Lok Sabha Elections Phase 6 Voting: 8 PM Voter Turnout At 59.46%; Highest In Bengal, Lowest In J&K | Highlights

The second last phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held today across 58 seats. The voting will be held across eight states and commence from 7 AM.

For casting their vote, voters and citizens must carry an official identification card with them such as their – Aadar Card and Voter ID. Eligible voters must also carry their voter slips to their respective polling booths.

New Delhi, the national capital, will be heading to the polls today. The main contest for Delhi seats will be between Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, which has formed an alliance with Congress for the general elections and Narendra Modi-led BJP.

Voting for Delhi will take place for seven seats -  North-East Delhi, North-West Delhi, Chandni Chowk, South Delhi, West Delhi, New Delhi and East Delhi.

Till Phase 5, the voting has been completed across 25 states and Union Territories for 428 constituencies of 543. The final phase of polling is scheduled for June 1, with the counting of votes set to take place June 4.

With Phase 6 of the general elections today, all eligible voters have received their voter slips to cast their vote. However, in case a voter has not received their voter slip, they can check on the official website of the EC if they are mentioned on the electoral roll.

If the voter finds their name on the electoral roll, they can go to their respective polling booths with official documents such as Aadhar Card or a Passport and case their vote.

A total of 58 constituencies across eight states will be voting today. These are -

• Delhi - North-East Delhi, North-West Delhi, Chandni Chowk, South Delhi, West Delhi, New Delhi, East Delhi

• Bihar - Valmiki Nagar, Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Vaishali, Gopalganj (SC), Siwan, Maharajganj

• Uttar Pradesh - Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Phulpur, Allahabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Shrawasti, Domriyaganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Lalganj, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Machhlishahr, Bhadohi

• Jammu and Kashmir - Anantnag-Rajouri

• Haryana - Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Hisar, Karnal, Sonipat, Rohtak, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, Gurgaon, Faridabad

• Odisha - Bhubaneswar, Puri, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar (SC), Cuttack, Sambalpur

• West Bengal - Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, Bishnupur

• Jharkhand - Giridih, Dhanbad, Ranchi, Jamshedpur

• BJP Candidate and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from Sambalpur, Odisha

• BJP’s Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi

• Congress’ Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi

• BJP’s Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur, UP

• PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti from Anantnag-Rajouri, Jammu And Kashmir

• BJP Candidate and Former High Court Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay from Tamluk, West Bengal

• BJP and Former CM Manohar Lal Khattar in Karnal, Haryana

NOTA or None Of The Above option is available for people who do not wish to vote for any candidate of their constituency during an election, allowing voters to officially register a vote of rejection for all contenders.

Along with the general elections, Odisha will also be voting for its assembly elections. A total of 42 constituencies will be heading to the polls to vote on Saturday.

For phase six of the Lok Sabha Elections, polling across all 58 constituencies will begin from 7 AM onwards. The polling will conclude at 6 PM across all polling booths.

Due to logistical, communication and other barriers related to connectively, Election Commission of India postponed the polling for this Jammu and Kashmir constituency. 20 candidates will be contesting for the Lok Sabha seat of Anantnag-Rajouri.

As per data from the Election Commission of India, over 11.13 crore voters are eligible to exercise their right to vote in phase 6 of the Indian general elections. Of this, 5.84 crore are male voters, 5.29 crore female voters and 5,120 third gender voters.

Polling across the 58 constituencies will begin at 7 AM. New Delhi, the national capital, will be headed to vote today along with seven other states and union territories.

The polling booths across the 58 constituencies will remain open from 7 AM to 6 PM for eligible voters to exercise their franchise.

The polling for phase six of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 has begun! Eligible voters across the 58 constituencies can now go and cast their votes till 6 PM today.

Polling is being held in seven seats in Delhi, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, 10 in Haryana, eight seats each in Bihar and West Bengal, six seats in Odisha, four seats in Jharkhand and one seat in Jammu and Kashmir.

The polling for the Odisha assembly elections has also begun! Voters will have time still 6 PM to cast their votes across 42 assembly seats.

Along with the general elections, Odisha is also voting for its assembly elections. Saturday marks the third phase of the Vidhan Sabha elections in the state.

Today, 42 assembly seats will head for the polls for the assembly elections. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha polls will be held for six parliamentary constituencies – Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Puri and Sambalpur.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Saturday across New Delhi. The weather department has predicted that the mercury levels would reach a maximum of 44 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 31 degrees Celsius.

However, as Delhi votes for all seven seats, there has been no prediction for a heat wave across the capital.

For the fifth phase of the general elections, the voter turnout was reported to be 62.2% across 49 seats. The Election Commission of India reported a voter turnout of 69.16% for the fourth phase.

For the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the voter turnout was 65.68%. Meanwhile, the second and first phases of the 2024 general elections saw a turnout of 66.71%. 66.14%, respectively.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and his wife Lakshmi Puri cast their votes at a polling booth in Delhi shortly after the voting began. Along with them, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also cast his vote.

Delhi will be conducting the polls for all seven Lok Sabha seats today.

Taking to social media platform X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters - men, women and youth - to step out and cast their vote for Phase six of the general elections.

"I urge all those who are voting in the 6th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to vote in large numbers. Every vote counts, make yours count too! Democracy thrives when its people are engaged and active in the electoral process. I specially urge women voters and youth voters to vote in large numbers," stated PM Modi.

To cast their votes, all eligible voters must carry the following documents to their respective polling booths – Aadhar Card, Voter ID Card and Voter Slip. At the polling station, show your ID to the respective officers in charge and they will guide to towards the EVM systems to cast your vote.

For the 2024 general elections, the BJP and AAP are engaged in a faceoff in the national capital. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP had won all seven Lok Sabha seats for the national capital.

Citizens can check if their name is on the electoral roll or voter list by calling the Election Commission's toll free helpline - 1950.

Voters can also check if they are eligible or not by visiting the official website - electoralsearch.eci.gov.in - and enter their details to check if they are on the voter list or not.

Polling began on Saturday morning for the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana and the by-election to the Karnal Assembly seat.

In the state of Haryana, over two crore voters are eligible to cast votes today to decide the fate of 223 candidates, including former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Along with the 10 Lok Sabha seats, polling also began for the by-election to the Karnal Assembly seat, where current Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is contesting.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, ECI distributed voter slips to all eligible voters which has details of their EPIC number, polling booth and more. However, at times, not all voters receive these slips.

For those who haven't received their slip, can download it from the official mobile app or website of the ECI.

On the Play Store and App store, voters can download an e-version of their slip by downloading the Voter Helpline app.

Voters can also visit the official website - voters.eci.gov.in - to download their E-EPIC to take with them to the polling stations.

However, in case voters do not have their voter slip, they can simple check if they are mentioned on the electoral roll and cast their votes suing their Voter ID or Aadhar Cards.

The polling for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 began at 7 AM today, Voters across the eight states and 58 constituencies will have time till 6 PM to cast their votes for the sixth phase of the Indian general Elections.

PDP chief and candidate from Anantnag–Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, Mehbooba Mufti, and party leaders and workers are protesting the detention of polling agents and workers affiliated to the political party. Speaking to reports, Mufti stated that the reason behind the detention has not been disclosed.

The PDP chief also wrote to the Election Commission of India, seeking for timely intervention into the matter. Polling for the Anantnag–Rajouri Lok Sabha seat was rescheduled to be held today due to connectivity issues.

Amid the faceoff with BJP, AAP Leader Atishi was spotted at a polling booth in Delhi to cast her vote. Speaking to reporters, the Delhi minister stated that she has "hope" from the people of Delhi.

"I have cast my vote. I hope people of Delhi and every corner of country will cast their vote against high inflation, unemployment, dictatorship and the way opposition leaders are being arrested ," stated Atishi

Every eligible voter is given a unique voter ID number with their identity. While heading to their respective polling booths, voter will be able to find their voter number on their Voter ID card. The number will be displayed as the EPIC Number.

On the voter slips as well, the voter ID number of each voter will be mentioned in the column for EPIC Number.

For the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, polling is underway for eight seats in West Bengal. Voting will be held till 6 PM for the seats of Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur.

Among the notable candidates for the LS polls are Bengali superstar and TMC candidate Dev, seeking a third term from Ghatal. Former Calcutta HC judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay will be contesting for the Tamluk seat on a BJP ticket.

In West Bengal, a total of 1.45 crore voters will be casting their vote across 15,600 polling stations.

Amid the 10 Haryana seats, Gurgoan will also be heading to the polls today. The main contenders for Haryana IT hub's are Congress' Raj Babbar, former actor and seasoned politician with three Lok Sabha wins in Uttar Pradesh.

Going up against the former actor is BJP candidate Rao Inderjit Singh. Singh is the incumbent representative for Gurgaon due to his win in 2019.

With the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 underway, President Droupadi Murmu has now cast her vote at a polling booth in Delhi.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar along with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar arrived at a polling booth in Delhi to cast their vote for the Lok Sabha polls.

Raihan Rajiv Vadra and Miraya Vadra, children of Robert Vadra and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cast their votes for the Lok Sabha polls at a polling booth in Delhi.

After casting vote, Raihan Rajiv Vadra, son of Robert Vadra and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, "I think this is a very important election. I encourage all the youth to vote to save our Constitution and to vote in a way that brings positive change."

Miraya Vadra, daughter of Robert Vadra and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, "Everybody should come out and vote..."

BJP candidate from Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal and his wife Shalu Jindal stood in a queue to cast their votes for Lok Sabha Elections at a polling station in their constituency.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Jindal said, "...I am grateful to the people of Kurukshetra and Haryana. Contesting an election here doesn't seem like an election but the people are my family, I have 30 years of relationship with them and for the last 10 years I have been working in their service... People are excited and have faith in the BJP..."

AAP-INDIA alliance has fielded Sushil Gupta from the Kurukshetra seat.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal casts her vote in Delhi.

After casting her vote, Maliwal spoke to reporters when she stated, "It is a very important day for democracy. I would like to appeal to all, especially women, to come out and cast their vote. In this country, women's participation in politics is very important."

As Delhi votes in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, liquor shops, banks and schools across the national capital will remain closed. While banks and liquor shops have been closed due to the electoral schedule, Delhi schools had been closed earlier this week due to the heatwave-like conditions.

As of 9AM, phase six of the Lok Sabha Elections has recorded a voter turnout of 10.82 percent. The highest turnout as been from West Bengal. Here are the state-wise details -

• Bihar - 9.66%

• Haryana - 8.31%

• Jammu and Kashmir - 8.89%

• Jharkhand - 11.74%

• Delhi - 8.94%

• Odisha - 7.43%

• Uttar Pradesh - 12.33%

• West Bengal - 16.54%

Amongst the eight states and union territories voting today, New Delhi will also be casting their ballots. Live form the field, Outlook's Suresh Pandey brings us the latest from Delhi's Khichripur.

For phase six of the Lok Sabha Elections, West Bengal has recorded the highest voter turnout as of 9 AM. The voter turnout in the state stands at 16.54 percent

Polling is underway for the Jammu and Kashmir seat of Anantnag-Rajouri. The polling, which was originally scheduled for Phase 3 was rescheduled to today due to connectively issues.

Outlook's Yasir Iqbal shares scenes from Kokernag area of Anantnag, South Kashmir.

BJP MP from East Delhi and and former India Cricketer Gautam Gambhir cast his vote today in the national capital during the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

In South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, competition has been brewing after MP Ramesh Bidhuri was denied nomination by BJP for using "unparliamentary words" against former BSP leader during a Parliament session.

From this seat, BJP has fielded Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Badarpur MLA, who will be up against AAP's Sahiram Pahalwan, an MLA from Tughlakabad.

Outlook's Abhik Bhattacharya reports from ground.

Veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and MP Rahul Gandhi were spotted casting their votes for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Delhi. The Congress duo cast their ballot at the polling station set up at Nirman Bhawan.

For the Delhi Elections 2024, Congress has formed an alliance with Aam Aadmi Party. AAP will be contesting four seats and the Congress has fielded candidates for the remaining three seats.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his wife Sunita Kejriwal cast their votes for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in the national capital today.

Kejriwal, who is out on bail, was arrested by the ED for his alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy Scam case. Kejriwal's bail was granted by the Supreme Court for election campaigning purposes.

As per the Election Commission of India, the voter turnout for Phase 6 of the Lok Sabha Elections are increased to 25.76 percent as of 11 AM.

As per this latest count, West Bengal has still reported the highest turnout of 36.88 percent

As of 11 AM, the overall voter turnout stands at 25.76 percent, with West Bengal clocking in the highest numbers and Haryana, the lowest.

Voter Turnout As Of 11 AM - Phase 6

• Bihar - 23.67%

• Haryana - 22.09%

• Jammu and Kashmir - 23.11%

• Jharkhand - 27.80%

• Delhi - 21.69%

• Odisha - 21.30%

• Uttar Pradesh - 27.06%

• West Bengal - 36.88%

As of 11 AM, Delhi has recorded a voter turnout of 21.69%. The overall voter percentage stands at 25.76%

• Chandni Chowk - 18.55%

• East Delhi - 22.41%

• New Delhi - 19.18%

• North East Delhi - 24.49%

• North West Delhi - 22.67%

• South Delhi - 21%

• West Delhi - 21.56%

All India Trinamool Congress took to X (formerly Twitter) to allege that the BJP was trying to rig votes across polling booths in West Bengal.

"CM Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly flagged how BJP was trying to rig votes by tampering with EVMs. And today, in Bankura's Raghunathpur, 5 EVMs were found with BJP tags on them," stated TMC.

In response to the TMC, the Election Commission of India has stated that BJP's candidate signature was present as they were the only one present when commissioning the EVMs and VVPAT machines.

PDP leader Iltija Mufti has alleged that polling was being deliberately slowed down at a booth in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. However, this charge has been denied by the administration.

The PDP president and her mother Mehbooba Mufti are contesting the poll from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. Since the opening of polls at 7 AM , the PDP chief has been on protest against the detention of cpolling agents and party workers.

As 10 constituencies in Haryana head to the polls, the voter turnout as of 11 AM for the state stands at 22.09%. The highest voter turnout has been recorded from Kurukshetra.

• Ambala - 22.30%

• Bhiwani-Mahendragarh - 24.32%

• Faridabad - 19.55%

• Gurgaon - 17.42%

• Hisar - 22.18%

• Gurgaon - 17.42%

• Karnal - 22.04%

• Kurukshetra - 26.10%

• Rohtak - 22.15%

• Sirsa - 24.71%

• Sonipat - 22.88%

Speaking at a election rally in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed for the improvement and development of Bihar.

"This is the era of LED bulbs and people in Bihar are roaming around with a lantern. This is a lantern that lights up just one house. This lantern has spread darkness all over Bihar," stated PM Modi.

Lok Sabha seat of Anantnag-Rajouri is currently voting for their candidates. So far, the turnout at Anantnag-Rajouri stands at 23.11 percent. Outlook's Naseer Ganai brings the latest from the ground .

As of 11 AM, the states of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh have recorded the highest voter turnouts for phase six of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. With an overall figure of 25.76%, West Bengal has recorded a turnout of 36.88 percent, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 27.06%.

In West Bengal, the highest turnout has been recorded at Ghatal (39.21%) and lowest at Purulia (33.16%).

In Uttar Pradesh, the highest voter turnout percentage has been recorded at Ambedkar Nagar (30.02%) and lowest at Phulpur (22.85%).

Daughter of Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's and a first-time voter Miraya Vadra cast her ballot along with her brother Raihan on Saturday for phase six of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

While casting her vote, she urged youth and first time voters to step put and cast their ballot.

"My only message to the youth is to just come out and vote. It is our job to make a change so we need to come out and do it," Mirayra told news agency PTI.

As per the latest update from the Election Commission of India, the overall voter turnout for phase six of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 stands at 39.13%.

The highest turnout has been reported from West Bengal - 54.80%. As per the 1 PM data, Jharkhand has surpassed Uttar Pradesh and reported the second highest turnout of 42.54%.

As the national capital goes to vote amid the sweltering heart, the voter turnout stands at 34.37% for Delhi NCT. Within Delhi, the highest voter turnout has been recorded from North-east Delhi with 37.31% and the lowest turnout from New Delhi - 31.66%

As West Bengal reports the highest voter turnout, scattered incidents of violence were also reported from some areas in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies of the state West Bengal.

As per PTI, the Election Commission has received 954 complaints until 11 am from different political parties, alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths. Despite this, poll panels have claimed that the process has remained peaceful.

IN Ghatal, clashes between TMC and BJP supporters broke out. BJP activists also staged a protest on the road and set tyres on fire in the area.

Incidents of violence were also reported from various parts of the Kanthi constituency.

Odisha has been voting for the assembly elections as well as the Lok Sabha elections. As of 1 PM, the voter turnout for the Vidhan Sabha elections stands at 35.69%.

Deogarh has reported the highest turnout at 41% and Cuttack has reported the lowest turnout at 33.33%

Campaigning during the last phases of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge has questioned as to why PM Narendra Modi has stayed silent as China continues to encroach India's land.

India and China have been in a long border-dispute. However, tensions escalated after China continued to make territorial claims over the north eastern state of Arunacchal Pradesh.

As of 1 PM, the voter turnout across the Lok Sabha elections stood at -

• Bihar - 36.48%

• Haryana - 36.48%

• Jammu and Kashmir - 35.22%

• Jharkhand - 42.54%

• Delhi - 34.37%

• Odisha - 35.69%

• Uttar Pradesh - 37.23%

• West Bengal - 54.80%

Adding to the captivity dig made by various BJP Leaders, Union Minister Smriti Irani has stated that citizens of Odisha must vote in order to free their state of the BJD's "Captivity".

As of 1 PM, the voter turnout for the assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections 2024 has been recorded at 35.69%.

With the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 underway in Haryana, the IT hub of Gurgaon has reported the lowest turnout of 30.59%. Meanwhile, Sirsa and Kurukshetra have recorded the highest turnouts at 40.84% and 40.06% respectively. (Data as of 1 PM)

Northeast Delhi Lok Sabha constituency has become a prestige battle for the BJP with firebrand youth leader and Congress-INDIA Alliance candidate Kanhaiya Kumar giving a tough fight to two time BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, the only one of the seven BJP candidates to retain their ticket. With the largest Muslim population and a high percentage of migrant voters from neighbouring states, the region was the epicentre of the 2020 communal violence and is hoping for change.

Outlook's Rakhi Bose brings the latest from the ground .

Independent MLA Rakesh Daulatabad from the Badshahpur assembly constituency died of a heart attack on Saturday morning, police said.

The 45-year-old MLA suffered a heart attack in the morning and was taken to a private hospital, the police said.

He died during treatment at Manipal Hospital in Palam Vihar here, they said.

Daulatabad had won the Badshahpur seat in the 2019 assembly elections as an Independent candidate and later supported the BJP government.

-PTI

The sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections is underway in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag-Rajouri seat. The constituency is spread over 18 assembly segments in the five districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Poonch, Shopian, and Rajouri. Voting is scheduled to end at 6 pm.

The approximate voter turnout is 49.20 per cent as of 3 pm, as per the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout App.

West Bengal recorded the highest turnout at 70.19 per cent, while Uttar Pradesh was the lowest at 43.95 per cent.

Delhi’s polling percentage is at 44.58 per cent, Bihar at 45.21 per cent, Jharkhand at 54.34 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir 44.41 per cent, Odisha at 48.44 per cent and Haryana 46.26 per cent, the EC data showed.

A voter turnout of 43.95 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in Uttar Pradesh where polling is underway in 14 constituencies in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

According to the Election Commission, Ambedkar Nagar recorded 50.01 per cent turnout till 3 pm, Basti 47.03 per cent, Azamgarh 45.38 per cent, Sultanpur 45.31 per cent, Lalganj 44.63 per cent, Domariaganj 43.96 per cent and 43.75 per cent in Jaunpur.

Uttar Pradesh sends the highest number of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. So far, voting has been held on 53 seats in the first five phases. Voting in 13 seats will be held in the seventh phase on June 1.

A voter turnout of 44.58 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in Delhi, where polling is underway for its seven Lok Sabha constituencies on Saturday.

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that at 47.85 per cent, the highest turnout was recorded in the North East Delhi constituency while the New Delhi seat had the lowest voting percentage at 42.17.

The BJP won all seven seats in Delhi in the 2014 and the 2019 elections and is aiming for a clean sweep for the third consecutive time. INDIA bloc partners AAP and the Congress are contesting the elections in Delhi under a four-three seat-share formula.

This is the first Lok Sabha election in Delhi in which AAP and the Congress have fielded joint candidates.

(With PTI inputs)

Altogether 45.21 per cent of 1.49 crore voters exercised their franchise in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar till 3 pm on Saturday, officials said.

The highest and lowest voter turnout was recorded in Vaishali (48.94 per cent) and Siwal (39.81 per cent) respectively till 3 pm.

The constituencies where elections are underway are largely rural areas with only 1,281 of the total 14,872 polling stations located in urban localities, officials said.

(With PTI inputs)

As Delhi votes in the 6th phase of Lok Sabha elections, Outlook's Rakhi Bose visits Valmiki Basti in New Delhi to hear residents' key issues.

West Bengal registered a voter turnout of 70.19 per cent till 3 pm in eight Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls in the sixth phase on Saturday, an official said.

Till 1 pm, the election office in West Bengal received 1,646 complaints, he added. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from some areas in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal.

Altogether 1,45,34,228 voters – 73,63,273 men, 71,70,822 women and 133 belonging to the third gender – are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,600 polling stations.

Of the 79 candidates in the fray, Bankura and Jhargram have the highest number of 13 contestants each, followed by Purulia (12) and nine each in Medinipur and Tamluk.

(With PTI inputs)

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud cast his vote at a polling centre in New Delhi.

He said: "Today, I fulfilled my duty as a citizen by casting my vote. I had earlier also said that this is a major responsibility of every citizen."

As Delhi goes to polls in the sixth phase of Lok sabha elections, Outlook’s Abhik Bhattacharya goes to the East Delhi constituency and asks people about their electoral agenda. The saffron party has fielded Harsh Malhotra while AAP has nominated Kuldeep Kumar.

The Election Commission on Saturday came out with Lok Sabha constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the elections and asserted that there is a pattern in creating false narratives and mischievous design to vitiate the electoral process.

The poll panel came out with the absolute number of voters on its own a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to it on an NGO's plea for uploading polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website.

While EC had been issuing turnout percentage, there had been demands to make the actual number of voters in every phase public.

(With PTI inputs)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to thwart alleged attempts to rob Dalits and backward classes of reservations by the INDIA bloc which he accused of "enslavement" and performing "mujra" for Muslim vote bank.

Addressing back-to-back rallies in Buxar, Karakat and Patliputra Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, the prime minister also charged the opposition coalition with indulging in "scaremongering", and claimed that he had been working "without fear" to wipe out terrorism and root out corruption.

"Bihar is the land which has given a new direction to the fight for social justice. I wish to declare on its soil that I will foil the plans of the INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank," the PM said. 

-PTI

The approximate voter turnout is 57.7 per cent as of 5 pm, as per the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout App.

West Bengal recorded the highest turnout at 77.99 per cent, while Jammu & Kashmir was the lowest at 51.35 per cent.

Here is the statewise voter turnout till 5 PM, as per the data of Election Commission:

Bihar - 52.24%
Haryana - 55.93%
J&K-51.35%
Jharkhand-61.41%
Delhi-53.73%
Odisha-59.60%
Uttar Pradesh - 52.02%
West Bengal-77.99%

Voter turnout in odisha at 5 PM was 59.60 per cent. Voting is currently underway in multiple seats in Odisha amid the ongoing state assembly elections 2024.

Voting is taking place on six parliamentary seats in Odisha, as well as the 42 assembly seats that come under these constituencies. The third phase of the Odisha assembly election 2024 is taking place on Saturday, May 25.

Six persons including four women suffered minor injuries in a clash between supporters of two candidates outside a polling station in Mendhar sub-division in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, officials said.

However, the voting at the polling station in the Shahpur sector continued without any disruption as police intervened and separated the clashing groups, they said.

Poonch is part of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency where polling is underway in the sixth phase on Saturday.

-PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday alleged that China has encroached on India's land and is constructing houses and roads but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent.

'Where is the 56-inch chest?', Kharge asked, taking a dig at the prime minister in his address at a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Rohru. The Congress chief said his party is fighting to save the people of the country and the Constitution. If the Constitution is not saved, democracy and the rights granted under it would be snatched, he said.

"The Modi government supports the rich, while the Congress is with the poor. India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru built infrastructure which helped the poor," he said.

(With PTI inputs)

As Delhi votes in the 6th phase of Lok Sabha elections, Outlook's Rakhi Bose visits Northeast Delhi where Congress-INDIA Alliance candidate Kanhaiya Kumar giving a tough fight to two-time BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and speaks with the voters about their key issues.

Hena Shahab was the only woman in her college to attend classes wearing a veil. She completed her post graduation and then got married, but right from the days of school through college and later in the political arena, her veil always stayed on.

Now at the age of 46, she has been marching through the streets of Siwan in the same veil, now accompanied by hundreds of saffron-clad and tilak-sporting supporters.

Shahab is the wife of Mohammad Shahabuddin, a notorious gangster of the nineties. This is her fourth time contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Siwan in his absence. Shahabuddin was elected MP from Siwan four times in a row, but after his conviction, Shahab lost the same elections thrice in a row. 

READ FULL STORY HERE

The approximate voter turnout is 58.82 per cent at 7 pm, as per the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout App.

West Bengal recorded the highest turnout at 78.19 per cent, while Jammu and Kashmir was the lowest at 51.41 per cent.

Delhi’s polling percentage is at 54.31 per cent, Bihar at 52.80 per cent, Jharkhand at 62.13 per cent, Uttar Pardesh at 54.02 per cent, Odisha at 59.72 per cent and Haryana 58.06 per cent, the EC data showed.

PM Narendra Modi tweeted: "I thank all those who have voted in the penultimate phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. NDA’s numbers are looking better and better. People have realised that since INDI Alliance is coming nowhere close to power, voting for it is futile."

Nearly 40 per cent of migrant Kashmiri Pandits cast their ballots in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency during the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday. This represents a significant increase in voter turnout compared to the 2019, 2014, and 2009 elections.

The completion of voting in Anantnag-Rajouri marks the end of the electoral process in the Union Territory, with polling already concluded in its four other constituencies.

"Nearly 40 per cent polling was registered by Kashmiri migrants for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency," Relief Commissioner Arvind Karwani told PTI. He said that out of the 27,000 eligible voters in the community, around 40 per cent exercised their franchise. In terms of figures, more than 10,000 votes were cast.

(With PTI inputs)

The approximate voter turnout is 59.46 per cent at 8 pm, as per the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout App.

West Bengal recorded the highest turnout at 78.14 per cent, while Jammu and Kashmir was the lowest at 52.77 per cent. Delhi’s polling percentage is at 55.58 per cent, Bihar at 54.17 per cent, Jharkhand at 63.27 per cent, Uttar Pardesh at 54.03 per cent, Odisha at 60.07 per cent and Haryana 58.92 per cent, the EC data showed.