly by-election till 3pm. 

Voting concludes in Imphal East in Manipur for Lok Sabha elections. EVMs, and VVPATs machines are being sealed. The timing for casting vote in Manipur was from 7 am to 4 pm.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed an election rally in UP's Gautam Budh Nagar, said, "I want to tell the youth that the day the INDIA alliance comes to power, we will scrap the Agniveer scheme..."

Tripura records 68.35 percent voter turnout till 3 pm, the highest amongst the State/UTs voting in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls today. 
 

Around 43 per cent polling recorded till 1 pm in Udhampur Lok Sabha seat despite incessant rains. 

He talked about BrahMos missile, stating, "Now we are also exporting BrahMos missile. The first batch of this missile is going to the Philippines today. I congratulate all the countrymen on this." 

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The first phase of voting on Friday (Apr 19) for the Lok Sabha Election 2024 was marred by political violence in the Indian state of West Bengal. 

Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri seats went to polls in Phase 1 of the general election, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) party workers accusing each other of hurting poll agents. 

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PM PM Narendra Modi addressed a public rally in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh. He said, "Aaj desh mein vo BJP sarkar hai jo na kisi se dabti hai aur na hi kisi ke saamne jhukti hain'. Our principle is nation first."

"India should get cheap oil, hence we took the decision in the interest of the country. Today, the condition of many countries in the world is very bad, many countries are going bankrupt," he added. 

Up till 1:00 pm, West Bengal and Tripura had the highest voter turnout in the first round of voting. Voter turnout in West Bengal was 50.96 per cent, whilst it was 53.06 per cent in Tripura.

BJP national president J P Nadda said that Rahul Gandhi is a believer of dynastic rule. The prominent BJP leader added that Gandhi was using "vote bank politics" and the tactics of "divide and rule" throughout the nation. Speaking at a roadshow held in the hill constituency's Sulthan Bathery, Nadda said, "He represents dynastic rule and engages in vote bank politics."

Churu, one of the most hotly contested seats during the first phase of polling, had its BJP Lok Sabha candidate cast his vote at 11:00 AM (IST).

WION profiled Churu in Battle of the Bastions, a special series on political strongholds of India's most noted and voted politicians.

Read here...

A group of unidentified persons fired several rounds near a polling station at Thamanpokpi in the Moirang Assembly segment of Manipur state on Friday (April 19). No casualties were reported.

Jyoti Amge, the world's smallest woman, cast her vote in the Lok Sabha elections at a polling booth in Nagpur. Standing at a height of 2 ft 3⁄4 inches, Amge was declared the world's shortest woman in 2011 by the Guinness World Records. 

Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb cast his vote at a polling station in Agartala. Deb is the BJP's candidate from the Tripura West constituency. 

Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who is the BJP candidate from the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, cast his vote here after polling began in the first phase of the parliamentary elections.

Gadkari, who is seeking his third term, arrived at the polling booth at Town Hall in the Mahal area with his wife, two sons and daughters-in-law.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, the minister expressed confidence that he would win by a huge margin.

Calling the elections the biggest festival of democracy, he said, "I hope the people in the country will use their right to vote, which is their responsibility as well."

Gadkari said that last time, the voter turnout was 54 per cent and that he hoped it would go up to 75 per cent this time.

"I will certainly win the elections by a huge margin."

The Indian general election finally began on Friday (April 19). In Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the voting started on 102 constituencies across 21 states and union territories. Today, the voting is taking place in Tamil Nadu, and several renowned stars of South Indian cinema stepped out to cast their votes. 

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The Congress party flagging issues such as "neglect" of sugarcane farmers and examination paper leaks claimed that a "silent undercurrent" is brewing across western Uttar Pradesh due to the "failures" of the Modi government.

Slamming BJP-led central government ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll rally in Amroha, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said: "Today's questions for the PM as he heads to UP: Why has the BJP neglected UP's sugarcane farmers? Rs 20,000 crores later, why is the Ganga still India's most polluted river? Is the Modi Sarkar doing anything to prevent paper leaks?"

Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", Ramesh said Uttar Pradesh is India's largest sugarcane producer and yet, the BJP government has "neglected" farmers' calls to increase the price of sugarcane.

"Prices stand at just Rs.360/quintal in UP, much lower than Rs.386/quintal in Punjab and Rs.391/quintal in Haryana. Price hikes have also failed to keep pace with inflation and farmers are now struggling due to the rising cost of fertiliser and pesticides," he said. 

Ramesh also claimed that area under cultivation has come down by almost 4000 hectares in the last three years, even as amidst sugarcane shortages, mills are struggling to pay sugarcane farmers on time.

"This vicious cycle is threatening the livelihoods of sugarcane farmers and mill workers but the BJP government is nowhere to be seen. What is the double Anyay BJP government doing to support sugarcane farmers and mill workers in UP?" he said in a post on X.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma cast his vote at Walbakgre polling station in Tura. After exercising his right to vote, Sangma said that he reached the polling station with hope of casting his vote early but was surprised to find people lined up already.

Meanwhile, the candidate for the ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Tura Lok Sabha seat, Agatha Sangma also cast her vote in the morning.

"Generally, in parliamentary elections, we see less voter turnout in comparison to the Assembly polls. But this time, people have been coming out in large numbers to exercise their voting rights, which is a good sign," she said.

"It is really encouraging to see women coming out to vote in large numbers in the early morning also. It takes a lot of effort for women to line up in the polling stations early in the morning. However, their attendance in good numbers is a positive sign for democracy."

Google has unveiled a new Doodle to commemorate the start of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which began today.

On the search engine's homepage, the usual "Google" logo is temporarily replaced by a unique Google Doodle, featuring an uplifted index finger prominently marked with indelible ink. This visual representation aims to capture the essence and significance of the world's largest democratic elections.

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally on the voting day of the first phase of the 2024 general election, Samajwadi Party leader ST Hasan has stated "The election commission should take cognizance of the matter."

"I believe that this is not justified for free and fair elections," said Hasan in a conversation with ANI.

Modi will hold public rallies in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha, Damoh in Madhya Pradesh and Wardha in Maharashtra on Friday (April 19) as across India 102 constituencies go to elections.

Appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise to save democracy, Hasan said: "This is the festival of democracy in which people cast their vote. Casting votes is required to save democracy and the Constitution. The kind of 'jumle' they (BJP) provide and messages they deliver to fool people."

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR  8.64%
ARUNACHAL PRADESH  5.87%
ASSAM 11.15%
BIHAR 9.23%
CHHATISGARH 12.02%
J&K 10.43
LAKSHADWEEP 5.59%
MADHYA PRADESH  14.77%
MAHARASHTRA 6.98%
MANIPUR 10.57%
MIZORAM 10.84%
NAGALAND 9.66%
PUDUCHERRY 8.78%
RAJASTHAN 10.67%
SIKKIM 7.92%
TAMIL ANDU *8.21%
TRIPURA 14.71%
UTTAR PRADESH 12.66%
UTTARAKHAND 10.54%
WEST BENGAL 15.09%

Tamil Nadu witnessed a voter turnout of 12.55 per cent till 9 am in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls 2024.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered prayers at the Purnagiri temple in Khatima before reaching the constituency to cast his vote. All five Parliamentary constituencies of the state are going to polls today.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin casts his vote in Chennai early morning. "I am proud to cast my vote. All voters should vote," said CM Stalin. 

In this first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma cast his vote.

After casting his vote, CM Bhajanlal Sharma said, "There is great enthusiasm...I would like to appeal to you today that this is a festival of democracy - do cast your vote. Your votes will strengthen our democracy, our country...I would like to tell you that Rajasthan will repeat the history of 2014 and 2019 - I am confident."

 Madhya Pradesh former Chief Minister and Congress leader Kamal Nath showed his inked finger after he cast his vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. His son and Congress leader Nakul Nath is contesting elections from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat

Actor Rajnikanth arrived at a polling booth in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and cast his vote. 

The elections are being in the Udhampur constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, five years after the abrogation of Article 370. People are casting their votes in 2,637 polling stations across the constituency even though it's raining. This phase will decide the future of 12 candidates in J&K which includes Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

As the voting in Lok Sabha elections commenced, Congress leader & former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath said, "I have full faith in the people of Chhindwara. I have full hope that they will stand by the truth." 

Congress leader and Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath is contesting the polls from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat.

India's Home Minister Amit Shah taking to X, wrote, "It is an important day today, as the first phase of voting is taking place in the country. I appeal to all the voters who are voting in this phase to vote in large numbers because every vote of yours has the power to create a secure, developed, and self-reliant India. Your vote is not only meant to determine the fate of a Lok Sabha or a candidate but also to shape a bright future for India..."

BJP's candidate Tamilisai Soundarajan in South Chennai arrived at a polling booth in Saligramam, Chennai and casts her vote.

Congress leader P Chidambaram reached a polling booth in Sivaganga and casts his vote. After casting his vote, Congress leader said, "I am very happy and proud that I have been able to cast my vote in the Lok Sabha elections. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, I am absolutely confident that the INDIA group will win all 39 Parliamentary seats."

On the day of the commencement of Lok Sabha elections 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed the people to cast their vote.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, "The 2024 Lok Sabha elections commence today! As 102 seats across 21 States and UTs go to the polls, I urge all those voting in these seats to exercise their franchise in record numbers. I particularly call upon the young and first time voters to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!"

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat displayed his inked finger after casting his vote in the first phase of elections in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

After casting his vote, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said, "Voting is our duty, our right. There should be 100% polling. I have cast my vote."

Voting for Assembly Elections in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim began on April 10. The polling is being held simultaneously with Lok Sabha Elections 2024's first phase. All 32 Assembly seats in Sikkim and 60 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh are going to polls today.

The voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections began on April 19. In the first phase, elections will held in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories.

Tripura: Dr Vishal Kumar, West Tripura Election Officer's message. He said, "Polling parties have reached the polling stations. Webcasting facilities have been set up in all the polling stations, along with that, micro-observer will also be present. 35 companies of CAPF are doing night patrolling at different parts of the district." 

District Election Officer of Hyderabad issued a notice. It read, "Since Jan 2023, as regards deletion of dead, duplicate and shifted voters, in Hyderabad district’s 15 Assembly constituencies, a total of 47,141 dead voters; 4,39,801 shifted voters and 54,259 duplicate voters have been removed from the electoral roll."

"That is to say, a total of 5,41,201 voters were removed from the electoral rolls duly following the instructions of ECI," it added. 

Polling officials cross a river by foot to reach Nengsra polling station, located 40 kilometres away from Baghmara Headquarters in the South Garo Hills district. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday fielded Union minister Narayan Rane from the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency in coastal Maharashtra. Rane is pitted against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Vinayak Raut, who is the sitting Lok Sabha member from this constituency.

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With over 968.6 million people eligible to cast their votes this Lok Sabha elections, many have a common query about how to vote if one is residing away from their registered voting constituency. 

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday (Apr 18) informed the Supreme Court that claims and reports of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) malfunctioning were fake. Some media outlets carried unverified reports that EVM had registered extra votes in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a mock poll in Kerala's Kasaragod. 

While presenting his side, senior deputy election commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, "These news reports are false." 

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At a time when every vote carries the weight of change, there will be many who will be casting their ballot into the voting booth for the first time. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier asked everyone to celebrate the elections as a festival.

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The first phase of voting will take place on Friday (April 19). The voting will take place in 102 constituencies across 21 states and union territories. Voters in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will also elect their representatives for the state assemblies. The voting will start at 7:00am (IST) and will end at 6:00 pm (IST).