2019 Lok Sabha Elections Begin: India goes to polls for Phase 1 of General Elections - Voting to be held for 91 seats

Poll percentage of Jammu and Kashmir:  

Poll % till 5 PM 

• Bihar: 50.26%
• Telangana: 60.57%
• Meghalaya: 62%
• Uttar Pradesh: 59.77%
• Manipur: 78.20%
• Lakshadweep: 65.9%
• Assam: 68%

Surendra Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha: We have been successful in conducting the first phase of polls in a free, fair & peaceful manner. There has been no untoward incident whatsoever reported in the polls. The failure rate of EVMs has been under 1%.

Election Commission briefs the media after the first phase of Lok Sabha election concludes:

(As of 5 PM)

• Andaman and Nicobar: 70.67%
• Chhattisgarh: 56%
• Andhra Pradesh: 56% 
• Telangana: 60%
• Maharashtra: 55.78%
• Sikkim: 69%
• Mizoram: 60
• Nagaland: 78
• Manipur: 78.2
• Tripura: 81.8
• West Bengal: 81%

Uttar Pradesh voting percentage till 1pm

• Meerut -42%
• Ghaziabad -30%
• Muzaffarnagar- 37%
• Baghpat-38%

Bihar overall voting percentage till 1pm

• Gaya- 33%
• Jamui - 29%
• Aurangabad- 34%
• Nawada- 37%

Poll percentage as of 1 pm

Voting percentage as of 2 PM:

• Aurangabad- 36.2%
• Gaya-  38%
• Jamui-   32.50 %
• Nawada - 39%
• Tezpur 45.85%
• Kaliabor 47.6%
• Jorhat 45.21%
• Dibrugarh 40.86%
• Lakhimpur 42.12%

3 injured in Arunachal clash during polling:

At least three persons were seriously injured in a clash between supporters of two rival
political parties under Tali assembly constituency of Arunachal Pradesh during polling. 

Polling percentage as of 12 PM 

Bihar:

• Aurangabad- 25%
• Gaya- 23%
• Nawada-27%
• Jamui- 23%

Voter turn out across states: 

TDP activist killed in clashes that broke out in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district,

Poll percentage as of 11 AM:

• Nagaland: 41%
• Manipur: 35.03% 
• Meghalaya: 27%
• Arunachal Pradesh: 27.48% 
• Sikkim: 41%

Poll percentage as of 11 am:

• Gautambudhnagar- 24.23% 
• Meerut- 25.4 %
• Kairana- 27 % 
• Muzaffarnagar-27.2%
• Mizoram: 29.5%
• Saharanpur: 25.6%
• Bijnor: 25.1%
• Bagpat: 25%
• Ghaziabad: 22.4%
• Gautam Budh Nagar: 24.24%

Poll percentage in Assam: 

Poll percentage as of 9:00 AM 

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma on the way to cast his vote:

Union Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi ahead of filing her nomination.

Voter turn out report:

Republic TV speaks to AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad as he casts his vote.  

Voter turn out as of 9 AM:

• Yavatmal: 6.31%
• Lakshadweep: 9.83%
• Washim: 6.31%

Here's what the voters of Nagpur had to say:

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, along with family members, casts his vote in Nagpur.

Voters turn out as of 9 a.m:
Jammu Constituency

• Jammu            14.12%
• Samba            16.52%
• Rajouri            11.88%
• Poonch            12.98%

Baramulla Constituency

• Baramulla        5.80%
• Kupwara        7.98%
• Bandipora        5.97%
• Migrants        10.24%

Overall poll % in the State is 11.43%.

The one who has contributed for the nation, whose intention is pure, everyone should vote for that candidate: Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev speaks to Republic TV ahead of casting his vote.
 

I have been in constant touch with the people and I am sure we will emerge victorious: Chirag Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party speaks exclusively to Republic TV

Election Commission releases data of voters turn out as of 9 AM. 

People will vote for development. People believe in me and I will stay true to them: Praful Patel, NCP leader

900 million Indians -- young and old--are casting their votes as the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections kick off.

Janasena Party MLA candidate Madhusudhan Gupta damages EVM at Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district as names of candidates names weren't displayed properly. He has been detained.

List of EVMs not working as of 9 AM:
Booth Number - Assembly Constituency

• 153    Jammalamadugu
• 154    Jammalamadugu
• 162    Jammalamadugu
• 181    Jammalamadugu
• 143    Atmakur
• 144    Atmakur
• 145    Atmakur
• 78    Madakasira
• 128    Kavali
• 3    Nellore City
• 48    Uravakonda
• 128    Nellore City
• 32    Udayagiri
• 2    Uravakonda
• 157    Uravakonda
• 235    Uravakonda
• 240    Uravakonda
• 61    Uravakonda
• 29    Uravakonda
• 18    Uravakonda
• 183    Guntakal
• 36    Proddatur
• 87    Singanamala
• 5    Singanamala
• 182    Singanamala
• 211    Singanamala
• 285    Singanamala
• 265    Singanamala
• 185    Kalyandurg
• 186    Kalyandurg
• 14    Darsi
• 112    Tadipatri
• 216    Tadipatri
• 250    Yerragondapalem
• 251    Yerragondapalem
• 252    Yerragondapalem
• 169    Yerragondapalem
• 170    Yerragondapalem
• 113    Yerragondapalem
• 258    Yerragondapalem
• 50    Pamaru
• 81    Pamaru
• 126    Pamaru
• 70    Gurajala
• 46    Chilakaluripeta
• 9    Pedakurapadu
• 1    Pedakurapadu
• 182    Pedakurapadu
• 58    Pedakurapadu
• 31    Pedakurapadu
• 27    Vemuru
• 28    Vemuru
• 124    Parchur
• 168    Parchur
• 149    Mangalgiri
• 223    Mangalgiri
• 214    Prathipadu
• 215    Prathipadu
• 56    Parchur
• 291    Parchur
• 292    Parchur
• 181    Vijaywada West
• 57    Pamaru
• 39    Pamaru
• 26    Vijaywada West
• 76    Tadikonda
• 74    Tadikonda
• 79    Tadikonda
• 57    Tadikonda
• 77    Tadikonda
• 78    Tadikonda
• 86    Tadikonda
• 83    Tadikonda
• 21    Ponnur
• 22    Ponnur
• 222    Mangalgiri
• 247    Mangalgiri
• 65    Mangalgiri
• 66    Mangalgiri
• 150    Mangalgiri
• 140    Mangalgiri
• 141    Mangalgiri
• 210    Prathipadu
• 126    Chintalapudi
• 7    Eluru
• 13    Kakinada City
• 27    Tuni
• 62    Rajanagaram
• 62    Jaggampeta
• 204    Tuni
• 93    Tuni
• 143    Tuni
• 176    Tuni
• 5    Eluru
• 129    Kaikalur
• 73    Kovvur
• 76    Kovvur
• 207    Prathipadu
• 10    Eluru
• 156    Nuzvid
• 157    Nuzvid

Voter turnout as of 9 AM 

• Ghaziabad: 12 % 
• Meerut: 9 % 
• Bagpath: 11%
• Gaya: 13% 
• Nawada: 5% 
• Jamui: 5.87% 
• Aurangabad: 6.8%
• Muzaffarnagar-10%,
• Thana Bhavan: 11.05%
• Shyamli: 10.66%
• Kairana: 10.85%
• Nukkund: 17%
• Gohana: 8%
• Telangana: 10.6 percent
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands: 5.83 %
• Assam: 10.2%
• Saharanpur- 8%
• Meerut- 10%
• Bijnor - 11%
• Ghaziabad - 12%
• Gautam Budh Nagar-12%
• Mizoram: 17.46 %

I am very confident. Voting will go well. I am pretty sure people are looking for a change: YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy ahead of casting his vote.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, along with family members, casts his vote as 2019 Lok Sabha Election kicks off.

Citizens from all walks of life come out to exercise democracy as India goes to polls.

BJP's General VK Singh visits the temple as 2019 Lok Sabha Elections kick off.

Visuals from Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla as voters queue up to cast their vote for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

A Session of mock polling underway in Telangana as voting to begin from 8 am.

Voters queue outside polling booth in Cooch Bihar, West Bengal ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 

Prime Minister Modi urges citizens to turn out in large number to cast their vote as 2019 Lok Sabha elections commence.  

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat present at polling booth number 216 in Nagpur to cast his vote.

I have worked for the people: BJP's candidate from Muzaffarnagar constituency, Sanjeev Balyan, speaks to Republic TV as he waits in a queue to cast his vote.

"Today is the first phase to bring change. To make this as a historical day, all those who want to save democracy, want a stable government should go out of their house to cast their votes", tweets former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav  

The much-awaited Lok Sabha elections 2019 will begin on April 11, 2019. The Phase I of the polls will be held on Thursday.

Twenty states with 91 seats will go to polls during the Phase I of the polls.

Below are the states and the number of seats which will go to polls on Wednesday:

Andhra Pradesh - 25

Arunachal- 2

Assam - 5

Bihar - 4

Chattisgarh - 7

Jammu Kashmir - 2

Maharashtra - 7

Manipur - 1

Meghalaya - 2

Mizoram - 1

Nagaland - 1

Orissa - 4

Sikkim - 1

Telangana - 17

Tripura - 1

Uttar Pradesh - 8

West Bengal - 2

Andaman Nicobar Islands- 1

Below are the constituencies which are going to polls:

Adilabad, Peddapalle, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Zahirabad, Medak, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Chevella, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Bhongir, Warangal, Mahabubabad, Khammam, Araku, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, Kakinada, Amalapuram, Rajahmundry, Narsapuram, Elluru, Machilipatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Narasaraopet, Bapatla, Ongole, Nandyal, Kurnool, Anantapur, Hindupur, Kadapa, Nellore, Tirupati, Rajampet, Chittoor, Arunachal West, Arunachal East, Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Jamui, Baramulla, Jammu, Wardha, Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Chandrapur, Yavatmal-Washim, Outer Manipur, Shillong, Tura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Berhampur, Koraput, Sikkim, Tripura West, Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Cooch Behar, Alipurduars, Bastar, Tehri Garhwal, Garhwal, Almora, Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Hardwar, Lakshadweep and Andaman Nicobar Islands

READ | Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 1: Here Are The Key Contests Between Top Candidates

The polls will see seats from where high profile candidates (including Union Ministers) are fighting.

Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju, VK Singh, Mahesh Sharma, Hansraj Ahir, Agatha Sangma, Mukul Sangma, Harish Rawat, Ajay Tamta, Jayant Chaudhary, Satyapal Singh, Nabam Tuki, Renuka Chowdary, Nama Nageswara Rao, Chirag Paswan, Asaduddin Owaisi are some of the key canidates contesting polls during Phase I.

Assembly elections will be held in four states parallely on April 11, 2019.

The single phase state polls will be held in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, while the first phase of four phase state polls for Odisha will be held concurrently along with the general elections.

READ | Lok Sabha 2019 Election Dates: Counting To Be Held On 23 May - Here's The Full Schedule For The 2019 Parliamentary Polls For All Phases As Announced By The Election Commission 

Poll Timings: 
Polling will be held in 91 out of 543 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 20 states and Union Territories in the first phase on Thursday. 

The voting time in most of the Parliamentary Constituencies going to polls in the first phase is between 7am-6pm. However, in certain sensitive areas and North East States the timings will vary from 7am-5pm/ 7am-4pm/ 7am-3pm.

State-wise timings breakdown:

• 7am-6pm: Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep
• 7am-5pm: In Andhra Pradesh, voting will take place between 7am-6pm except Kurupam, Parvathipuram, Sailur, Rampachodovaram constituencies, where polling will take place as 7am-5pm. In Araku seat, Araku Valley and Paderu, will see voting between 7am -4pm.
• 7am-6pm/ 7am-5pm/7am-4pm/ 7am-3pm: Uttarakhand, Odisha, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra going to polls in phase-1 of general elections-2019 have varied timings.
• Among the NE States, voting will take place between 7am-5pm in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura West. While, Outer Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya will go to polls between 7am-4pm.
   

The public has seen the work of the last five years, they know how much Ghaziabad has changed: BJP's General VK Singh who is seeking re-election from the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha seat.

As Lok Sabha Election begins, Republic Media Network gets you the pulse from every corner of the Nation.