Lok Sabha elections 2024 is heating up with all indications being now that the contest is turning out to be closer than was initially expected. In the backdrop of this comes the third phase of voting on Tuesday covering 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories.
The Surat Lok Sabha seat has already seen Mukesh Dalal of the BJP being elected unopposed in controversial circumstances.
The constituencies that will be voting in the third phase include-- 25 seats in Gujarat, 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal and all two in Goa.
The BJP particularly has a lot at stake since it had won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh in the last elections.
In all, over 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. The fight for the 14 seats in Karnakata happens at a time when the flames of the Prajwal Revanna sex scandal are engulfing the JD(S) that had allied with the BJP.
Among the star candidates whose fates will be sealed in the ballot boxes are Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).
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Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Vidisha) and Digvijaya Singh (Rajgarh) have returned to the Lok Sabha electoral fray this time.
Another riveting contest will be in Maharashtra's Baramati between Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, wife of the veteran leader's estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday voted at a polling booth in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in the single-phase voting for 25 seats in Gujarat.
Modi reached the polling booth at Nishan Public School in Ranip locality of Ahmedabad city soon after the polling began at 7 am and cast his vote.
Union minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah, who is contesting to retain the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, was present when Modi reached the polling booth.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Vidisha, Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with wife Sadhna Singh and two sons exercise franchise at their native village Jait's polling booth in Sehore district.
Sharad Pawar's daughter and three-time sitting MP Supriya Sule is up against Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra in Baramati.
The voting turnout in Karnataka by 9 am this morning was at 9.45%, the Election Commission has informed.
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge casts his vote at a polling station in Gundugurthi village in Kalaburagi.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged voters to come out and vote for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. He emphasized the importance of electing a government with a proven track record in public welfare and a clear blueprint for the development of India.
"In the third phase of the Lok Sabha Election, I appeal to all the voters who are going to cast their votes today to accept voting as a duty towards contributing to nation-building. Once again, vote for a corruption-free, caste-free, and dynasticism-free system. Elect a government that has experience in public welfare and a blueprint for a developed India," Amit Shah posted on X.
He seeking his second term from the seat of Gandhinagar. The seat is considered one of the prestigious bastions for the party, that has been represented by veterans like LK Advani.
An approximate voter turnout of 10.81 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of polling in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories on Tuesday in the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls.
According to the Election Commission, Maharashtra witnessed the lowest voting percentage till 9 am with 6. 64 per cent voters exercising their franchise, while West Bengal recorded the highest in the first two hours with 15. 85 per cent,.
Among other states, Assam recorded 10.12 per cent, Bihar 10.41 per cent, Chhatisgarh 13.24 per cent, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 10.13 per cent, Goa 13.02 per cent, Gujarat 9.87 per cent, Karnataka 9.45 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 14.43 per cent and Uttar Pradesh 12.94 per cent, the EC said.
As the voting process kicked off in West Bengal, violence broke out outside a polling station in Murshidabad. Two Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders were seen pushing each other after a quarrel.
In the video shared by PTI, the TMC leader could be seen recording the BJP leader while they started shouting, and ultimately a clash broke out between the two of them.
Police present near the polling booth were seen pulling away the two leaders before the clashes could further escalate.
Voting in 14 Parliamentary Constituencies of Karnataka in Phase-3 elections started at 7am saw a rise to 24.48% till 11am.
It was 9.45% till 9am.
As per data from the office of the chief Electoral Officer Karnataka, the highest voter turnout was in Uttara Kannada-27.65%, followed by
Shimoga and Chikkodi - 27.232 and 27.23%, respectively, till 11.30am. despite the rising temperatures the voter turnout in Bellary also saw a sudden rise from 10.37% at 9am to 26.45% at 11.30am. the lowest voter turnout was in Bidar-22.33%.
More than 26 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the first four hours of polling for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.
The state witnessed 26.12 per cent polling till 11 am in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election.
While Agra witnessed 25.87 per cent polling, Aonla recorded a 25.98-per cent voter turnout, Budaun 26.02 per cent, Bareilly 23.6 per cent, Etah 27.17 per cent, Fatehpur Sikri 27.63 per cent, Firozabad 24.42 per cent, Hathras 26.05 per cent, Mainpuri 25.13 per cent and Sambhal 29.55 per cent, the Election Commission (EC) said.
Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Congress' nominee from Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday questioned the functioning of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in Chachura.
"Machine shows that 50 votes have been cast when just 11 votes were cast there. What is this?" he said.
Gujarat is seeing a single phase covering all seats in the state while Uttar Pradesh will see the fate of candidates in 10 seats being sealed in the EVMs. UP's seats include the SP stronghold of Mainpuri where Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple is expected to win.
Out of the 11 states/Union Territories that went for polling in the third phase of polls on Tuesday, Assam saw the highest voter turnout at 75.26% while Maharashtra recorded the lowest at 54.77%.
