Lok Sabha Polls Live: PM Modi Among High-Profile Candidates In Phase 7

During the seventh phase of Lok Sabha election polling, a violent altercation broke out between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Meraganj, situated in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, on Saturday.

The clash occurred at booth numbers 40 and 41, leaving several individuals injured, according to police reports. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between the two prominent political parties in the area during the crucial final phase of the elections.

In a significant protest, more than 400 villagers in Dumka district, Jharkhand, boycotted the voting process during the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday. The boycott was in response to the construction of a coal dumping yard, as reported by an official.

At booth number 94 in Bagdubhi village, which falls under the Dumka Lok Sabha constituency, a total of 426 voters chose not to exercise their franchise. Dumka Circle Officer Amar Kumar informed PTI, "Out of 430 voters enrolled in the booth, only four electors have exercised their franchise till 3 pm."

The villagers have been actively protesting against the construction of the Railways' coal dumping yard. In an attempt to resolve the issue, Sub-divisional Officer Ajay Kumar held a meeting with the villagers and assured them that the matter would be raised with higher authorities. Despite this, the villagers remained firm in their decision not to vote.

Lakshman Soren, a representative of the village, expressed the community's stance to PTI, saying, "We made it clear that if the SDO gives us an assurance in writing to stop the construction of the yard, we will go to cast our votes. But, we were not given any such assurance."

The boycott highlights the villagers' strong opposition to the coal yard construction and their demand for a written assurance to halt the project.

A voter turnout of 58.34 per cent was recorded till 5 pm, as per the Elections Commission. The polling across 58 constituencies had started at 7 am today. West Bengal leads with 69.89 per cent, followed by Jharkhand with 67.95 per cent and Himachal Pradesh with 66.56 per cent. Bihar recorded low voter turnout with 48.86 per cent.

The INDIA alliance meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi is underway. The meeting is being attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, K. C. Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Jitendra Awhad, Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha, T. R. Baalu, Tejashwi Yadav, Sanjay Yadav, Champai Soren, Kalpana Soren, Farooq Abdullah, D. Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Anil Desai, Dipankar Bhattacharya, and Mukesh Sahani.

#INDIAAlliance meeting underway at the residence of @INCIndia President @kharge in #Delhi. pic.twitter.com/zFk4ZtX67m

— Pratidin Time (@pratidintime) June 1, 2024

The latest voter turnout trends indicate that Jharkhand edged ahead of Himachal Pradesh with 60.14 per cent polling till 3 pm. The overall turnout was recorded at 49.68 per cent. Bihar continued to witness low voter turnout which stood at 42.95 per cent. Here's the full list:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived at the residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge ahead of the INDIA alliance meet. Several leaders of alliance parties including National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren and JMM General Secretary and Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya reached at Kharge's residence. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav landed in Delhi ahead of the meeting.

#WATCH | Delhi | Congress MP Rahul Gandhi arrives at the residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge for the meeting of the INDIA alliance pic.twitter.com/m5CK86osDM

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

The father of singer deceased singer Sidhu Moosewala, Balkaur Singh cast his vote at a polling booth in Punjab during the seventh phase of polling on Saturday.

#WATCH | Moosa, Punjab: Late Singer Sidhu Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh casts his vote at a polling station for the seventh phase of #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/NG8vipEuPi

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

The 57 polling constituencies across eight states and union territories of India recorded an approximate turnout of 40.09 per cent with Himachal Pradesh leading at 48.63 per cent. On the other hand, Bihar recorded the least voter turnout of 35.65 per cent. Here are the latest numbers:

A stringer with ANI sustained severe injuries on his head in a stone pelting incident amid polling in West Bengal. Bunty Mukherjee was injured in the clash between BJP and TMC workers while covering the last phase of elections.

A stringer associated with ANI, Bunty Mukherjee suffered a severe head injury when a stone pelting occurred in a clash between TMC and BJP workers in Canning, under Jaynagar Lok Sabha constituency of West Bengal. The stringer was covering the last phase of Lok Sabha Elections… pic.twitter.com/lXtE5I2TUc

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

In a unique attempt to raise voter awareness, an Uttar Pradesh citizen has been arriving to vote on a horse in every election since 2012.

#WATCH | To create voter awareness, a man arrives on a horse at a polling station to cast his vote in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh

He says, "In the 2012, 2017 & 2022 Assembly elections and 2014 & 2019 Lok Sabha polls also I had arrived on horse to cast my vote." pic.twitter.com/Qw2vlivoM1

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Popular Bollywood actor and youth icon for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, Ayushmann Khurrana voted in Chandigarh today and urged voters to step out and exercise their franchise.

#WATCH | Actor Ayushmann Khurrana shows the indelible ink mark on his finger after voting at a polling booth in Chandigarh.

He says, "I came back to my city to cast my vote and exercise my right...Mumbai recorded a very low voter turnout this time but we should cast our… pic.twitter.com/7UTPNGCMl1

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

At a height of 15,256 feet above sea level, a polling booth in Tashigang village of Himachal Pradesh is witnessing polling in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Here are glimpses from the station:

Monks from the Kolkata ISKCON temple exercised their franchise and cast their vote at a polling station in the city.

#WATCH | West Bengal: Monks from ISKCON Temple in Kolkata cast their votes for the seventh phase of #LokSabhaElections2024 , at a polling station in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/8EwuZPiBJh

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu exercised his franchise at a polling booth in Hamirpur in the ongoing seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu casts his vote at a polling station in Hamirpur for the seventh phase of #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/c7zzjs6SnO

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

As of 11 am, the Election Commission of India (ECI) reports that the approximate voter turnout across eight states stands at 26.30%. Himachal Pradesh maintains its lead with 31.92%, while Odisha records the lowest polling at 22.64%.

Amid talks of the wealthiest candidates looking for a term in the Lok Sabha, here is a list of the poorest candidates in the fray. Bhanumati Das of Utkal Samaj contesting the Jagatsinghpur seat in Odisha is the poorest candidate with assets worth only Rs 1,500. She is followed by Rajiv Kumar Mehra and Balaram Mandal who have declared assets worth Rs 2,500 each. Mehra is the JSDP candidate in Punjab's Ludhiana, while Mandal is an independent candidate contesting from Jadavpur in West Bengal.

As polling commenced in the final and seventh phase for Bihar's eight Lok Sabha seats situated within Patna and Shahabad divisions, the Meteorological Department issued a heatwave alert for the constituencies of Karakat, Buxar, and Sasaram.

A Meteorological Department official warned that temperatures would range between 41 to 44 degrees Celsius with humidity levels exceeding 70 per cent, leading to oppressive heat conditions. The voting process for the constituencies of Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Nalanda, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat, and Jehanabad began at 7 am on Saturday, with citizens lining up early in the morning to cast their votes and avoid the scorching afternoon temperatures.

At around 6:40 am on Saturday, reserve EVMs and papers belonging to the sector officer was looted by a local mob at the 129 Kultali AC under the Jaynagar constituency. A CU and BU each and two VVPAT machines were thrown in a pond, stated the CEO, West Bengal.

A police complaint was filed and necessary action has been initiated.

West Bengal Chief Electoral Office tweets, "Today morning at 6.40 am Reserve EVMs & papers of Sector Officer near Benimadhavpur FP school, at 129-Kultali AC of 19-Jaynagar (SC) PC has been looted by local mob and 1 CU, 1 BU , 2VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond...FIR… pic.twitter.com/fciLxNL9jL

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

The approximate voter turnout trends in the initial phases of the polling are in and according to it, Himachal Pradesh saw the most turnout so far at 14.35 per cent. On the other hand, the lowest polling was observed in Odisha where only 7.69 per cent turnout was recorded till 9 am. Overall, the voter turnout stood at 11.31 per cent in the Phase 7.

AAP leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann along with his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur exercised their franchise at a polling station in the Sangrur constituency today.

#WATCH | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur cast their vote at a polling booth in Sangrur constituency.

The seat sees a contest amid Congress' Sukhpal Singh Khaira, BJP's Arvind Khanna, AAP's Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and SAD's Iqbal Singh Jhundan and… pic.twitter.com/tZpH7OtZGK

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

BJP's candidate from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi seat, Kangana Ranaut voted in her constituency in the seventh phase. She is up against Congress' Vikramaditya Singh.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: BJP candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha, Kangana Ranaut casts her vote at a polling station in Mandi, for the seventh phase of #LokSabhaElections2024

Congress has fielded Vikramaditya Singh from Mandi Lok Sabha seat. pic.twitter.com/6cggbpGYPV

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief and a candidate from the Varanasi seat, Ajay Rai cast his vote and said, "We are getting silent votes and those who were with other parties like BSP, Apna Dal are coming with us. That is why it seems that the public is in the mood for change. The businessmen, weavers in the city are unhappy. All the businesses were ruined due to GST...He (PM Modi) should have sat on the banks of Ganga ji and done meditation here..."

Notably, Rai is up against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Varanasi seat.

#WATCH | UP Congress chief & candidate from Varanasi seat, Ajay Rai says, "We are getting silent votes and those who were with other parties like BSP, Apna Dal are coming with us. That is why it seems that the public is in the mood for change. The businessmen, weavers in the city… pic.twitter.com/T4PFIHPY1f

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Renowned Hindustani classical singer and Padma awardee Pandit Chhannulal Mishra said, "I urge everyone to cast their vote...This is for the entire country...There is a difference between the Kashi which was there before and the Kashi which is there now. This has transformed, it is all due to PM Modi...More should be done for music. Music is the heritage of our country, the identity of Banaras..."

#WATCH | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: Noted Hindustani classical singer & Padma awardee Pandit Chhannulal Mishra says, "I urge everyone to cast their vote...This is for the entire country...There is a difference between the Kashi which was there before and the Kashi which is there… pic.twitter.com/pcsQaFiZqX

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

BJP candidate from the Jadavpur constituency in West Bengal, Anirban Ganguly voted at a polling station in his constituency.

Kolkata, West Bengal | BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jadavpur Lok Sabha Constituency, Anirban Ganguly casts his vote at a polling station in Jadavpur. #LokSabhaElections2024

TMC and CPIM have fielded Sayani Ghosh and Srijan Bhattacharyya respectively. pic.twitter.com/yzDgQQJLDY

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Ex-Bihar Chief Minister, former union minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, wife Rabri Devi and daughter as well as party candidate from the Saran Lok Sabha seat, Rohini Acharya cast their vote at a polling station in Patna.

#WATCH | Bihar: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi and their daughter & party candidate from Saran Lok Sabha seat Rohini Acharya leave from a polling booth in Patna after casting their vote. #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/LTmGnXM4BH

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Today's polling, the final phase of the seven-part grand electoral process in India, is being held in 57 polling constituencies across eight states and union territories. Polling is being held at as many as 1,09,932 voting centres and there are a total of 904 candidates in contention in today's polls.

Out of all the candidates, only 95, that is, just around a meagre 10 per cent, are female. 450 of the candidates, that is, roughly 50 per cent of the candidates are either graduate or above.

Meanwhile, 299 canidates, that is around 33 per cent are crorepatis with their personal worth going in crores. Additionally, 199 candidates out of the 904 in the seventh phase have criminal cases against them, that is, around 22 per cent of the total candidates in the fray today.

PM Narendra Modi, who sat for a 48-hour meditation at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, took to X to urge voters to show up in numbers.

"Today is the final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As 57 seats across 8 states and UTs go to the polls, calling upon the voters to turnout in large numbers and vote. I hope young and women voters exercise their franchise in record numbers. Together, let's make our democracy more vibrant and participative," he said in a post on X.

Today is the final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As 57 seats across 8 states and UTs go to the polls, calling upon the voters to turnout in large numbers and vote. I hope young and women voters exercise their franchise in record numbers. Together, let’s make our…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 1, 2024

Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty cast his vote at a polling booth in Belgachia. Having cast his vote, Chakraborty said that he is a BJP cadre and did his duty.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: After casting his vote at a polling booth in Belgachia, BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty says, "...I am a BJP cadre, I have done my duty..."#LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/jn7DPXT8i4

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cast his vote at a polling booth in Gorakhnath in Gorakhpur.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath casts his vote at a polling booth in Gorakhnath, Gorakhpur.

The Gorakhpur seat sees a contest amid BJP's Ravi Kishan, SP's Kajal Nishad and BSP's Javed Ashraf. #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/2Ao7uC7slU

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

AAP leader and MP Raghav Chadha cast his vote in Punjab on Saturday in the seventh and last phase. He called for people to turn up in large numbers to exercise their right.

#WATCH | After casting his vote for the seventh phase of #LokSabhaElections2024, AAP MP Raghav Chadha says, "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… pic.twitter.com/tBqPTEdBci

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Jagat Prakash Nadda cast his vote in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur in the seventh phase. Nadda called for voters to contribute in making India a capable, self-reliant and developed nation.

#WATCH | BJP chief JP Nadda says, "...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… https://t.co/ieFcYnSUpH pic.twitter.com/RPKp4Af3UZ

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2024

Ahead of the final phase of elections in Odisha, the BJP has accused certain Self Help Group (SHG) women members of distributing money at Mission Shakti Bhavan in Remuna block, Balasore district, on Friday evening. Acting on the allegation by BJP MLA candidate Govind Charan Das, a flying squad swiftly conducted a raid at the site and seized ₹1,18,000. During the raid, three women reportedly fled the scene.

Polls officially opened at 7 am and will close at 5 pm in most states, marking the commencement of the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha general elections.

With over one million polling stations set up across the country, the Election Commission of India has ensured that no home is more than 1.2 miles away from a polling station. This extensive network aims to facilitate easy access for the vast number of eligible voters.

The Election Commission of India’s website provides crucial information about the location of polling booths and poll timings. To be eligible to vote, individuals must be Indian citizens aged 18 or older and must be registered on the electoral roll.

Millions of Indian citizens residing abroad are eligible to vote. However, they must register and return to India to cast their ballots. Limited provisions for postal voting exist, mainly for members of the armed forces or government employees on election duties away from their home constituencies.

A total of 968 million voters are registered for this election, comprising 497 million men and 471 million women. This substantial electorate underscores the scale and importance of the democratic process in India.

In-person voters select their candidate by pressing a button on an electronic voting machine, a system designed to streamline the voting process and ensure accurate tabulation of votes.

As the day progresses, millions of voters across the nation will exercise their democratic right, contributing to the world’s largest electoral exercise.

As many as 57 parliamentary constituencies spread across eight states and union territories will go to polls on Saturday in the seventh and final phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among the major candidates in the fray in the last phase.

Polling will be held in Bihar, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. This will mark the end of voting for the world's largest election marathon that began on April 19. Polling for 486 Lok Sabha seats have been completed in the six previous phases

904 candidates from the eight states and UTs will contest elections in Phase 7. A total of 2,105 nominations were filed for 57 parliamentary constituencies across going for polls in the last phase for the Lok Sabha elections.

Also Read: Lok Sabha Elections To End With Phase 7 Polls Across 8 States, UTs

The biggest name in the fray in the last phase is undoubtedly Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. Apart from him, there are other high-profile candidates who will be vying for votes tomorrow.

Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi and will look to secure a third term from the seat. There will be six candidates against him including Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai.

Actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut will contest the Mandi Lok Sabha seat as a BJP candidate. She will compete against Vikramaditya Singh, the Congress candidate and royal scion of the former Rampur Bushahr princely state. Vikramaditya Singh is the son of Virbhadra Singh, who served as Himachal Pradesh's chief minister six times.

Sitting MP and Union Minister Anurag Thakur will contest the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, aiming to retain it. His main opponent in the election will be Satpal Raizada, the Congress candidate and close confidante of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Jailed Waris Punjab De leader Amritpal Singh will run as an independent candidate from Khadoor Sahib. The Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, BJP, and Akali Dal are also contesting this seat independently, without any alliances.

Polling in the sixth phase of General Elections 2024 which commenced across 58 PCs recorded an approximate voter turnout of 59.06 per cent as of 7:45 pm. In spite of hot weather in certain parts of the country, voters were undeterred in their enthusiasm as they were seen queuing up patiently to cast their votes across the country. A large number of voters were still in the queue at some polling stations at the prescribed time of closing of poll.

The approximate voter turnout figures of 59.06 per cent as of 7:45 PM will continue to be updated State/PC/AC wise on the Voter Turnout App of ECI. This will also give aggregate phase wise figures in addition to the State/PC/AC wise figures. Commission shall additionally for the convenience of stakeholders, issue another press note with voter turnout figures at ~ 2345 hours though live updates are available for stakeholders to directly check on the voter turnout App.

With the conclusion of phase 6, polling for General Elections 2024 is now completed in 28 States/UTs and 486 PCs. Polling is also complete in General Elections for State Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh and 105 Assembly seats of Odisha State Assembly.

Polling in Anantnag-Rajouri PC in Jammu and Kashmir was completely peaceful with a turnout of 52.28 per cent as at 7.45 pm, which is highest in many decades. With this, the polling to the Parliamentary seats in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir has concluded.

In the ongoing General Elections 2024, the three PCs in the valley namely Srinagar (38.49 per cent), Baramulla (59.1 per cent) and Anantnag-Rajouri (52.28 per cent as of 7:45 PM) have recorded voter turnouts which are highest in many decades.

Polling across all constituencies was held smoothly and peacefully. CEC Rajiv Kumar and ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu also voted, along with their families in their respective polling stations. They kept a close watch on every aspect of the poll process and issued necessary directions, through the day. Stringent security measures were in place creating a conducive environment for voters to cast their vote without fear or intimidation.

More than 51% of the 18.36-lakh electorate in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Saturday, breaking the poll percentage record of more than 28 years, officials said here.

At 5 pm, the voter turnout in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency was reported to be 51.35%, according to an official of the election department.

Officials noted that the Rajouri Assembly segment recorded the highest turnout of 67.09%, followed by Nowshera with a poll percentage of 65.47%.

However, the Anantnag, Anantnag West, and Kulgam Assembly segments were the only three areas where the voter turnout has so far been below 35%, they added.

A voter turnout of 55.93 per cent was recorded in Haryana till 5 pm in its 10 Lok Sabha seats and polling remained peaceful on Saturday, officials said. Polling ended at 6 pm but the turnout figure will increase as there were several people in queues waiting for their turn. According to EC data, Sirsa had the highest turnout till 5 pm pm at 59.57 per cent followed by Ambala at 58.44 per cent and 58.38 per cent in Kurukshetra. Gurugram registered the lowest turnout at 51.75 per cent. Bhiwani-Mahendragarh recorded a turnout of 56.11 per cent, Faridabad 53.64 per cent, Hisar 53.85 per cent, Karnal 55.71 per cent, Rohtak 58.28 per cent and Sonipat 55.49 per cent.

West Bengal witnessed a notable voter turnout of 77.99 percent by 5 pm in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies that underwent polling during the sixth phase on Saturday, as confirmed by an official.

Polling commenced at 7 am in the constituencies of Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur. The voting process was scheduled to continue until 6 pm.

Among these, Bishnupur (SC) recorded the highest voter participation at 81.47 percent, followed by Tamluk at 79.79 percent, Jhargram (ST) at 79.68 percent, Ghatal at 78.92 percent, Medinipur at 77.57 percent, Bankura at 76.79 percent, Kanthi at 75.66 percent, and Purulia at 74.09 percent.

Up until 4 pm, the election office in West Bengal had received a total of 1,985 complaints, the official further added.

By 5 pm on Saturday, 52.24 percent of the 1.49 crore eligible voters had cast their ballots in eight Lok Sabha constituencies, according to officials. The constituencies where elections are being held are predominantly rural, with only 1,281 out of 14,872 polling stations situated in urban areas.

Voter Turnout by Constituency:

• Vaishali: 56.11%

• Purvi Champaran: 55.78%

• Paschim Champaran: 55.22%

• Sheohar: 54.37%

• Valmiki Nagar: 54.09%

• Maharajganj: 49.15%

• Siwan: 47.49%

• Gopalganj: 46.77%

The overall voter turnout highlights active participation from rural constituencies, contributing to a significant turnout in the state.

The state recorded a 59.60 percent voter turnout by 5 pm on Saturday in the six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly segments, according to officials. Voting took place in Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Puri parliamentary constituencies.

Chief Electoral Officer N B Dhal reported that voting was largely peaceful across the 10,581 polling stations, with only a few reports of EVM glitches. Out of the over 94.48 lakh electorate, a significant portion had exercised their franchise by the close of polling.

Voter Turnout by Constituency:

• Sambalpur: 65.91%

• Keonjhar: 62.43%

• Puri: 61.17%

• Dhenkanal: 60.88%

• Cuttack: 54.36%

• Bhubaneswar: 53.54%

Among the 42 assembly segments, Pallahara Vidhan Sabha recorded the highest voter turnout at 73.86 percent, while Barabati Cuttack segment saw the lowest at 42.10 percent by 5 pm.

On Saturday, six individuals, including four women, sustained minor injuries in a clash between supporters of two candidates outside a polling station in the Mendhar sub-division of Poonch district. Officials reported that the incident occurred during the sixth phase of polling for the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency.

Despite the altercation, voting at the polling station in the Shahpur sector continued without disruption. Police promptly intervened to separate the clashing groups, ensuring the polling process remained unaffected.

An FIR has been registered, and further investigation into the incident is ongoing, according to officials.

The office of the deputy commissioner, Poonch, issued a statement on X, clarifying the situation: "A minor scuffle took place outside the polling station causing very minor injuries to a few persons. The altercation was stopped in time and an FIR has been lodged in the matter. Polling did not get interrupted at any time and went on smoothly.�

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a rally in support of BJP candidate Anurag Thakur, criticized Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for their absence at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. Shah claimed the Gandhis chose to vacation in Shimla instead, suggesting they avoided the ceremony due to concerns about their vote bank.

"Rahul Baba and his sister came to Shimla for holidays, but they did not go to the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla. They did not go because they were afraid of their vote bank," Shah remarked during his speech. He contrasted this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dedication, noting, "In this election, on one side there is Rahul Baba who celebrates holidays every six months and on the other side there is Narendra Modi ji who eats sweets with army soldiers on the border without taking any leave even for Diwali for 23 years."

Shah expressed confidence in the BJP's performance, stating, "We are crossing 400 but Rahul Baba is once again falling below 40."

A voter turnout of 57.70 per cent was recorded till 5 pm, as per the Elections Commission. The polling across 58 constituencies had started at 7 am today. West Bengal leads with 77.99 per cent, followed by Jharkhand with 61.41 per cent and Odisha with 59.60 per cent. Uttar Pradesh recorded low voter turnout with 52.02 per cent.

Here's state-wise voter turnout:

Bihar: 52.24%

Jammu And Kashmir: 51.35%

Jharkhand: 61.41%

Haryana: 55.93%

NCT Of Delhi: 53.73%

Odisha: 59.60%

Uttar Pradesh: 52.02%

West Bengal: 77.99%

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, Dharmendra Pradhan, exercised his franchise by casting his vote in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Pradhan's participation in the electoral process underscores the significance of civic duty and active engagement in democracy.

Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, exercised his voting rights in New Delhi during the ongoing elections. Following his vote, he remarked, "Today I fulfilled my duty as a citizen by casting my vote. I had earlier also said that this is a major responsibility of every citizen."

Chandrachud's participation underscores the importance of civic engagement and the responsibility of every citizen to exercise their right to vote.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while in Bihar, stated, "The government has already been formed in the first five phases of elections… The sixth and seventh phases are just for seat margins… We (BJP) are quickly going towards the 400 mark."

Sarma's comments highlight his confidence in the BJP's performance in the ongoing elections and suggest that the outcome of the remaining phases may only impact seat margins rather than the formation of the government.