Lok Sabha Election 2024: Phase 1 Voter Turnout Across 102 Seats At 60%; Tripura, Bengal Highest

Tentative figure of voter turnout across 21 States/UTs reported is over 60% at 7 PM, the Election Commission said. The voting percentage is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained as polling is scheduled till 6 PM in many constituencies. Final figures will be known on Saturday.

In a seven phase Lok Sabha elections 2024, 102 parliamentary constituencies across 21 States/UTs went to polls today. States including Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep completed their voting process.

Tamil Nadu records 72.1% voter turnout, said CEO Satyabrata Sahoo. The state's 39 Lok Sabha constituencies voted in a single phase on Friday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said voting was conducted peacefully and complaints of malfunctioning EVMs were received from various political parties and candidates.

"All the complaints were promptly sent to the districts... There was no incident of violence anywhere, there was a minor scuffle between two parties outside a booth, but prompt action was taken by the police there," he said, reported ANI.

"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 music composer AR Rahman after casting his vote in Chennai, reported PTI.

Polling for the 2024 general election ended at 6 pm on Friday in all the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu with the state recording a provisional voter turnout of 63.2%. The final data on polling recorded in the state from 7 am till 6 pm is expected to be updated by officials soon.

PM Modi addressed a rally in Wardha, Maharashtra on Friday. The constituency will head to polls in the next phase on April 26.

The total turnout for elections to 102 Lok Sabha seats as of 5.00 PM stands at 60%. In the first phase of polling, 21 states and union territories are holding elections across different seats.

Tripura and West Bengal continued to log the highest voter turnout among states as of 5.00 PM, as per Election Commission data. Maharashtra and Rajasthan reported the lowest.

• Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 56.87%

• Arunachal Pradesh: 63.27%

• Assam: 70.77%

• Bihar: 48.32%

• Chhattisgarh: 63.41%

• J&K: 65.08%

• Lakshadweep: 59.02%

• Madhya Pradesh: 63.25%

• Maharashtra: 54.85%

• Manipur: 67.46%

• Meghalaya: 69.91%

• Mizoram: 52.62%

• Nagaland: 55.75%

• Puducherry: 72.84%

• Rajasthan: 50.27%

• Sikkim: 67.58%

• Tamil Nadu: 62.02%

• Tripura: 76.10%

• Uttar Pradesh: 57.54%

• Uttarakhand: 53.56%

• West Bengal: 77.57%

Violence from a few districts in Arunachal Pradesh was reported during polling on Friday. Supporters of two candidates clashed near a polling station in the Bameng constituency in East Kameng district, Inspector General of Police (Law & Order) Chukhu Apa said, adding that the situation was brought under control and polling is continuing.

Incidents of EVM damage were also reported from three polling stations in East Kameng, Kurung Kumey and Upper Subansiri districts, the police officer said.

Source: PTI

Polling in Chennai Central, one of the three Lok Sabha constituencies in the city, has been the lowest in the state which went to polls on Friday. Voter turnout in this constituency was 24.09% at 11 am, 32.31% at 1 pm and 41.47%at 3 pm, Chief Electoral Satyabrata Sahoo said, reported PTI.

A Central Reserve Police Force Personnel was killed after a grenade accidentally went off and injury to an officer in an IED blast in the Naxal-hit Bastar Lok Sabha constituency of Chhattisgarh, officials said, PTI reported.

The jawan deployed on security duty was killed when a shell of an under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) accidentally exploded in Galgam village under Usoor police station limits in Bijapur district, a police official said.

Popular Tamil actor Siddharth casts his vote in Chennai. Earlier in the morning Superstar Rajinikanth, Ajith, Dhanush and Sivakarthikeyan were also spotted lining up to cast their vote at the polling stations.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP candidate Shivraj Singh Chouhan files nomination from Vidisha for Lok Sabha elections. The elections will be conducted in Madhya Pradesh on April 26, May 7 and 13.

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi filed his nomination papers to contest from Hyderabad constituency. The leader has been a four time Member of Parliament representing the seat in Lok Sabha.

Polling for the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana would be held in single phase on May 13.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a campaign rally in Banka. His party JD(U) is part of the BJP-led NDA fighting off a challenge from the INDIA bloc in the state, led by RJD.

Bihar will vote in all seven phases. In the first phase, polling is being held in four constituencies.

Ousted AIADMK leader VK Sasikala cast her vote in Lok Sabha elections in Chennai on Friday. She was the close associate of J Jayalalithaa.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy and other ministers removed her from the post of secretary general and expelled her from the party in September 2017.

The total turnout for elections to 102 Lok Sabha seats as of 3.00 PM stands at 50%. In the first phase of polling, 21 states and union territories are holding elections across different seats.

Tripura and West Bengal continued to log the highest voter turnout among states as of 3.00 PM, as per Election Commission data. Bihar and Rajasthan reported the lowest.

• Arunachal Pradesh: 55.05%

• Assam: 60.70%

• Bihar: 39.73%

• Chhattisgarh: 58.14%

• J&K: 57.09%

• Lakshadweep: 43.98%

• Madhya Pradesh: 53.40%

• Maharashtra: 44.12%

• Manipur: 63.03%

• Meghalaya: 61.95%

• Mizoram: 49.14%

• Nagaland: 51.73%

• Puducherry: 58.86%

• Rajasthan: 41.51%

• Sikkim: 52.72%

• Tamil Nadu: 50.89%

• Tripura: 68.35%

• Uttar Pradesh: 47.44%

• Uttarakhand: 45.62%

• West Bengal: 66.34%

A total of 150 complete Electronic Voting Machine sets were replaced due to malfunctioning across the five Lok Sabha seats in Assam where voting is underway on Friday, officials said, reported PTI. Besides, more than 400 components such as VVPATs and ballot units of different EVMs were also replaced because of snags.

Almost zero voting has been recorded across six districts in Nagaland so far today, after the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation -- which is demanding a separate administration with more financial autonomy -- declared a 'public emergency' and called on locals to boycott this election, NDTV reported.

The state's Chief Election Officer has issued a notice to the ENPO for disrupting the electoral process. In a statement, the top poll official said the group had attempted "to use undue influence... by interfering with the free exercise of those residing in Eastern Nagaland areas to vote in the general election".

The ENPO, the officer said, is therefore "directed to show cause... as to why action under subsection of Section 171C of the Indian Penal Code should not be initiated".

Voting has been halted in a total of five booths, 2 in East Imphal and 3 in West Imphal after some women alleged irregularities and created a ruckus. The polling officer subsequently closed the polling booth, as reported by Imphal East DC.

Source: ANI

Five constituencies will vote in the first phase in Maharashtra. These include the high profile Nagpur city, where Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is fighting the election. As of 1.00 PM, 32.36% turnout has been reported.

Earlier in the day, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis cast his vote.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has predicted the BJP's "best ever showing" in four southern states in this election, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana had reached a critical threshold, and that he expects this to translate into votes.

"This time, from the south I feel it will be our best ever showing. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana... and Karnataka... in these states we will have a strong result. For the first time in South India, Prime Minister Modi's popularity has grown so that we can get votes and seats," he told NDTV.

Violence was reported at Iroisemba polling station in Imphal West, Manipur, reported PTI. Electronic voting machines have been destroyed.

The total turnout for elections to 102 Lok Sabha seats as of 1.00 PM stands at 39.9%. In the first phase of polling, 21 states and union territories are holding elections across different seats.

Tripura and West Bengal logged the highest voter turnout among states as of 1.00 PM, as per Election Commission data. Bihar and Maharashtra reported the lowest.

• Arunachal Pradesh: 35.75%

• Assam: 45.12%

• Bihar: 32.41%

• Chhattisgarh: 42.57%

• J&K: 43.11%

• Lakshadweep: 29.91%

• Madhya Pradesh: 44.34%

• Maharashtra: 32.36%

• Manipur: 46.92%

• Meghalaya: 48.91%

• Mizoram: 37.43%

• Nagaland: 39.33%

• Puducherry: 44.95%

• Rajasthan: 33.73%

• Sikkim: 36.82%

• Tamil Nadu: 39.51%

• Tripura: 53.04%

• Uttar Pradesh: 36.96%

• Uttarakhand: 37.33%

• West Bengal: 50.96%

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has submitted his nomination papers to contest from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. He first won the election here in 2019. Shah will face challenge from Sonal Patel of Congress.

"In this election, the whole country is excited to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the third time with 400 'paar'. I appeal to people to vote and make the lotus blossom everywhere with a huge majority and make us successful in achieving the target of crossing 400 seats," he said, reported ANI.

The elections to the state assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32) are also being held today.

The BJP is the incumbent party in Arunachal, while a NDA ally Sikkim Krantikari Morcha is in power in Sikkim.

A 95-year-old retired Navy veteran voted at a ‘zero waste’ polling booth in Jaipur, reported PTI.

The first phase of Lok Sabha elections is being held on 12 seats in Rajasthan.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will shortly file his nomination from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, reported ANI. He first won the election here in 2019.

Shah will face challenge from Sonal Patel of Congress.

Women voters outnumber men in all 5 Assam Lok Sabha seats where voting is underway, reports PTI.

Tamil Nadu—the state in focus during the first phase of Lok Sabha election—recorded 23.7% voter turnout by 11:00 a.m. Overall voting percentage across the nation stood at 24.5% with West Bengal in lead at 33.6%. Tripura and Meghalaya followed with 33.3% and 31.7%, respectively.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, eager to expand its footprint in south India and shed its 'North Indian, Hindi heartland-centric' tag, is pulling out all stops to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu this Lok Sabha election. All 39 constituencies in the state go to polls today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the state several times this year in an effort to appeal to its electorate, which has for decades swung between either of the two Dravidian parties: the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Will the saffron party succeed in its southern endeavour? Read here.

The first hour of voting on Friday saw 9.7% voter turnout. Among the 21 states holding first phase of Lok Sabha election, Mizoram led voting percentage with 17.43%, followed by Tripura at 15.87% and West Bengal at 15.09%

Veteran actor Rajinikanth casts his vote in Chennai as all seats of Tamil Nadu go to polls today. Voters across 102 constituencies in 21 states and Union Territories will participate in the first phase of Lok Sabha election 2024.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin casts his vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha election 2024. All 39 seats in the state have gone to polls in this phase.

Political analysts discuss the significance of the first phase of Lok Sabha election 2024 before voting begins across 102 seats. Watch the full conversation with NDTV Profit's Tamanna Inamdar here.

Eight Union ministers, two former chief ministers, and one ex-governor are in the poll fray during the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Political heavyweights that will contest in this phase include Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju, Sarbananda Sonowal, Sanjeev Baliyan, Jitendra Singh, Bhupender Yadav and Arjun Ram Meghwal. Former Chief Ministers Biplab Kumar Deb and Nabam Tuki have also thrown their hats in the electoral ring.

Click here for notable political heavyweights that will battle it out in the first phase of this Lok Sabha poll.

Voters across 102 Lok Sabha constituencies in 21 states and Union Territories will exercise their franchise in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election. More than 16.63 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in this phase.

Voting will be held for 60 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh and 32 Assembly seats in Sikkim as well.

Tamil Nadu will be in focus today, with all 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state going to poll today. Five Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttarakhand, and two each in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya will also see voting today. Polling will be held on the sole seat each in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim and Lakshadweep.

Meanwhile, 12 seats in Rajasthan, eight in Uttar Pradesh, six in Madhya Pradesh, five seats each in Assam and Maharashtra, four in Bihar, three in West Bengal, two in Manipur, and one seat each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh will also go to polls.

Results for the seven-phase election will be declared on June 4.