Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase 7 Highlights: 7-phase Lok Sabha elections conclude; all eyes on exit poll results - The Times of India (2024)

A voter turnout of 58.34 per cent was recorded till 5 pm 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.

Polling is underway in seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh for 57 constituencies, including Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha.

Over 400 people in a village in Dumka district boycotted voting in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday to protest against the construction of a coal dumping yard, an official said. A total of 426 voters did not exercise their franchise at booth number 94 in Bagdubhi village, a part of the Dumka Lok Sabha constituency, he said.

"Out of 430 voters enrolled in the booth, only four electors have exercised their franchise till 3 pm," Dumka Circle Officer Amar Kumar told PTI.

He said the villagers have been protesting against the construction of the Railways' coal dumping yard.

Sub-divisional Officer Ajay Kumar held a meeting with the villagers and assured them of raising the issue with higher authorities. However, they did not agree to vote.

A representative of the village, Lakshman Soren, told PTI, "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."

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday exuded confidence that the Modi government will be re-elected with an overwhelming majority in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. He claimed that the people are strongly supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a Viksit (developed) and Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday morning, Adityanath said, "The final phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, is taking place today across 57 seats in 8 states. This includes 13 seats in Eastern Uttar Pradesh: Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Kushinagar, Bansgaon, Salempur, Ballia, Ghosi, Robertsganj, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, and Mirzapur, where voting is also being conducted today."

He mentioned that over the past two and a half months, various political parties have presented their issues to the people to fulfil the aspirations of the general public. They have presented the work and achievements of their governments.

"To elect the new government in the country, people have done a comparative analysis of the performances of the previous governments and that of the Modi government in the last 10 years. Considering the support received across the nation, it can be said that when the results come on June 4, those individuals, parties, and governments that have worked towards a self-reliant and developed India, preserving heritage while fostering development, showing compassion for the poor, and ensuring a bright future for the youth, will receive full support," Adityanath said.

Bathinda is leading Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab in vote percentage with 48.95 per cent voter turnout recorded till 3 pm on Saturday.

District Election Officer (DEO) and Deputy Commissioner Jaspreet Singh commended the citizens for their enthusiastic participation in the electoral process.

In his statement, Singh emphasized the smooth conduct of the election in Bathinda, noting that no incidents of violence or malfunctions of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had been reported.

"The voting process has been peaceful and efficient. We have not encountered any issues with EVMs, ensuring that every vote counts without interruption," he said.

Singh also made a fervent appeal to the remaining voters to exercise their democratic rights.

"I urge all voters to come out and cast their vote in large numbers. Your participation is crucial in shaping the future of our district and our state. Let's make our voices heard and our votes count," he encouraged.

Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning his meditation session in Kanyakumari into a media spectacle funded by taxpayers' money. Banerjee said meditation is a personal practice beneficial for body, mind, and soul but cautioned against making it a public show.

"You (journalists), me and everybody can meditate. No issue. It is good for one's body, mind and soul. But please don't make it a media spectacle, don't sit for meditation in full glare of camera," Banerjee told reporters after casting his vote.

On Modi's decision to contest from Varanasi, he said, "He can contest from anywhere. But there have been allegations of nominations of many other candidates being rejected by the Election Commission. If he is so confident about victory, then why such a move?"

"In Diamond Harbour constituency where I am contesting, the BJP, CPI(M), SUCI all are contenders along with TMC. If you have people's support, you should not be scared of opponents," he said.

He expressed confidence in TMC's electoral prospects, stating that the party is expected to improve its performance compared to the 2019 elections, both in terms of seats and vote share.

Senior leaders of the INDIA bloc met here on Saturday to discuss their strategy for the counting of votes on June 4, even as the TMC and PDP skipped the meeting. Senior leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI-M, CPI, DMK, JMM, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) met at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Saturday afternoon and held discussions, even as the last phase of polling was underway.

TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already said they would not attend the meeting as there were elections in the state, while PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti did not attend the meeting due to personal reasons.

"I may not go as my mom has undergone an eye surgery," she had told PTI.

Opposition leaders who attended the meeting included Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Anil Desai, Sitaram Yechury, Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwat Mann, Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, Champai Soren, Kalpana Soren, T R Baalu, Farooq Abdullah, D Raja and Mukesh Sahani.

Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal were also present at the meeting.

"June 4th will mark the beginning of a new dawn for India. In today's meeting of INDIA bloc leaders, DMK will be represented by our party Treasurer and leader of DMK's Parliamentary Party, Thiru. T.R. Baalu avl," DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had said in a post on 'X.'

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday exuded confidence in forming the government of the INDIA bloc at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections results will be declared on June 4 and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not cross 140 seats.

"INDIA alliance will form the government The truth is that the one who is sitting facing the sea has turned his back on the public. The people are also against them. What does '400 paar' mean? They (BJP) will not go beyond 140," Akhilesh Yadav told ANI on Saturday.

Samajwadi Party chief arrived in Delhi on Saturday from Lucknow airport to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders.

Several other INDIA bloc leaders arrived in New Delhi to participate in the alliance's meeting regarding the Lok Sabha elections.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, AAP MP Raghav Chadha, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai were among the leaders who arrived here today.

Tejashwi said, "Today people are voting to teach a lesson to those who have increased inflation, poverty, and unemployment. We will bring 300 plus (seats). Everyone knows about exit polls under which everything is shown in a one-sided manner. It won't be effective this time. There will be surprising results in Bihar. There will be so many seats that BJP will not be able to form a government at the Centre."

A voter turnout of 49.68 per cent was recorded till 3 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.

Till 3 pm, the approximate polling percentage was 49.68, according to the EC's voter-turnout app.

A voter turnout of nearly 60.14 per cent was recorded in Jharkhand. Uttar Pradesh logged a polling percentage of 46.83, West Bengal 58.46, Bihar 42.95 and Himachal Pradesh 58.41.

Punjab recorded a voter turnout of 46.38 per cent till 3 pm while Chandigarh registered a voting percentage of 52.61. Odisha recorded around 49.77 per cent voting.

Family members of an eighty-year-old Bihar woman, who died on Saturday, preferred to first cast their vote and then perform her last rites. The incident occurred during the last phase of polling at Devkuli village in Jehanabad Lok Sabha constituency.

"My mother died today. She will not come back. Cremation can wait, but not the election. The election will come after five years. Therefore, we (family members) discussed the matter and decided to perform the last rites of our mother after casting our votes," Mithilesh Yadav, son of the deceased, told reporters.

They exercised their franchise at polling booth number 115 and went to perform the last rites of their mother.

Voting is also underway in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar in the seventh and final phase. These seats are Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Arrah, Karakat, Jehanabad, Buxar, Nalanda and Jehanabad.

West Bengal BJP chief and Lok Sabha candidate from Balurghat Sukant Majumdar hit out at the State government over the "deteriorating law and order" situation as violent clashes erupted between the Trinamool Congress and Indian Secular Front (ISF) supporters on Saturday, the day of polling in seventh phase of parliamentary elections.

Clashes broke out between supporters of TMC, ISF, and BJP in various areas of the State on the day of polling.

"Clashes keep taking place between TMC and ISF workers in Bhangar. A lot of people have been injured in these incidents. The law and order situation in West Bengal is the worst. People are not able to come out of their houses to cast their votes because of these violent incidents," Majumdar said while speaking to ANI.

BJP leader and MP Dilip Ghosh claimed that the Trinamool Congress was instigating violence in the State to hinder the ongoing polls.

"TMC is doing all this due to fear of losing, but voting will be completed," Ghosh said.

An Asian News International (ANI) stringer covering the last Phase of the polls in West Bengal also got a severe head injury amid clashes between TMC and BJP workers in Canning, under Jaynagar Lok Sabha constituency.

Amid the ongoing last phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024 Veteran actor and TMC candidate from Asansol Lok Sabha seat, Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday showed confidence in the impending victory of the 'INDIA bloc'.

Sinha dismissed the claims of a sweeping victory by the ruling party, asserting that the purported figure of 400 seats by BJP is merely a facade.

Sinha emphasized the pivotal choice between 'issues' and the track record of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, framing the election as a battle between 'Mudda' (issues) and 'Modi'.

"I have complete confidence that the INDIA bloc will win. No matter what the 'Godi' media or 'Modi' media says, their talk of 400 seats is just a show-off. It's Mudda' vs 'Modi (issues versus PM Modi). On one side are the issues, and on the other is Modi's failed promises," Sinha said.

Citing unfulfilled promises, Sinha criticized PM Modi's tenure, alleging a lack of credibility due to the failure to deliver on commitments made to the electorate.

"My friend, the Prime Minister, hasn't fulfilled a single guarantee he made. He gave many promises but did not fulfil any. People are asking if he has fulfilled any of his previous guarantees. PM Modi has lost his credibility," Sinha said.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday asserted that the INDIA bloc, of which his party was a part, would form the next government at the Centre and that the ruling BJP-led NDA was on its way out. The former Bihar deputy CM, who spearheaded the Lok Sabha polls campaign of the opposition coalition in the state, was talking to reporters here after casting his vote.

"The INDIA coalition will form the government after results are out on June 4. The NDA will be voted out", claimed the 34-year-old leader, whose exertions have left him with an injured spine, causing him to move around in a wheelchair.

Senior BJD leader V K Pandian on Saturday claimed that the ruling party in Odisha would win more than 115 of the 147 assembly seats and secure 15 of the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. His claim comes on a day when the state's fourth and final round of elections is underway.

Taking to X, Pandian said, "The BJD is winning 85 assembly seats after 3rd phase polls and with the 4th phase today, it will end up winning more than 115 seats out of a total of 147 and 15 Lok Sabha seats out of 21."

The bureaucrat-turned-BJD leader also said that the party will form the government in the state with more than a three-fourth majority.

The BJD had, in 2019, won 113 assembly seats and 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

"We are grateful to the people of Odisha for blessing us and we are committed to provide strong and transformational governance to Odisha," BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said.

Earlier, the opposition BJP claimed that it would win over 75 assembly seats and form a government in the state, besides winning above 16 Lok Sabha constituencies in Odisha.

Himachal Pradesh recorded 48.63% polling in the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday till 1 pm. Voting for the 4 Lok Sabha seats and 6 assembly seats for the bye-elections in Himachal is undergoing in which the fate of 37 candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections and 25 candidates in fray for bye-polls will be decided.

In Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat 47.70% voting was recorded till 1 pm, in Kangra Lok Sabha seat 47.08% voting was recorded, in Mandi Lok Sabha seat 50.44% voting was recorded while in Shimla Lok Sabha seat 49.53% voting was recorded.

Top leaders of the INDIA bloc will meet here on Saturday to discuss their strategy for the counting of votes on June 4, even as the TMC and PDP are set to skip the meeting. Senior leaders of the Congress, CPI-M, CPI, DMK, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) will hold discussions at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence this afternoon.

TMC chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has already said they will not attend the meeting as there are elections in the state, while PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is likely to skip the meeting.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Daljit Singh Cheema has accused the Aam Aadmi Party candidate of distributing voter slips with photos of Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP symbol at polling booths in Punjab on Saturday.

Cheema said, "The Election Commission of India has clearly stated that there should be no party symbol or photos of candidates on the voter slips. But the AAP candidate (Amansher Singh) in Gurdaspur has been distributing voter slips with photos of Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP election symbol, and the candidate's photo on it. We have complained to the election observer. An AAP leader Pannu (Balbir Singh Pannu), who is not a candidate, has been entering a polling booth and threatening people. We have given videos of this to EC to take action."

On his official X handle, Cheema posted the video of AAP leader Balbir Singh Pannu and alleged that the latter forcibly entered a polling booth.

"Sir, please see this video. In this AAP leader Balbir Singh Pannu, Vice Chairman Punsup Punjab has forcibly entered booth number 131 village Kot Ahmed Khan of Fatehgarh Churian assembly constituency. He is threatening the other party workers and interfering in the poll process. Please order to register a case against him & arrest him immediately," he said.

SAD's Cheema is in the electoral battle on the Gurdaspur seat against Congress' Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and AAP's Amansher Singh. BJP has fielded Dinesh Singh from the seat.

Odisha registered around 37.64 per cent voter turnout till 1 pm in six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly segments where polling is underway in the last phase of simultaneous elections in the state on Saturday, officials said. Manoranjan Sahoo, an assistant teacher deputed as a booth level officer at Oleichandanapur in Jajpur district, complained of uneasiness and was taken to a local hospital where he was declared dead, they said.

Similarly, an elderly man also collapsed while standing in a queue in a polling booth in Iswarpur in Nilagiri assembly segment in Balasore district. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead, they said.

Both deaths were suspected to have been caused due to heatstroke, the officials said.

One person was also injured in a group clash outside a polling booth in Gop area in Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat.

Voting started at 7 am in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur parliamentary constituencies along with 42 assembly segments falling under these Lok Sabha seats.

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.

When Kumar asked Ansari if he was a registered voter, the 92-year-old replied that he had never voted because his name was not on the voter list. Kumar then directed officials to immediately add Ansari's name in the list.

After casting his vote, Ansari said, "I cast my vote for the first time and I am happy."

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and actor Nussrat Jahan cast her vote at a polling booth in Kolkata during the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha election 2024 on Saturday.

"Voting is our right, and we must exercise it. Everyone is coming to cast their vote. Voting is going on well and peacefully, so we are expecting the best," Jahan told ANI after casting her vote.

Earlier in the day Trinamool Congress candidate on the Diamond Harbour seat in West Bengal and TMC General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee cast his vote and claimed that the TMC will better its 2019 tally.

Meanwhile, Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were looted by a local mob and two VVPAT machines were thrown inside a pond in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, officials said.

Several INDIA bloc leaders arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to participate in the alliance's meeting regarding the Lok Sabha elections.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, AAP MP Raghav Chadha, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai were among the leaders who arrived here today.

Incidents of violence were reported during the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls across nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal. Clashes erupted between workers of TMC, ISF, and BJP in various areas of the violence-prone Jadavpur and Diamond Harbour constituencies.

The poll panel claimed that voting has been peaceful so far, but it received a total of complaints 1899 till 1pm from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being prevented from entering booths.

TMC supporters raised slogans against BJP candidate from Kolkata North Lok Sabha seat, Tapas Roy, outside a polling booth in Kolkata alleging that the BJP has conducted proxy voting .

A voter turnout of 48.63 per cent was recorded till 1 pm on Saturday in the four Lok Sabha constituencies of Himachal Pradesh where polling is underway in the last phase of the general election, officials said here. They said the Kangra parliamentary seat recorded 47.08 per cent polling, Mandi 50.44 per cent, Hamirpur 47.70 per cent and the Shimla (SC) seat 49.53 per cent.

Of the six assembly constituencies where bypolls are being held simultaneously, Dharamshala recorded a turnout of 41.14 per cent, Lahaul and Spiti 55.35 per cent, Sujanpur 42.03 per cent, Barsar 35 per cent, Gagret 44.63 per cent and Kutlehar 49 per cent.

In Chamba district's Churah subdivision, residents of the Makhan-Chachul area falling under the Sanval gram panchayat boycotted the Lok Sabha polls over road connectivity and electricity supply issues.

"We will not vote until the district administration comes here and listens to our grievances," Ravi, a local, said.

Villagers also alleged that although the administration was apprised of the problems, nothing has changed. "We are still waiting for internet connectivity, road and electricity and the situation is so pathetic that if someone falls ill, we have to carry patients on foot for 4-5 km to reach a health centre," said Mukesh, another villager.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lok Sabha candidate Misa Bharti from Patliputra seat arrived at the designated polling booth to cast her ballot in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha Elections, 2024.

Showing her inked finger, the RJD candidate appealed to all voters to come out and cast their votes in large numbers to exercise their democratic rights and celebrate the grand festival of democracy.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's '400 Paar' slogan, Bharti said, "I think PM Modi gave this slogan only until the first phase, as the nation's public has taught him a lesson."

Responding to Modi's remarks about taking stricter actions against the corrupt and putting them to jail, Bharti said, "For the last 10 years, he has been doing the same thing--using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to send opposition leaders to jail."

She criticized Modi for not sharing his visions or plans for his third term during his campaign, stating, "He has only emphasized how strict actions can be taken against opposition leaders and not on his visions for seeking next term. Those who were intimidated by their false allegations are either in his party or in jail. Those who are still outside of jail are fighting against him. We are fighting for the public and will not be intimidated, whether they put us in jail or lodge cases against us."

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.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader and candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday urged the people to vote for those who have delivered and fulfilled their promises.

"Today is the last phase, it is a very important phase. I request all countrymen, especially the people of Punjab to vote based on performance. Vote for those who have delivered, fulfilled their promises because in today's politics, big things are said but after winning they are forgotten," she said.

Further, responding to any chance that SAD can come in alliance with the NDA, Harsimrat said that their fight is not for the chair but to serve the people.

"We broke ties with NDA over farmers' issues. SAD is a 103-year-old party. Where a few years ago AAP and Congress used to fight among themselves, today they have come together for the sake of power. We will stand for the issues of Punjab. Our fight is not for the chair," she added.

The Bhatinda seat is considered the stronghold of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Its candidate and incumbent MP Harsimrat Kaur is seeking a fourth consecutive win from here.

Kaur is in the electoral fray against AAP's Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Jeet Mohinder Singh of the Congress and Parampal Kaur Sidhu of the BJP. Khudian registered a historic win for AAP in the assembly polls, defeating SAD veteran leader Prakash Singh Badal.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath has hit a double century of sorts by attending 204 election related events during his Lok Sabha poll campaigning.

The CM campaigned in all 80 constituencies in the state multiple times, often addressing as many as five rallies in a day. In addition, he also addressed programmes in 12 other states and two Union territories. He campaigned not just for BJP candidates but also other NDA members, including Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, RLD, and Apna Dal (S).

Around 24.25 per cent of over 1.62 crore voters exercised their franchise in eight Lok Sabha seats in Bihar till 11 am on Saturday in the last phase of elections, officials said. Voting began at 7 am in Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Arrah, Karakat, Jehanabad, Buxar, Nalanda and Jehanabad Lok Sabha seats and will continue till 6 pm.

Karakat recorded the highest turnout at 27.92 per cent in the first four hours of polling, followed by Patliputra (27.68), Jehanabad (27.09), Buxar (25.89), Nalanda (24.30), Sasaram (22.09), Arrah (21.19 per cent) and Patna Sahib (19.33).

Voting is also underway for the by-election to the Agiaon assembly segment under the Arrah Lok Sabha seat.

Around 19.2 per cent turnout was recorded in the by-poll till 11 am.

The by-election was necessitated due to the disqualification of CPI (ML) Liberation MLA Manoj Manzil following his conviction in a murder case.