An approximate voter turnout of 59.15 per cent was recorded on Saturday in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls with incidents of violence between TMC and BJP supporters reported in Sandeshkhali region of West Bengal, and complaints of EVM glitches and rigging at some booths lodged.

(PTI)

According to the EC, the polling percentage data compiled till 7:30 pm is -- Ballia 51.84, Bansgaon 51.59, Chandauli 60.34, Deoria 55.30, Ghazipur 55.21, Ghosi 54.60, Gorakhpur 54.69, Kushinagar 57.29, Maharajganj 60.08, Mirzapur 57.72, Robertsganj 55.61, Salempur 51.25 and Varanasi 56.35.

(PTI)

A voter turnout of 68.82 per cent was recorded in three Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand, where voting took place in the seventh and final phase on Saturday, officials said. The voting remained peaceful with some stray cases of MCC violation. (PTI)

On Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's "Rahul Gandhi my PM choice" statement and INDIA bloc meeting scheduled today in Delhi, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Whatever be the choice of Mallikarjun Kharge (for INDIA Alliance's PM face), the question is whether that is choice of the public? Public is not going to give a chance to either Congress or INDI Alliance to come to power. But when Mallikarjun Kharge has stated his choice did he ask Mamata Banerjee or Arvind Kejriwal?...INDI Alliance is drawing its last breath by the last phase. Mamata Banerjee is not going to attend today's meeting. Those who were striking friendship in Delhi are becoming enemies in Punjab..."

Ninety-two-year-old Khalil Ansari, who is visually impaired, cast his vote for the first time on Saturday during the Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand's Sahibganj district, an official said. Ansari, from Badkhori village in Rajmahal parliamentary constituency, voted at booth number 10 of the Upgraded Government Middle School in Mandro, the official added. Ansari's name was initially missing from the electoral rolls, a fact discovered by Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar during inspections of Mandro polling stations on April 5.

BJP candidate from Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency, Locket Chatterjee cast her vote at a polling station in Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas for the last phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

A voter turnout of 46.80 per cent was recorded till 1 pm in three Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand where voting is underway in the seventh and final phase on Saturday, officials said. Polling began at 7 am in Dumka, Rajmahal, and Godda, and will continue till 5 pm. Rajmahal seat registered the highest polling at 47.76 per cent, followed by Dumka (46.90) and Godda (45.91). A total of 52 candidates, including eight women, are contesting in this phase, the state's fourth. Nineteen candidates each are competing in Dumka and Godda, while 14 are contesting in Rajmahal.

BJP candidate from Jharkhand's Dumka Lok Sabha seat, Sita Soren, on Saturday alleged irregularities in the voting process and demanded re-polling in the constituency. Sita, the sister-in-law of jailed former chief minister Hemant Soren, claimed that the voting process was being intentionally delayed. "I have visited several booths in Dumka urban and found irregularities. I have informed the deputy commissioner in this regard. Inexperienced booth level officers (BLOs) have been deployed due to which electors are facing trouble," Sita said.

A voter turnout of 40.09 per cent was recorded till 1 pm on Saturday in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission (EC) said. Polling is being held for 57 constituencies spread across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, including Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha. The voting is being held in all 13 seats of Punjab and four of Himachal Pradesh, 13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha and three in Jharkhand, besides Chandigarh. Polling for the remaining 42 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and bypolls to six Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh are also taking place simultaneously.

Sporadic incidents of violence marred the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls in the nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, as TMC, ISF and BJP workers clashed in various parts of violence-prone Jadavpur and Diamond Harbour constituencies. Although the poll panel has claimed that voting has been peaceful so far, it said it has received 1,450 complaints until 11 am from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths. Around 28.10 per cent of over 1.63 crore voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling to the nine Lok Sabha seats, an Election Commission official said.

Monks from ISKCON Temple in Kolkata cast their votes for the seventh phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, at a polling station in Kolkata.

AAP national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and MP Sanjay Singh are likely to attend the INDIA block leaders' meeting to be held at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann will reach Delhi after casting his vote to attend the meeting.

TMC MP and actor Nusrat Jahan cast her vote at a polling booth in Kolkata. 

Incidents of violence were reported on Saturday, June 1, in several districts of West Bengal as polling in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections to nine seats in the state. Voting in underway in Bengal for Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar parliamentary seats amid tight security. 

In the seventh and final phase of the general election on Saturday, polling is being held for 57 constituencies spread across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, including Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha. The voting is being held in all 13 seats of Punjab and four of Himachal Pradesh, 13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha and three in Jharkhand, besides Chandigarh. Polling for the remaining 42 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and bypolls to six Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh are also taking place simultaneously.

“We are the army of PM Modi, he will get all four seats in Himachal,” says Kangana Ranaut after casting vote in Mandi.
 

"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," said BJP's Basirhat candidate Rekha Patra after casting vote in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal.

BJP candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat Kangana Ranaut offered prayers at the BJP office in Mandi after casting her vote for the seventh phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

TMC National General Secretary and candidate from Diamond Harbour seat, Abhishek Banerjee shows his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling station, for the seventh phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Nearly 12.15 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 9 am in three Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand where voting is underway in the seventh phase on Saturday, officials said. Polling began at 7 am in Dumka, Rajmahal, and Godda, and will continue till 5 pm. Rajmahal seat registered the highest polling at 12.82 per cent, followed by Dumka (12.31) and Godda (11.46).

• 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%

BJP leader and party's Lok Sabha candidate from Patna Sahib seat, Ravi Shankar Prasad, cast his vote in Patna.

UP Congress chief & candidate from Varanasi seat, Ajay Rai showed his inked finger after casting his vote for the seventh phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. He faces a contest from Prime Minister and BJP candidate Narendra Modi & BSP's Ather Jamal Lari.

BJP candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha, Kangana Ranaut cast her vote at a polling station in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, for the seventh phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Congress has fielded Vikramaditya Singh from Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

"On June 4, the Modi government will be formed again:" CM Yogi Adityanath after casting his vote in Gorakhpur.

After casting her vote, former Bihar CM and RJD leader Rabri Devi said, "We will win all the 40 seats in Bihar. INDIA alliance will come to power."

Bhojpuri actor and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Kishan and his wife casts their votes at a polling station in the Gorakhpur constituency.

The Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat sees a contest amid BJP's Ravi Kishan, SP's Kajal Nishad and BSP's Javed Ashraf.

BJP candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan arrived at a polling booth in Gorakhpur to cast this vote in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The Gorakhpur seat sees a contest amid BJP's Ravi Kishan, SP's Kajal Nishad and BSP's Javed Ashraf.

Amardeep Ranaut, father of BJP candidate from Mandi Kangana Ranaut, said , "It feels very good. Like Diwali, everyone is coming with great enthusiasm and all the people are going to press the Lotus button ...I appeal to all voters to come out and vote for the BJP and strengthen the hands of PM Modi so that our country can move ahead on the path of development."

SBSP President and UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar cast his vote at a polling station in Ballia in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. After casting his vote, Rajbhar said, "I want to appeal to the people to come out of their houses and cast their vote for the better future of people..."

Former Indian cricketer and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh cast his vote at a polling booth in Punjab's Jalandhar. Harbhajan Singh said, "Today is a very important day for all of us and I would appeal to everyone to come out and vote and elect a government that can work for you."

Polling commenced for six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly seats in Odisha on Saturday morning, amid tight security, a poll official said. Voting began at 7 am in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats, along with the 42 assembly segments that constitute these parliamentary constituencies. Polling will continue till 6 pm as there are no Maoist-hit zones under these Lok Sabha seats, the official added.

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.

Former diplomat and BJP candidate from Amritsar constituency, Taranjit Singh Sandhu cast his vote at a polling booth in the constituency in Punjab. He faces a contest from Congress MP & candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla, AAP's Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and SAD's Anil Joshi.

EAM S Jaishankar on Saturday urged voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers in the seventh and last phase of the General Elections. He tweeted, "Urge all eligible voters to vote in large numbers in this seventh and last phase of the General Elections. Your vote for a strong and stable Government will make possible our journey towards Viksit Bharat. Go out, make your vote count!(sic)."

BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla in a tweet on X said, " Today is the last phase of polling. With the end of this phase the great festival of democracy will come to a close and we will then gear up for exit polls in the evening and exact poll results on 4th June. I request each and every voter to go out and participate in this Mahaparv of LOKTANTRA."

Samajwadi Party's Lok Sabha candidate from Ghazipur, Afzal Ansari cast his vote at a polling booth in the constituency. Ansari is facing a contest from BJP's Paras Nath Rai and BSP's Umesh Kumar Singh here.

BJP national president JP Nadda cast his vote at a polling booth in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. His wife Mallika Nadda also cast her vote here. "I was the first voter here (in his booth). I appeal to all voters to vote in large numbers for a capable and self-reliant India. I urge voters to vote and contribute towards making India a capable, self-reliant and developed India...I consider this a festival of democracy..."

Talking to the media, Chadha said, "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 has cast his vote at a polling booth in Gorakhnath, Gorakhpur.

India enters the last stage of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the key candidates. The PM urged people to participate in this festival enthusiastically. Taking to X, his post read, “Voting is going to take place today in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections. I request all the voters of this phase to participate enthusiastically in this great festival of democracy. I am confident that our youth and women voters will come forward in record numbers to cast their votes. Let us together make our democracy more vibrant.”

Polling is under way in 57 constituencies across 8 states and Union Territories (UTs) today. Simultaneous polling being held in 42 Assembly constituencies in Odisha.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha was seen standing in a queue at a polling station in Lakhnaur, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar under Anandpur Sahib constituency. The polling for the last phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will begin at 7 am.

Mock poll is underway at a polling booth in Balasore Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha. Polling for the last phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will begin at 7 am.

Voting in 57 seats across 8 States, UTs will begin at 7am on Saturday.