Lok Sabha Polls 2024: PM Modi attacks Congress for questioning EVMs integrity

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: The live blog is closed now, thank you for joining

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: PM Modi attacks Congress for questioning EVMs integrity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress Party should apologise to the country for questioning the integrity of the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Speaking at an election rally in South Goa, he also said Goa was a model of the BJP ''saturation approach'' to the implementation of the central government's schemes, which was true secularism and means of doing social justice, PTI reports.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Sunita Kejriwal holds massive roadshow in Delhi

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal holds a massive roadshow in the Kondli area in support of AAP's East Delhi candidate Kuldeep Kumar.

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Ujjwal Nikam reacts after BJP fields him from Mumbai North Central seat

EC orders re-polling at one booth in Chamarajanagar LS segment

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party wants to weaken the democracy in the country and has pressurised every institution in the last 10 years to not comment against it.

Addressing an election rally in Valsad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "They (BJP) want to weaken the democracy and people of the nation. Institutions that protect your rights be it media have been weakened. Media used to ask us every day but nothing of that sort is happening today."

Referring to remarks of BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde on "rewriting constitution", Priyanka Gandhi said that it is a "dangerous" trend. "You must have seen, the BJP leaders have said that they want to change the Constitution and PM Modi contradicts that statement. This is a dangerous trend. This constitution has given you all the rights, then what's the need to change it?" she asked.

She further went on to slam the BJP for "targeting" opposition leaders."PM Modi is weakening the democracy. He is attacking the opposition daily. He froze Congress' bank accounts. Two Chief Ministers are in jail, my brother (Rahul Gandhi) was also almost kicked out of Parliament. 150 members were suspended in the Winter session recently, only Modiji is honest," she said. (ANI)

Election Commission rules out non-activation of ballot unit in Bengaluru's Shantinagar booth

The Election Commission has dismissed as "incorrect and baseless" reports alleging non-activation of a ballot unit by a polling official in polling booth in Shantinagar, Bengaluru. "Reports of alleged non-activation of a ballot unit by a polling official in a polling booth in Shantinagar in Bengaluru, circulating on social media & WhatsApp as an audio message are incorrect & baseless. The correct position has been outlined below by DEO, after due enquiry," the Election Commission said in a post on X.

'BJP ploy...weapons planted at site': TMC writes to Bengal poll panel chief after arms recovery in Sandeshkhali

The ruling Trinamool Congress lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of the state on Saturday over the raids in Sandeshkhali by a joint team of the CBI and bomb squads of the elite National Security Guard (NSG).

During Phase 2 of polling for the Lok Sabha in the state on Friday, the CBI and the NSG bomb squads carried out raids in Sandeshkhali and the North 24 Parganas district, recovering a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the house of Abu Taleb, a relative of local TMC leader Hafzul Khan, who is alleged to be a close aide of now-expelled ruling party strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.

In its complaint with the CEO, the TMC alleged that despite repeated representations, the state poll panel chief failed to stop central probe agencies from 'throttling the campaign efforts' of various political parties.' While elections were going on, the CBI deliberately carried out an unscrupulous raid at an empty location in Sandeshkhali. Media reports suggest that the CBI called in additional forces, including the bomb squad of the National Security Guard (NSG). (ANI)

Congress will hold a Central Election Committee (CEC) today to discuss candidates for highly anticipated seats in Uttar Pradesh--Raebareli and Amethi.

According to party sources, leaders of the UP Congress and the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of UP, Avinash Pandey, have also been called for a meeting today.

Earlier, a proposal was given from the UP Congress to the CEC that the Gandhi family should contest the Amethi and Raibareli seats and the decision was left to the CEC and top leadership.A senior party functionary told ANI that the situation is very good and they are very positive for the proposal to be considered in a true spirit. There is a high chance that Congress can announce Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi as their candidates for the Amethi and Rae Bareli seats respectively. (ANI)

Lok Sabha polls phase 2 has been spectacular for BJP in Assam, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Exuding confidence in the outcome of the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that the second phase has been spectacular for BJP in Assam. 

Of the 5 seats that went to the polls in Assam, the BJP will emerge victorious on 4 seats with a significant lead, Assam CM added."My feedback from yesterday - excellent turnout in our strongholds, 2nd phase has been spectacular for BJP in Assam. 

Of the 5 seats that went to polls, we are winning 4 with a huge lead and in one seat for obvious reasons, it is a very very close contest," the Assam CM said in a post on X. Assam recorded 77.35 per cent voter turnout in the second phase of polls, which was held in five parliamentary constituencies in the state on April 26. According to the Election Commission, 77.35 percent of voters in five parliamentary constituencies - Silchar, Karimganj, Diphu, Nagaon, and Darrang-Udalguri, came out to exercise their franchise in the second phase of polls. 

Assam records 77.35% voter turnout in second phase of polls

Assam recorded 77.35 percent voter turnout in the second phase of polls, which was held in five parliamentary constituencies in the state on April 26. According to the Election Commission, 77.35 percent of voters in five parliamentary constituencies - Silchar, Karimganj, Diphu, Nagaon, and Darrang-Udalguri, came out to exercise their franchise in the second phase of polls. 80.56 percent voter turnout was recorded in Nagaon parliamentary constituency, while 78.41 percent voter turnout was recorded in Darrang-Udalguri, 75.97 percent in Silchar, 75.63 percent in Karimganj and 73.11 percent in Diphu seat. Assam recorded a 78.25 percent polling percentage in the first phase of polls in five parliamentary constituencies - Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Kaziranga, and Sonitpur on April 19. The third phase of polls in four Lok Sabha seats in Assam - Guwahati, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Dhubri will be held on May 7. (ANI)

Jailed pro-Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh to contest LS polls from Khadoor Sahib as Independent, says mother

Pro-Khalistani separatist and Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh will contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Khadoor Sahib Lok seat as an Independent candidate, said his mother Balwinder Kaur on Saturday.

Singh's mother also claimed that pressure was being put on him to contest the polls, adding that he will now begin his political innings from Khadoor Sahib.

The Pro-Khalistani leader is currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam."Pressure was being put on Amritpal Singh to contest the elections and now he is going to start his political innings from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.

This election will not be fought by him on the platform of any party. This election will be fought as an independent candidate," Balwinder Kaur told media. (ANI)

The Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency recorded 53.30 per cent voter turnout for the Lok Sabha election on Friday, according to official figures.

A total of 15 candidates were in the fray for the Gautam Buddha Nagar seat, with 26,75,148 electors eligible to decide their fate. The constituency is spread across five assembly segments of Noida, Dadri and Jewar, Khurja and Sikandrabad. (PTI)

Voting delayed in some constituencies of Kerala due to extreme heat

Due to extreme heat, people turned up in large numbers towards the closing hours in Kerala. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted a heatwave in Palakkad district earlier.In some constituencies, the voters also had to wait for hours in the queue due to technical reasons. Voters alleged that the lack of experience of polling staff in certain booths was the reason for the delay.

Voting lasted till 10 pm in some booths of Vadakara constituency. Voting was delayed in some booths of Vadakara, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani and Alathur constituencies.

The election commission has informed that till 8.15 pm 70.35 per cent of voters have exercised their voting rights. Out of 2,77,49,159 voters, 1,95,22259 had cast their vote. ANI

Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Voter turnout registered was over 62 percent

Congress leader Pappu Yadav decided to go solo after being denied a ticket from the Purnia Lok Sabha constituency. Pappu had represented Purnia three times between 1991 and 2004.

There were over 14.78 lakh registered 85+ years old, 42,226 voters above 100 years and 14.7 lakh PwD voters for phase two who have been provided the option to vote from the comfort of their homes. 

The first phase of voting for the seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the world's largest electoral exercise, was held on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs. 

According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout registered was over 62 per cent. The third phase election will be held on May 7.

Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: Chhattisgarh recorded a voter turnout of 75.16 percent 

76.16 percent of polling was reported in the Rajnandgaon constituency, where sitting BJP MP Santosh Pandey was fielded against former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. 

Chhattisgarh recorded a voter turnout of 75.16 percent till the last report. The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in thirteen constituencies of Rajasthan witnessed a total voter turnout of 64.07 percent. (ANI)

Actor Arun Govil, who is renowned for his portrayal of Lord Ram in the epic Ramayana on national television, contested the general elections from Meerut on BJP's ticket against Samajwadi Party's Sunita Verma and Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Devvrat Kumar Tyagi.

Meerut recorded a total voter turnout of 58.70 percent. Uttar Pradesh, where polling concluded for eight constituencies witnessed a total voter turnout of 54.85 percent. Mathura, where actor-turned-politician Hema Malini contested the polls against Congress party's Mukesh Dhangar and Bahujan Samaj Party's Suresh Singh recorded a total voter turnout of 49.29 till the last report. (ANI)