Lok Sabha Elections Phase 7 Highlights: Polling Ends For General Elections, Results On June 4

• The seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections is set to take place today with 57 constituencies across eight States/Union Territories in the fray.

• From 7 AM, polling will take place in Bihar, Himachal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, and Chandigarh.

• The States of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab will see voting for all of their 4 and 13 constituencies respectively in this phase. The Union Territory of Chandigarh will also be voting in this phase. 

Phase 1: The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections held on April 19 in 102 seats across 21 states recorded a turnout of 66.14 percent.

Phase 2: In the second phase, held on April 26 in 88 seats across 13 states, the turnout was recorded at 66.71 percent, marginally higher than the first phase.

Phase 3: In the third phase, 94 seats across 11 states went to polls on May 7 and recorded a turnout of 65.68 percent.

Phase 4: A total of 86 constituencies in 10 states went to polls in the fourth phase on May 13 and recorded a turnout of 69.16 per cent, the highest among the six phases.

Phase 5: The fifth phase of the polls held on May 20 recorded a turnout of 62.20 per cent, the lowest among the phases in percentage terms.

Phase 6: The sixth phase of polls held on May 25 recorded a turnout of 63.37 percent. As many as 58 constituencies spread across eight states went to polls in phase 6.

NOTA, the commonly known acronym for 'None of the above', is one of the options displayed on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), allowing voters to exercise the option of not voting for any poll candidate in the fray in their constituency. Since its introduction, NOTA has survived several political debates concerning its implications on poll results.

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.

Here's more about it

With the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 just around the corner, the Election Commission of India has started issuing voter slips and sending them to the houses of eligible voters. However, not all eligible voters have received their voter slips.

Voters can check whether their name is mentioned on the electoral roll on the official website of the Election Commission of India - electoralsearch.eci.gov.in.

Know more about it

On Saturday, voting will take place in the following States/ UT:

Uttar Pradesh (13 seats)

Bihar (8 seats)

Odisha (6 seats)

Jharkhand (3 seats)

Punjab (13 seats)

West Bengal (9 seats)

Himachal Pradesh (4 seats)

Chandigarh (1 seat)

Full list of constituencies

Voter ID is the primary identity document for citizens exercising their voting rights during the Lok Sabha Elections it aby other election in India.

To cast vote in India, an individual must be a citizen of the country. Eligibility to vote is granted to anyone aged 18 years or above.

Election FAQs answered

A total of 904 candidates will be in the fray including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is contesting from Varanasi – a Lok Sabha constituency he represented since 2014.

Here are some key candidates to watch out for in this phase:

Narendra Modi
The prime minister is contesting from the holy city of Varanasi for the third time. He is up against INDIA bloc’s Ajay Rai, BSP’s Athar Jamal Lari and three independents. In 2014, Modi had won against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal and then defeated his Samajwadi Party rival Shalini Yadav in 2019 by a massive margin of 4.59 lakh votes.

Kangana Ranaut
The BJP has fielded actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut from Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh, which has been known to be the stronghold of the Virbhadra family. The grand old party has won this seat 12 times since 1952. Kangana is up against Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, son of the late former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

Abhishek Banerjee
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has fielded Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee from West Bengal’s Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. The seat has been a stronghold of the TMC for the past few years, in general elections, assembly elections and rural polls in the area. He will be contesting against CPI(M)’s Pratikur Rahaman and BJP’s Abhijit Das. The Congress party is supporting CPI(M)’s candidate.

Full list of key candidates

All Indian citizens of 18 years and above can register themselves to vote in the general elections. To register, one must download Form 6 from the National Voters' Service Portal or receive one from your local Booth Level Officer.

Here's more about it

In general, a voter ID, also referred to as the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), holds significant importance in the process of casting votes as it is considered a crucial document.

However, not possessing a voter ID card is not a matter of concern anymore as according to the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), one can vote in an election even without an ID card as long as that person's name is on the official voter list.

More details

Preparations are underway for voting at a polling booth set up at MA Ansari Inter College, Yusufpur Jamal, Ghazipur, UP.

From 7 AM, voting will be held on 57 seats across seven states and the Union territory of Chandigarh in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections today.

Polling officials conduct mock voting at a polling booth in Patna Women's College, Bihar. Voting is set to take place at 8 lok sabha constituencies in Bihar today.

Here's the list of seats:

1. Arrah

2. Buxar

3. Karakat

4. Jahanabad

5. Nalanda

6. Patna Sahib

7. Pataliputra

8. Sasaram

Local artists perform dance to welcome voters at a polling booth set up at Govt Primary Smart School in Lakhnaur, Anandpur Sahib, Punjab. Voting is set to take place in all 13 Lok Sabhha seats inn Punjab today.

Here's the list:

1. Gurdaspur

2. Amritsar

3. Khadoor Sahib

4. Jalandhar (SC)

5. Hoshiarpur (SC)

6. Anandpur Sahib

7. Ludhiana

8. Fatehgarh Sahib (SC)

9. Faridkot (SC)

10. Firozpur

11. Bathinda

12. Sangrur

13. Patiala

Mock polling is underway at a polling booth in the Saraskana Assembly constituency of Mayurbhanj.

JMM has fielded former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's sister, Anjani Soren here. BJP has fielded Naba Charan Majhi. They face a contest from BJD's Sudam Marndi.

Polling is set to take place in the following 6 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha today:

1. Balasore

2. Bhadrak

3. Jajpur

4. Jagatsinhpur

5. Kendrapara

6. Mayurbhanj

Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda claimed on Friday that the Congress's decision to not participate in exit poll debates is the confirmation that the opposition party has conceded the Lok Sabha elections.

Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Shah said in a statement that the Congress has been in a "denial mode" since he began playing a key role in its affairs.

"The Congress ran the campaign through the polls that it is going to get a majority. But it has now realised the reality and knows that it faces a rout in the exit polls to be broadcast after the elections tomorrow," Shah said.

(PTI Inputs)

Voting begins at 57 constituencies across 8 States and and Union Territories. Polling is taking place in Bihar, Himachal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, and Chandigarh today.

Sending across his message for the last lap of the electoral marathon, PM Modi tweeted, "Today is the final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As 57 seats across 8 states and UTs go to the polls, calling upon the voters to turnout in large numbers and vote. I hope young and women voters exercise their franchise in record numbers. Together, let’s make our democracy more vibrant and participative."

After casting his vote for the seventh phase of Lok Saba elections, AAP MP Raghav Chadha says, "Today is the grand festival of India...Every vote by the citizen will decide the direction & condition of the country...I request everyone to exercise their right to vote..."

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath casts his vote at a polling booth in Gorakhnath, Gorakhpur. The Gorakhpur seat sees a contest amid BJP's Ravi Kishan, SP's Kajal Nishad and BSP's Javed Ashraf.

Polling is taking place in the following 13 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh today:

1. Varanasi

2. Mahrajganj

3. Gorakhpur

4. Kushinagar

5. Deoria

6. Bansgaon

7. Ghosi

8. Ghazipur

9. Ballia

10. Salempur

11. Chandauli

12. Mirzapur

13. Robertsganj

BJP president JP Nadda casted his vote at a polling booth in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.

“I got the opportunity to come to my village- Vijaypur to cast my vote. I appeal to everyone to cast their vote for strengthening democracy,” said Nadda after casting vote.

Polling is taking place in the following 4 Lok Sabha seats in Himachal:

1. Mandi

2. Shimla

3. Kangra

4. Hamirpur

Commenting on the much-awaited results of the Lok Sabha elections, Union Minister and NDA candidate (Apna Dal Sonelal) Anupriya Patel, from Mirzapur said, "...Wait for 4 June, everything will be clear. The INDI alliance will fall apart like a pack of cards and a strong government will be formed in the country for the third time and the NDA government will score a hat-trick under the leadership of Modi ji. As far as the country's development is concerned, we have worked to take the country forward in 10 years. Today, India's economy is the fifth largest economy in the world, which was counted in the fragile five during the UPA government...Today, infrastructure has been developed on a large scale in the country...Apna Dal Sonelal will win both the seats of Mirzapur and Sonbhadra..."

Former Indian cricketer and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh casts his vote at a polling booth in Jalandhar.

"I expect that people come in large numbers to vote and I want maximum polling in Jalandhar. It is our duty and we should bring the government that we want, a government that can work for the people. I am not a VIP at all, the VIP culture should end. If one can stand in a queue for a langar, then one can stand here too", Singh said after casting vote.

Within an hour since voting started, EVM and VVPAT machines were reportedly thrown in water by a mob at booth number 40 and 41 in Kultai, South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.

Polling in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections to nine seats in West Bengal began at 7 am on Saturday amid tight security arrangements, an Election Commission of India (ECI) official said.

Voting in Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar seats will continue till 6 pm, he added.

A total of 1.63 crore voters, including 83.19 lakh men, 80.20 lakh women and 538 persons of the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 17,470 polling stations.

(via PTI)

Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, RJD chief Lalu Yadav and their daughter Rohini Acharya arrive at a polling booth set up at Veterinary College in Patna, to cast their vote.

On allegations of a tape being put over CCTV at the booth, Kolkata South CPI(M) candidate Saira Shah Halim said, "We will have to see this. We will complain to the Election Commission immediately..."

"Agents are everywhere. My comrades are on the battleground...We will see how Mamata Banerjee is encouraging violence here. Public will give her a reply", Halim added.

Saira is facing a contest from BJP MP & candidate Debasree Chaudhuri and TMC's Mala Roy.

"As a citizen, it was my duty to vote and so I did. I waited in the queue for 40 minutes and then cast my vote. I have fulfilled my political duties and from now on I will only be talking about films," said actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty after casting vote in Kolkata.

After casting his vote, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur seat Anurag Thakur said, "I hope there will be record voting. I am confident that the excitement in the seventh phase will be more that what we have witnessed in the last six phases of elections. There will be bumper voting and then later bumper victory."

"By not choosing to meditate at the banks of Ganga River and going to the South, I believe he (PM Modi) has insulted Kashi. He should have stayed in Kashi," said Ajay Rai after casting his vote today.

Rai has been fielded by Congress against PM Modi from UP's Varanasi Lok Sabha.

• Bihar- 10.58%

• Chandigarh- 11.64%

• Himachal Pradesh- 14.35%

• Jharkhand- 12.15%

• Odisha- 7.69%

• Punjab- 9.64%

• Uttar Pradesh- 12.94%

• West Bengal- 12.63%

As the seven-phase-long Lok Sabha elections in 543 constituencies ends today, the exit polls are likely to begin as soon as the last vote is cast in the polling booth. Unlike pre-election surveys, exit polls often show instant feedback on post-election voter preferences.

The election process started on April 19, which was the first phase. The next phase was on April 26. The following phases took place on May 7, May 13, May 20, and May 26; the last phase is taking place today.

The Election Commission this time issued a notification banning the conduct, publication or publicising of exit polls between 7.00 am of April 19 and 6.30 pm of June 1 when votes will be cast for the Lok Sabha and four state assembly polls.

Taking cognisance of the incident where VVPATs were thrown into water, CEO West Bengal tweeted, "Today morning at 6.40 am Reserve EVMs & papers of Sector Officer near Benimadhavpur FP school, at 129-Kultali AC of 19-Jaynagar (SC) PC has been looted by local mob and 1 CU, 1 BU , 2VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond."

"I have cast my vote after 11 years. Goons of TMC won't be able to do anything. People will decide on their own and pick PM Modi," says BJP's Basirhat candidate Rekha Patra after casting vote in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur vote at a polling booth in Sangrur constituency in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on Saturday.

"I appeal to Punjabis to come out of their homes and vote and choose good representatives who can work for you," he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged people on Saturday to vote in large numbers and deal a “final blow” to “this government which has become a symbol of arrogance and tyranny”.

“I am proud that even in this scorching heat, all of you have come out to vote to protect democracy and the Constitution,” the former Congress president said in a post in Hindi on X.

“Even today, come out in large numbers and give your vote as a ‘final blow’ to this government, which has become a symbol of arrogance and tyranny,” he said.

• Bihar- 24.25%

• Chandigarh- 25.03%

• Himachal Pradesh- 31.92%

• Jharkhand- 29.55%

• Odisha- 22.64%

• Punjab- 23.91%

• Uttar Pradesh- 28.02%

• West Bengal- 28.10%

Odisha recorded 22.97% voter turnout for assembly seats till 11 am in the fourth and last phase of simultaneous elections to its State Legislative Assembly.

"People are casting their vote, there is no extra need of sending any message out, but yes, voting is our right. One must vote, every vote matters," says actor and TMC leader Nusrat Jahan after casting her vote at Abdul Wahid Memorial School in Shikarpur, West Bengal.

• Bihar-35.65%

• Chandigarh- 40.14%

• Himachal Pradesh- 48.63%

• Jharkhand- 46.80%

• Odisha- 37.64%

• Punjab- 37.80%

• Uttar Pradesh- 39.31%

• West Bengal - 45.07%

"EVMs are not working at several polling booths, people had to wait for up to two hours to cast their votes. We are lodging complaints over the issues," says Samajwadi Party candidate from Azamgarh Rajiv Rai, after casting vote.

As of 1 PM, the Election Commission of India has reported that Himachal Pradesh has reported the highest voter turnout at 48.63%. Bihar, on the other hand, has reported the lowest turnout at 35.65%.

For the final phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Punjab, as of 1 PM, Bathinda has seen the highest voter turnout of 41.17%. Meanwhile, Amritsar has reported the lowest voter turnout at 31.18%. Overall, the voter turnout in the state stands at 37.80%.

Exit polls for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 are set to begin today. The exit polls, which usually predict the next government are set to begin in the evening

In the exit polls for the 2014 general elections, predictions were made for the BJP-NDA Government to come into power, which turned true after their landlslide victory. The same was predicted for the 2019 general elections.

For the 2014 elections, NDA won 336 seats and the BJP won 282 seats. For 2019, NDA won 352 seats and the BJP alone won 303 seats.

For the 2024 general elections, the exit polls will commence tonight across all major Indian news channels and websites.

As per the 3 PM numbers issued by the Election Commission of India, the overall voter turnout stands at 49.68 percent. For the seventh and final phase of the elections, Jharkhand has reported the highest turnout of 60.14 percent, followed by West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh at 58.46% and 58.41%

Odisha registered 49.77 per cent voter turnout till 3 pm in six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly segments on Saturday, officials said.

Voting started at 7 am in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur parliamentary constituencies along with 42 assembly segments falling under these Lok Sabha seats.

Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in the state.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) N B Dhal said voting has been peaceful so far in the 10,882 polling booths, barring some reports of EVM glitches, which were mostly resolved or the machines replaced in some cases.

(with PTI inputs)

In a setback to the Congress ahead of the Maharashtra legislative council polls, Sandeep Gulve, a party leader from Nashik, joined the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday.

Gulve is likely to be fielded from the Nashik Teachers' constituency in the biennial elections slated to be held on June 26.

Gulve joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit in the presence of party leaders Sanjay Raut, Subhash Desai and Diwakar Raote at Sena Bhavan.

The former Congress leader has been a member of the Nashik Zilla Parishad from 2012 to 2017. He is also director of Maratha Vidya Prasarak Mandal.

(with PTI inputs)

• Bihar - 42.95%

• Chandigarh - 52.61%

• Himachal Pradesh - 58.41%

• Jharkhand - 60.14%

• Odisha - 49.77%

• Punjab - 46.38%

• Uttar Pradesh - 46.83%

• West Bengal - 58.46%

Widespread violence between TMC and BJP supporters over alleged electoral malpractices was reported during polling in strife-torn Sandeshkhali region of Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday, resulting in numerous injuries. Police resorted to lathicharge and tear gas shelling to control the situation.

In the remaining eight parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, which went to the polls in the seventh and final phase, sporadic incidents of violence were reported.

- PTI inputs

As per the Election Commission of India, the voter turnout for the final phase of the Lok Sabha Elections has neared 60 percent. The overall turnout stands at 58.34 percent as of 5 PM.

Based on the data released by the poll body, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh have reported the highest voter turnout.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 polling has now concluded across all 57 constituencies. Ahead of the exit polls for the general elections, election strategist Prashant Kishor has predicted that the BJP will be returning for a third term.

As of 5 PM, the Election Commission of India has reported 58.34% voter turnout for the final phase of the Lok Sabha Elections. Based on the 5 PM data, West Bengal has reported the highest turnout.

Lok Sabha Phase 7 Voter Turnout

• Bihar - 48.86%

• Chandigarh - 62.80%

• Himachal Pradesh - 66.56%

• Jharkhand - 67.95%

• Odisha - 62.46%

• Punjab - 55.20%

• Uttar Pradesh - 54%

• West Bengal - 69.89%

The polling for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 has officially concluded. The final phase of the polls saw a voter turnout at 58.34% as of 5 PM. The Election Commission of India will now declare the results on June 4

With the polling for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 officially over, exit poll projections for the general election results are underway. Read here for the latest and LIVE Updates on the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Exit Polls

Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties met on Saturday to take stock of the opposition's preparations leading up to the June 4 counting of votes polled in the Lok Sabha elections, and claimed they will get more than 295 seats, enough for them to form the next government.

"The INDIA bloc will get more than 295 seats. We have arrived at this figure after speaking with all our leaders," Kharge told reporters. "This is a survey of people. People have given this information to our leaders. The government surveys are there and their media friends also inflate figures and put it out. Therefore, we want to tell you about the reality," the Congress president said.

An approximate overall voter turnout of 58.92 per cent was recorded in seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls today.

State-wise voter turnout

Bihar - 49.22%

Chandigarh - 62.80%

Himachal Pradesh - 66.91%

Jharkhand - 68.32%

Odisha - 62.66%

Punjab - 55.58%

Uttar Pradesh - 55.53%

West Bengal - 69.89%

Early exit polls predicted a comfortable majority for the BJP-led NDA, with the ruling alliance projected to open its account in Tamil Nadu and Kerala and sweep Karnataka.

The Republic TV-P Marq poll claimed that the ruling alliance will win up to 359 seats and the opposition INDIA bloc will bag 154 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The Republic TV-Matrize poll gave 353-368 seats to the NDA and 118-133 seats to the opposition.

The Jan Ki Baat poll gave 362-392 seats to the ruling NDA and 141-161 to the opposition alliance.

- PTI

A BSF unit was deployed to safely and conveniently ferry the voters of Kalu Wala village in Punjab's Ferozepur district, which is surrounded by Sutlej river on three sides and India-Pakistan border on the other, to their polling station on Saturday.

"Surrounded by the river Sutlej on three sides Int. (international) border on fourth, booth at the village Kalu Wala in Ferozepur distt. (district) is very unique. A unit of BSF was deployed to safely & conveniently ferry voters of Kalu Wala village to their polling station," said a post on X by Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab.

The voters were brought in boats to the polling booth to cast their votes.

Polling for all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab was held on Saturday.

- PTI

The voting procedure that was conducted through seven phases across 543 constituencies have formally concluded.

After reports of violence the Election Commission may announced repolling in certain constituencies later but as per earlier schedule declared by the poll body, the polls have ended.

The results of the Lok Sabha polls will be declared on June 4.