May 13th 2024.
The Lok Sabha elections are in full swing, with the fourth phase of polling taking place in 96 constituencies across 10 states and Union Territories. In the first four hours of voting on Monday, an impressive turnout of over 24% was recorded. However, there have been reports of violence in Andhra Pradesh and boycotts in some villages of Uttar Pradesh.
Aside from these incidents, there have also been reports of EVM malfunctions in some booths in West Bengal and Odisha. According to the Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir saw the lowest voter turnout at just 14.94%, while West Bengal recorded the highest at 32.78%. Other states recorded varying percentages, with Andhra Pradesh at 23.10%, Bihar at 22.54%, Jharkhand at 27.40%, Madhya Pradesh at 32.38%, Maharashtra at 17.51%, Odisha at 23.28%, Telangana at 24.31%, and Uttar Pradesh at 27.12%.
The state of West Bengal has been particularly contentious, with both the Trinamool Congress and BJP lodging complaints of EVM malfunctioning, agents being barred from polling booths, and voters being intimidated or prevented from casting their votes. The TMC has lodged 139 complaints and the BJP has lodged over 35 complaints, which are currently being investigated by officials.
Meanwhile, in Congress Baharampur candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's constituency, both he and his TMC rival, former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, have expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the polls. TMC's Krishanagar candidate Mahua Moitra has also stated that the elections are proceeding peacefully, and she is personally monitoring the situation at various polling stations.
Moving on to the Telugu states, many incidents of violence have been reported in Andhra Pradesh. YSRCP leader and Tenali MLA A Shiva Kumar allegedly assaulted a voter in Tenali after an argument, and a voter retaliated. In Dalavaipalli village, an EVM was destroyed and cars belonging to the ruling party and TDP were damaged. A TDP agent was also attacked in Nakkaladinne village and had to be hospitalized. The YSRCP has alleged that one of their party agents was stabbed in Mandi Krishnapuram village, and another party member was attacked in Aravallipadu in the Darsi constituency. TDP MLC Mohammed Ahmed Shariff has written a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, complaining about attacks by YSRCP cadres on TDP supporters in Rentala village.
Despite these incidents, prominent figures such as former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP chief in Telangana G Kishan Reddy, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, popular Telugu actors Chiranjeevi and Allu Arjun, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu have all come out to cast their votes. Kishan Reddy has urged the public to exercise their right to vote for the sake of democracy and the country's security, while Owaisi has emphasized the importance of voting for the country, not just for an individual or party.
In Maharashtra, where polling is also taking place in 11 constituencies, a turnout of 17.51% was recorded till 11 am. The highest voter turnout was in Nandurbar at 22.12%, while the lowest was in Shirur at 14.51%. Prominent candidates in this phase include Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, BJP leader Pankaja Munde, and actor-turned-politician Amol Kolhe. A total of 298 candidates are vying for these 11 seats, with Beed having the highest number of candidates at 41 and Nandurbar having the lowest at 11. Out of the 2.28 crore eligible voters, there are 1.18 crore men, 1.09 crore women, and 1,272 third-gender voters.
In a surprising turn of events, former Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik's wife was not able to cast her vote as her name was missing from the electoral roll. However, Naik was among the early voters in Pune. These Lok Sabha elections have been eventful, to say the least, and the results will certainly have a significant impact on the future of our country. So, let's exercise our right to vote and make our voices heard!
In New Delhi, the Lok Sabha elections were off to a strong start with a 24% voter turnout in the first four hours of polling on Monday. This phase includes 96 constituencies across 10 states and Union Territories. However, amidst the enthusiasm, there were reports of violence in Andhra Pradesh and boycotts in certain villages of Uttar Pradesh.
There were also complaints of malfunctioning electronic voting machines (EVMs) in West Bengal and Odisha. The Election Commission reported that Jammu and Kashmir had the lowest voter turnout at 11 am, with only 14.94% of registered voters casting their ballots. On the other hand, West Bengal had the highest turnout so far at 32.78%.
In West Bengal, both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP had complaints about EVM malfunctions, agents being stopped from entering polling booths, and voters being intimidated or prevented from voting. The TMC had 139 complaints, while the BJP had 35 by 9 am. An official from the Election Commission stated that they had received a total of 350 complaints and were working to resolve them quickly.
Despite the complaints, Congress candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and TMC rival Yusuf Pathan expressed satisfaction with the polling process in their constituency of Baharampur. TMC's candidate in Krishanagar, Mahua Moitra, also stated that the election was being conducted peacefully and she was monitoring the situation at different polling stations.
Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh, there were reports of violence as the polling progressed. YSRCP leader and Tenali MLA A Shiva Kumar allegedly manhandled a voter, who then retaliated. In Railway Kodur constituency, an EVM was destroyed and cars belonging to the ruling party and TDP were damaged. A TDP agent was also attacked in Myduruku constituency and had to be hospitalized. The YSRCP alleged that one of their party agents was stabbed and another member was attacked by TDP supporters.
TDP MLC Mohammed Ahmed Shariff wrote a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, complaining about attacks by YSRCP cadres on TDP supporters in Rentala village. Despite the violence, many prominent figures came out to vote, including former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP chief in Telangana G Kishan Reddy, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, and popular Telugu actors Chiranjeevi and Allu Arjun. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu also cast their votes.
Kishan Reddy urged people to come out and vote for the sake of democracy and the country's security. Owaisi reminded voters to consider the country as a whole and not just individual candidates or parties. Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that the people have experienced the best governance in the past five years and urged them to vote for the party that will lead to a brighter future.
Moving on to Maharashtra, where 11 constituencies are in the midst of polling, there was a 17.51% voter turnout by 11 am. The highest turnout was in Nandurbar, with 22.12%, and the lowest was in Shirur at 14.51%. Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, BJP leader Pankaja Munde, and actor-turned-politician Amol Kolhe are among the prominent candidates in this phase.
A total of 298 candidates are in the running, with Beed having the highest number at 41 and Nandurbar the lowest at 11. In total, 2.28 crore voters are eligible to vote in this phase, including 1.18 crore men, 1.09 crore women, and 1,272 third-gender voters.
In Pune, former Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik was one of the early voters. However, his wife Madhubala's name was missing from the electoral roll, causing some confusion. Despite this, the voting process continued smoothly in Maharashtra.
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