Lok Sabha Polls LIVE | Phase 4 Sees Over 62% Voter Turnout Till 5 PM, Bengal Logs Highest Turnout

The fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections witnessed over 62% per cent voter turnout till 5pm on Monday across 96 constituencies in 10 states and Union Territories. West Bengal recorded the highest polling with 75.66 per cent voter turnout followed by Madhya Pradesh at 68.01 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra were the laggards with 35.75 per cent and 52.49 per cent polling, respectively.

'Jai Shri Ram', 'Modi Ki Hat-trick' chants echo as Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a mega roadshow in Varanasi. 

Speaking about PM Modi's roadshow in Varanasi, a local resident says, “There has never been such a great preparation. For around 4-5 km all preparations have been made. This turnout of people is historic and this can happen only when PM Modi comes...”
 

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath accompanies PM Modi as he holds the historic roadshow in Varanasi 

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur Anurag Thakur on Monday described Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the "biggest liar in the country" and alleged the AAP national convener has deceived the people of Delhi and Punjab.

Thakur is seeking a fifth term in the Lok Sabha from the Hamirpur seat in Himachal Pradesh.

He alleged that Kejriwal's primary aim was to grab power so that his misdeeds could be kept under wraps. But people know him well and would defeat his party in all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, Thakur claimed.

"Kejriwal is the biggest liar in this country. Kejriwal can say anything about anyone. He has deceived the people of Delhi and Punjab with his lies. His comments only entertain the people of this country and will benefit the BJP," he told reporters here.

Asserting that there was no anti-incumbency against the BJP, Thakur claimed that Kejriwal was spreading rumours after coming out of jail. The BJP leader exuded confidence that his party would win the Lok Sabha elections with ease and Narendra Modi would become prime minister for the third time.

A voter turnout of around 56.42 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in the four Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand where polling was underway on Monday, officials said.

Voting started at 7 am in Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Khunti and Palamu seats amid tight security measures, marking the first phase of elections in the eastern state. It will continue till 5 pm.

So far, polling has been peaceful in the four Lok Sabha seats, officials said.

Singhbhum registered a voter turnout of 57.62 per cent till 3 pm, while Khunti recorded 59.97 per cent, Lohardaga registered 56.72 per cent and Palamu recorded 53.35 per cent.

Much enthusiasm was witnessed among voters, especially in the Maoist-hit areas in Singhbhum, Palamu and Lohardaga. In some of these places, people voted after decades.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will again form the government, asserting that even Lord Ram wants his "ardent devotee" to win.

He was addressing rallies in Barabanki and Rae Bareli, from where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

"Only 'Ramdrohis' or Pakistanis are opposing Modi ji," Adityanath said at a public meeting in Rae Bareli constituency. "I cannot understand what is Rahul Gandhi's relationship with Pakistan. He lives in India, seeks votes in Rae Bareli and gets support from Pakistan." He alleged that the voices from Pakistan and that of Ramdrohis have become similar.

"A Pakistani minister was supporting the incident in which soldiers were martyred in Pulwama... now he has made a statement in support of the Congress candidate from Rae Bareli, Adityanath said.

) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge will visit Odisha on May 15 and May 16, respectively to address election rallies.

Briefing media persons here, AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajoy Kumar on Monday said Gandhi is scheduled to address an election rally in Bolangir on May 15.

He will arrive here at Bhubaneswar airport at around 11 am and then directly proceed to Bolangir to address a public meeting at around 11.30 am, Kumar said.

Kharge would address a public meeting in Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency on May 16. The Congress president is also scheduled to address a press conference on the same day in Bhubaneswar, he said.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh is also scheduled to address a press conference here on Tuesday (May 14).

This will be the second visit of Gandhi to Odisha during the current elections. Earlier, he had launched an election campaign for Congress in Odisha from Salepur in Cuttack district on April 28.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur filed his nomination from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat on Monday. He was accompanied by senior BJP leaders and his brother Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the Indian Premier League. The senior BJP leader is seeking a fifth term in the Lok Sabha from the Hamirpur seat in Himachal Pradesh. Before filing his nomination, Thakur paid obeisance at the temple of Maa Awahdevi and addressed people at several places. Hundreds of party functionaries and locals greeted him with garlands and wished him luck.

A voter turnout of around 44 per cent was recorded till 1 pm in the four Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand where polling was underway on Monday, officials said. Voting started at 7 am in Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Khunti and Palamu seats amid tight security measures, marking the first phase of elections in the eastern state. It will continue till 5 pm. Singhbhum registered a voter turnout of 43.83 per cent till 1 pm, while Khunti recorded 47.41 per cent, Lohardaga registered 43.46 per cent and Palamu recorded 41.85 per cent.

• Andhra Pradesh - 40.26%
• Bihar - 34.44%
• Jammu And Kashmir - 23.57% 
• Jharkhand - 43.80%  
• Madhya Pradesh - 48.52% 
• Maharashtra - 30.85%  
• Odisha - 39.90% 
• Telangana - 40.38% 
• Uttar Pradesh - 39.68% 
• West Bengal - 51.87%

A groom cast his vote at his designated polling station in Srinagar parliamentary constituency on Monday. He said, "Today I exercised my right to vote to elect our candidate who will make policies regarding employment, development..."

RJD candidate from Patliputra Lok Sabha Misa Bharti filed her nomination for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on Monday. Former Bihar CM and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was also present.

The BJP is making efforts for a better voter turnout in the fourth phase of polling for eight Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh underway on Monday compared to the previous three phases, state party president V D Sharma said. Talking to reporters at the state BJP headquarters here, Sharma said he expects polling in the eight seats to go up to 75-80 per cent. As per poll authorities, 64.76 per cent voter turnout was recorded in 21 out of the total 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in MP which went to polls on April 19, 26 and May 7.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has claimed that the Congress is going to win parliamentary seats in double digits in his state and exuded confidence that an INDIA bloc government would be formed at the Centre as "winds of change" were blowing in the country. In an interview with PTI, Gehlot also hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remark that the Congress will get fewer seats in the Lok Sabha polls than "the age of its shehzada", saying such "jumlebaazi" will not work as people have understood that the limit to the BJP's "lies" has been reached.
 

The Election Commission (EC) has suspended two polling officials in Odisha for dereliction of duty, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal said here on Monday. One polling official from Narla assembly constituency in Kalahandi district and another polling official in Ganjam district have been suspended for dereliction of duty, he said. "We are monitoring the poll process in our webcasting room. A minor group clash-like incident was reported from Chikiti area in Ganjam district. I have personally spoken to SP Berhampur and Ganjam Collector and asked them to ensure that the polling goes on smoothly in Berhampur LS constituency eespecially in the Chikiti area," Dhal told media persons.

A voter turnout of 17.51 per cent was recorded till 11 am on Monday in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra where polling is underway in the fourth phase of the general election, the state electoral office said. Polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm in Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, and Beed constituencies, an official said. As per data shared by the authorities, the tribal-dominated seat of Nandurbar recorded 22.12 per cent voting, while Jalgaon saw 16.89 per cent turnout till 11 am.

• Andhra Pradesh - 23.10%
• Bihar - 22.54% 
• Jammu And Kashmir - 14.94% 
• Jharkhand - 27.40% 
• Madhya Pradesh -  32.38% 
• Maharashtra - 17.51% 
• Odisha - 23.28% 
• Telangana - 24.31% 
• Uttar Pradesh - 27.12% 
• West Bengal - 32.78%

Over 24 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am in the fourth phase of elections today.

Former Telangana CM and BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao cast his vote at a polling booth in Chintamadaka in Siddipet. 

Nearly 27 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am in four Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand on Monday, elections officials said here. Voting started at 7 am in Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Khunti and Palamu seats amid tight security measures, marking the first phase of elections in the eastern state, and will continue till 5 pm. Maoist-hit Singhbhum seat saw about 26.16 per cent voter turnout till 11 am while the same was at 29.14 per cent, about 27.77 per cent and 26.95 per cent in Khunti, Lohardaga and Palamu seats respectively.

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy along with his family show their inked finger after casting their votes at a polling station in Kodangal in the Mahabubnagar constituency.

An approximate voter turnout of 10.35 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of polling on Monday in 96 constituencies spread over 10 states and Union Territories in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections amid complaints of EVM malfunctioning in West Bengal. Voting is also progressing in all 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 28 legislative assembly seats of Odisha. According to the Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the lowest voting percentage till 9 am with 5.07 per cent voters exercising their franchise, while West Bengal recorded the highest with 15.24 per cent.

Andhra Pradesh Congress President and candidate from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, YS Sharmila cast her vote at a polling booth in the constituency.  She is facing a contest from TDP's Chadipiralla Bhupesh Subbarami Reddy and YSRCP's YS Avinash Reddy. YSRCP's YS Avinash Reddy is the sitting MP from Kadapa. 
 

As polling is underway in Durgapur, a clash erupted between BJP and TMC workers. 

• Andhra Pradesh - 9.05%
• Bihar - 10.18%
• Jammu And Kashmir - 5.07%
• Jharkhand - 11.78% 
• Madhya Pradesh - 14.97% 
• Maharashtra - 6.45% 
• Odisha - 9.23%
• Telangana - 9.51% 
• Uttar Pradesh - 11.67% 
• West Bengal - 15.24%

KNC Chief Farooq Abdullah and JKNC Vice President Omar Abdullah showed their inked fingers after casting their votes for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged people to cast their votes in large numbers in the fourth round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls and help the INDIA bloc form government at the Centre. In a post on X, Gandhi appealed to the electorate not to be distracted and vote on issues that concern it. "Today is the fourth phase of voting. After the first three phases, it has become clear that on June 4 an INDIA (bloc) government is going to be formed," he said.

BJP candidate from Beed parliamentary constituency in Maharashtra, Pankaja Munde says, "I am confident that we will cross the 400 seats mark. When PM Modi has given the slogan of '400 paar', I think we will be able to cross it...People of the country are going to cast their votes wisely..."

Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena on Monday said three TDP polling agents who were allegedly kidnapped in Chittoor district have been traced and secured. According to a press release from the CEO's office, the TDP agents were kidnapped from Bokaramanda village in Chittoor district's Sadum mandal, which falls under the Punganuru Assembly constituency. "TDP district in-charge Jagan Mohan Raju complained that TDP agents belonging to polling stations 188, 189 and 199 were kidnapped by YSRCP leaders while going to the polling stations," said Meena.

Urging people to vote in large numbers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said it is everyone's duty to strengthen India's democracy. With assembly polls also being held in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha alongside the Lok Sabha elections across the country, Modi appealed to voters to turn up at polling booths in record numbers. In the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, 96 seats across 10 states and Union Territories are going to the polls, he noted.

Actor Allu Arjun after casting his vote in Hyderabad amid polling for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Monday urged people to cast a vote as "today is the most crucial day for the next 5 years." 'Pushpa' star clad in a white t-shirt and black jeans, arrived at his designated polling station in Hyderabad to get his finger inked.
Speaking to media persons after casting his vote, Allu Arjun said, "Please cast your vote. It is the responsibility of all the citizens of the country. Today is the most crucial day for the next 5 years of our lives. There will be a huge voter turnout, as more and more people are coming out to vote. I would like to tell, I am not politically aligned with any party. I am neutral to all parties."

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav exercised his franchise at a polling station in Ujjain. 

Former Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu cast his vote at a polling booth in Guntur. Voting for Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections and the fourth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 are taking place simultaneously today.
 

AIMIM candidate from Hyderabad, Asaduddin Owaisi cast his vote at a polling booth in Hyderabad. Owaisi said "Every election cannot be the same as it was 5 years ago. The challenges are different, issues are different. This is a very important, historic parliamentary election in our country...People have a different understanding and what they want for the country...Elections should always be taken seriously whether it is a Parliament election or a Panchayat election. We should always take our opponent seriously..."

Actor Jr NTR, along with his family, showed the indelible ink mark on his finger after voting at a polling booth in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. He said, "Everybody has to use the right of their vote. I think it is a good message which we need to pass on to the coming generations."

Polling began Monday morning for eight Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh in the fourth and last phase of general elections in the state, an official said. Polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm in Ratlam, Dhar, Khargone, Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Indore and Khandwa constituencies, the official said. Polling for the fourth phase is being held across 18,007 polling stations in the eight constituencies.

Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy showed his inked finger after casting his vote at Kadapa Constituency's Jayamahal Anganawadi Polling Booth No. 138 on Monday morning.

Polling for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh is underway with voters standing in queues to exercise their franchise on Monday. After an intense campaign marked by fervent speeches from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and several other prominent leaders across political parties over the past several weeks, polling began at 7 am today. YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy (Pulivendula), TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu (Kuppam) and Janasena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan (Pithapuram), among others, are in the Assembly poll race.

As the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Monday, May 13, voters can heave a sigh of relief as the temperature is likely to remain normal or below normal in all the 10 states and UTs that are voting today. The last three phases of the polls recorded a dip in turnout as compared to the 2019 polling with unfavorable temperature being a major reason. 

Polling for eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal began at 7 am on Monday, amid tight security arrangements, an EC official said. Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat (SC), Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum seats in the state are going to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Altogether 1.45 crore voters, of whom 71.45 lakh are women and 282 are belonging to the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 15,507 polling stations spread across several districts in south Bengal.

Voting in four Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand began on Monday morning amid tight security measures, marking the first phase of elections in the eastern state, poll officials said. Voting started at 7 am in Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Khunti and Palamu seats, and will continue till 5 pm. Of these, Singhbum, Lohardaga and Khunti are ST-reserved and Palamu is reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Additionally, 28 assembly seats in Odisha are also up for grabs in this phase.

The fourth phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections 2024 began in 96 constituencies across 10 states and Union Territories on May 13. A total of 1,717 candidates including some prominent ministers and MPs are in fray, whose political fate will be determined as voters in Maharashtra, MP, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Bengal, and Jharkhand vote today. The voting began at 7am and will go on till 6pm. 

Polling preparations are underway at booth Number 228, Bagithota school primary school, Balaji Nagar of Nellore constituency in Andhra Pradesh for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Congress' Koppula Raju, TDP's Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy from NDA and YSRCP's V Vijaysai Reddy are contesting elections from this seat. YSRCP's Adala Prabhakara Reddy won from here in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The fourth phase of polling for  Lok Sabha Elections will decide the fate of 1,717 candidates trying their luck in the electoral battle.

Polling officials conducted mock polling at a booth in Warangal Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana. Congress has fielded Kadiyam Kavya here where she faces BJP's Aroori Ramesh and BRS' Marapally Sudheer Kumar.

Polling for in 96 Lok Sabha seats across 10 states and UT will begin at 7am on May 13.