Phase 5 Voting Overview
In the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, voter turnout reached 56.68% by 5 PM, according to the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout App. West Bengal saw the highest turnout at 73%, while Maharashtra recorded the lowest at 48.66%. Voting took place across 49 Lok Sabha seats in six states and two Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla.
Complaints in West Bengal
As of this afternoon, the Election Commission received approximately 1,036 complaints from political parties in West Bengal. These included reports of malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), agents being prevented from entering polling booths, and voters being threatened.
Maharashtra Polling
In Maharashtra, voters participated in the final phase for 13 constituencies, including six in Mumbai.
Odisha Assembly Elections
In addition to five Lok Sabha seats, Odisha voters also participated in the second phase of state assembly elections.
Key Updates from the Day
18:54 BJP’s Gaurav Bhatia Votes in Lucknow: BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia cast his vote, expressing confidence in Narendra Modi’s third term as Prime Minister.
18:43 Kharge Praises Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called West Bengal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury a ‘ladaku sipahi’ despite previous tensions.
17:53 Modi Accuses TMC in Bengal: PM Narendra Modi accused the TMC of attacking monks and threatening Bengal’s identity to appease their “vote bank.”
17:41 Home Voting in West Delhi: West Delhi constituency saw the highest turnout of home voters, with 969 senior citizens and 179 persons with disabilities casting their votes from home.
16:43 Actor Aamir Khan Votes: Aamir Khan, along with his ex-wife Kiran Rao, voted in Mumbai and urged all citizens to participate in the democratic process.
16:20 Modi on Low Turnout: PM Modi commented on the low voter turnout, suggesting even opposition party workers were not voting.
15:30 Rahul Gandhi Visits Rae Bareli Temple: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited a Hanuman temple in Rae Bareli and toured polling booths.
14:55 Complaints in West Bengal: By 1 PM, over 1,000 complaints were lodged in West Bengal regarding EVM malfunctions, agent interference, and voter intimidation.
14:43 TMC Workers Clash with BJP: TMC workers showed black flags to BJP’s Arjun Singh in Barrackpore amid allegations of pre-poll bribery by TMC candidate Partha Bhowmick.
14:16 Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone Vote: Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone cast their votes in Mumbai.
13:02 Hrithik Roshan Votes: Hrithik Roshan and his family voted in Mumbai.
12:53 Omar Abdullah Votes in Baramulla: JKPC candidate Sajad Lone and other contenders cast their votes in J-K’s Baramulla constituency.
12:27 PM Modi in Odisha: At a rally in Cuttack, PM Modi urged voters to end BJD’s rule, accusing it of corruption.
12:16 Aaditya Thackeray Votes: Uddhav Thackeray’s family, including Aaditya, cast their votes in Mumbai and highlighted issues with polling booth facilities.
12:10 Anil Kapoor Votes: Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor voted in Mumbai, encouraging all citizens to vote.
11:51 Early Turnout Figures: As of 11 AM, voter turnout stood at 23.66%, with West Bengal at the highest (32.70%) and Maharashtra at the lowest (15.93%).
10:41 Eknath Shinde Votes: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde cast his vote in Thane.
09:26 RBI Governor Votes: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das cast his vote in Mumbai.
07:30 BJP’s Arjun Singh Alleges Bribery: BJP candidate Arjun Singh accused TMC’s Partha Bhowmick of distributing money before polls.
07:19 Historical Performance: In 2019, the current opposition INDIA bloc won six of the 49 seats, while the ruling NDA won 34, including 32 by the BJP.
