Moderate to brisk voting was Thursday recorded in the first five hours of polling across 12 states covering 121 constituencies in the fifth phase – the biggest of the nine-phased Lok Sabha polls amidst Maoist violence in Jharkhand where rebels injured a CRPF jawan, blew up a railway track and exploded ten bombs.
About 30 per cent of 16.61 crore cast their vote till noon in this phase in which 1,769 candidates including Nandan Nilekani (Cong), Maneka Gandhi, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda (JD-S), Union Ministers Veerappa Moily (Cong) and Srikant Jena, Supriya Sule and Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti are in the fray.
Viewed as a high stakes day by both BJP and its allies, which hold 46 seats and Congress and its partners having 43 seats, today's polling may decide which party will lead the race to form the next government.
In Karnataka, voting began on a moderate to brisk note in the single-phase elections for all the 28 Lok Sabha seats.
Former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa (Shimoga) and Moily (Chikkaballapur) were among the early voters, as voting began with about 4.62 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 435 candidates.
BJP has lodged a complaint with electoral officials against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleging that he had violated the model code of conduct.
Barring reports of Naxal violence in some places in Jharkhand, polling has been peaceful, poll officials said.
Passenger train services were hit in Bokaro district where Maoists blew up a stretch of railway track.
The rebels damaged the tracks between Dania railway station in Bokaro and Jageshwar station of Bihar under South Eastern Railway, Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Singh said.
Reports of malfunctioning of five EVMs each were received from Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar constituencies.
Poll boycott was called in Bhuri Shahpur village under Damoh constituency on the issue of poor development work, and at Pathara village in Tikmagarh seat as no survey of hail-hit crops was carried out.
However, polling started in other Lok Sabha seats after initial call of boycott, Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind said.
So far polling has been held in 111 constituencies in four phases. In the last substantial round 91 seats went to polls on April 10. With today's polling, the 232 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies have been covered. The remaining four phases will be on April 24, April 30, May 7 and May 12.
Counting of votes will take place on May 16.
45 Per Cent Polling in Odisha Till 2 pm
An estimated 45 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 2 pm for the simultaneous second and last phase of the elections to 11 Lok Sabha and 77 Assembly constituencies in Odisha today.
Angul district recorded the highest polling of 52.3 per cent, followed by Keonjhar with 51 per cent and the lowest was over 32 per cent in Puri district, official sources said. More.
62 Per Cent Polling in Manipur till 2 pm
Sixty two per cent of the voters out of 8.53 lakh electorate have caste their ballot in the second phase of polling for the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat till 2 pm today, election office sources said.
Polling was brisk at many polling stations in Thoubal district, the home district of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, reports from the district said adding that at a polling station in Thoubal 82 per cent of the votes were cast by 1.30 pm. More.
Nearly 60 Per Cent Poll Recorded Till 1 pm in Bengal
Nearly 60 per cent votes have been polled till 1 pm in West Bengal, where polling is going on in four Parliamentary constituencies in the first phase of the five-phase election to decide the fate of 47 candidates. More
29 Per Cent Voting on 7 Seats in Bihar by Noon
About 29 per cent voting was recorded till noon in seven Parliamentary seats of Bihar today.
According to Election Commission bulletin, 28.30 per cent voting was recorded in the seven seats. Jehanabad with 33 per cent voting topped the list. More
Jharkhand Records Over 27 Per Cent Polling Till 11 am
An estimated 27.07 per cent voters today exercised their franchise till 11 am in the second phase of polling in six Lok Sabha seats of Jharkhand where Maoists injured five persons, including four CRPF jawans and blew up railway lines. More
26 Per cent Polling in Karnataka till Noon
Around 26 per cent of the 4.62 crore electorate have exercised their franchise till around noon in the single-phase polls today in Karnataka, where the ruling Congress and BJP are battling it out in a hot contest for 28 seats. More
Chhattisgarh: 30 Per cent Polling in Initial Hours; Raman, Son Cast Vote
About 30 per cent of electorate cast their votes in the first four hours of polling in three Naxal-hit constituencies of Chhattisgarh during the second phase of Lok Sabha election in the state. More
12 Per cent Voter Turnout in Initial Hours in Uttar Pradesh
Over 12 per cent votes have been polled till 9 am in Uttar Pradesh, where polling is going on on 11 seats in the second phase to decide fate of 150 candidates. More
15 Per cent Polling in Odisha till 10 am
Around 15 per cent voters exercised their franchise during first three hours for the simultaneous second and last phase election to 11 Lok Sabha and 77 Assembly constituencies in Odisha Thursday. More
Rajasthan Polls: 13.74 Per cent Polling in Initial Hours
13.74 per cent voting was registered during the initial hours today on the first polling day of Lok Sabha election in 20 out of 25 parliamentary seats in Rajasthan. More
Maharashtra LS Polls: Second Phase Polling Begins on 10 Seats
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Polling for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh under the second-phase election in the state began Thursda to decide the fate of 142 candidates, including 11 woman. More
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