Lok Sabha Election 2024 phase 4 highlights: Over 62 pc polling till 5 pm, Bengal reports highest turnout

With the fourth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election underway in 96 constituencies across nine states and one Union Territory (Jammu and Kashmir), approximate voter turnout until 5.00 pm was over 62 per cent as per Election Commission of India (ECI) data.

West Bengal saw a 66.05 per cent turnout, the highest among all states polling today, while Jammu and Kashmir saw the lowest at 29.93 per cent, still higher than Srinagar’s turnout in 2019. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are also holding simultaneous state Assembly elections.

Polling is being held for all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, all 25 in Andhra Pradesh, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, four in Odisha, eight in West Bengal and one in J&K.

A voter turnout of more than 62 per cent was recorded till 5.00 pm in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha polls in 96 constituencies spread over 10 states and Union Territories, amid incidents of violence in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

According to Election Commission data, a voting percentage of 62.31 was recorded till 5.00 pm. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the lowest voting percentage till 5.00 pm with 35.75 per cent of voters exercising their franchise, while West Bengal recorded the highest with 75.66 per cent.

Among other states, Andhra Pradesh recorded 68.04 per cent polling, Bihar 54.14 per cent, Jharkhand 63.14 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 68.01 per cent, Maharashtra 52.49 per cent, Odisha 62.96 per cent, Telangana 61.16 per cent and Uttar Pradesh 56.35 per cent.

With three phases of polling to go, there are at least three clear indications. First, this election is not a one-horse race; second, the INDIA bloc is putting up a far better fight than was expected; and finally, whatever the final result, PM Narendra Modi’s stature has taking a beating.

Read our special report for more

West Bengal on Monday recorded a voter turnout of 75.66 per cent in eight Lok Sabha constituencies till 5.00 pm, an election official said.

Bolpur (SC) Lok Sabha constituency registered the maximum polling of 77.77 per cent, followed by Ranaghat (SC) with 77.46 per cent, he said.

Bardhaman-Purba recorded 77.36 per cent followed by Krishnanagar (77.29 per cent), Birbhum (SC) (75.45 per cent) Baharampur (75.36 per cent), Bardhaman-Durgapur (75.02 per cent), and Asansol (69.43 per cent), he added.

Voters arrive to cast their votes at a polling booth decorated like a wedding venue, for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections in Chaibasa, West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand.

Hyderabad BJP candidate K. Madhavi Latha was booked by election authorities after a video clip in which she was purportedly asking burqa-clad women Muslim voters to show their faces to compare with their photo identity cards surfaced.

In the video, Madhavi Latha was seen asking women voters at a polling booth to lift their veils and show their faces to ascertain their identities, a job that ought to be performed by polling officials if required.

"A case is registered in Malakpet police station against Madhavi Latha, contesting candidate, BJP, under Sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act," the Hyderabad collector said in a post on X.

Amidst reports of poll-related violence in Andhra Pradesh, an incident occurred in Tenali in Guntur district when ruling YSRCP (Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party) MLA A. Siva Kumar attempted to jump the voting queue and was questioned by one of the voters. In a fit of rage, he slapped the man, who immediately returned the favour.

Not happy at their 'leader' being slapped, his supporters vented their anger on the man.

At Dalavaipalli village in Railway Kodur constituency, an EVM was destroyed while cars belonging to the ruling party and TDP (Telugu Desam Party) were damaged, a police official said. A TDP agent was attacked at Nakkaladinne village in Myduruku constituency, resulting in his hospitalisation.

The YSRCP alleged that party agent Suresh Reddy was stabbed at Mandi Krishnapuram village in Chittoor. It also alleged that TDP supporters attacked party member B. Anji Reddy at Aravallipadu in the Darsi constituency.

TDP MLC Mohammed Ahmed Shariff wrote a letter to chief electoral officer Mukesh Kumar Meena, complaining about alleged attacks by YSRCP cadre on TDP supporters at Rentala village of Palnadu district.

A voter turnout of 42.35 per cent was recorded till 3.00 pm in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra, the state electoral office said. Polling will end at 6.00 pm in Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, and Beed.

According to data shared by election authorities, tribal-dominated Nandurbar recorded 49.91 per cent polling, while Jalna saw a 47.51 per cent turnout until 3 pm.

Beed saw 46.49 per cent polling, followed by Raver at 45.26 per cent, Shirdi at 44.87 per cent, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) at 43.76 per cent, Jalgaon at 42.15 per cent, Ahmednagar at 41.35 per cent, Maval at 36.54 per cent, Shirur at 36.43 per cent, and Pune at 35.61 per cent.

Congress Pune city president Arvind Shinde raised an allegation of bogus voting. "I went to Saint Meera school for voting, but my name was already ticked off on the list, and I was told that voting was already done in my name. Someone had signed next to my name. I have challenged it and submitted my tender vote. I have also raised a complaint online," he said.

A total of 298 candidates are in the fray, with Beed having the highest number at 41 and Nandurbar the lowest at 11.

A voter turnout of 48.41 per cent was recorded till 3.00 pm in Uttar Pradesh according to ECI figures, with polling underway in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies. Polling is scheduled to end at 6.00 pm.

Akbarpur has recorded 46.36 per cent polling, Bahraich 49.10 per cent, Dhaurahra 54.05 per cent, Etawah 46.19 per cent, Farrukhabad 49.17 per cent, Hardoi 47.99 per cent, Kannauj 51.73 per cent, Kanpur 41.44 per cent, Kheri 53.87 per cent, Misrikh 47.01 per cent, Shahjahanpur 44.21 per cent, Sitapur 52.87 per cent and Unnao 46.56 per cent, according to EC data.

Among the prominent constituencies going to polls today are Kannauj, from where Samajwadi Party chief and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is a candidate, and Kheri, where the BJP has fielded controversial Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’.

Read more about the mood in Uttar Pradesh in our special report.

The Election Commission of India has made a big deal in its X posts of the different tribes of India seen at the polling booths

Amid a few incidents of violence in Andhra Pradesh, clashes in West Bengal and poll boycott in some villages of Uttar Pradesh, as well as reports of malfunctioning EVMs in some Bengal and Odisha booths, the Election Commission has recorded a voting percentage of 40.32 per cent till 1 p.m.

Jammu and Kashmir still held the lowest voting percentage till 1 p.m., with 23.57 per cent voters exercising their franchise, while West Bengal recorded the highest with 51.87 per cent.

Among other states, Andhra Pradesh recorded 40.26 per cent, Bihar 34.44, Jharkhand 43,80, Madhya Pradesh 48.52, Maharashtra 30.85, Odisha 39.30, Telangana 40.38 and Uttar Pradesh 39.68 per cent.

Violence was reported from parts of Andhra Pradesh with YSRCP and TDP leaders hurling accusations against others.

At Dalavaipalli village in Railway Kodur constituency, an EVM was destroyed, while cars belonging to the ruling party and TDP were damaged, a police official said.

Uttar Pradesh witnessed instances of poll boycott in Shahjahanpur in protest against the lack of roads and development.

In West Bengal and several places in Odisha, there were complaints of EVM malfunctioning. An official in Odisha said 65 ballot units (BU), 83 control units (CU) and 110 VVPATs have been replaced so far and most of the replacements were done during the mock poll exercise before the start of actual voting at 7 a.m.

The Election Commission suspended two polling officials in Odisha for dereliction of duty, said chief electoral officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal.

In neighbouring Jharkhand, security forces thwarted an alleged attempt by Maoists to obstruct voter access to polling booths by felling a tree and blocking a road leading to the remote Sonapi and Morangponga areas of West Singhbhum district.

Voting has been peaceful in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar constituency, it is reported.

Clashes erupted between workers of the Trinamool Congress and BJP in Bengal, reminiscent of past turmoil in the region. A Trinamool Congress worker lost their life in a crude bomb attack in the Bolpur Lok Sabha constituency just hours before polling was set to commence.

Meanwhile, tensions flared in Andhra Pradesh as YSRCP and TDP cadres engaged in altercations, highlighting the charged atmosphere surrounding the electoral process.

Omar Abdullah, also the National Conference vice president, urged the public to participate in large numbers in the electoral process.

In West Bengal, both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have lodged complaints about EVM malfunction, of agents being stopped from entering polling booths and of voters being either threatened or stopped from going to cast their votes in different constituencies.

The TMC lodged around 139 complaints, while the BJP had around 35 at 9 a.m., per both parties' sources.

"We have received 350 complaints, of which 99 were disposed of. Our officials in the respective constituencies are looking into the others. They will be resolved quickly," an official said.

Congress Baharampur candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and his TMC rival, former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, both said they were happy enough with the way polling is being conducted there.

TMC's Krishanagar candidate Mahua Moitra said the election is being conducted peacefully there as well, and she was visiting different polling stations to keep tabs.

An approximate voter turnout of 10.35 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of polling across 96 constituencies, amid complaints of EVM malfunctions in West Bengal.

According to the Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the lowest voting percentage till 9 a.m., with only 5.07 per cent voters having exercised their franchise, while West Bengal recorded the highest with 15.24 per cent.

Of course, Jammu and Kashmir is the coolest of the states polling today, literally, so it is possible the populace will be happy to come out in larger numbers later in the day, even as voters in hotter states shy away from the midday sun. The next-lowest turnout in hot, humid Maharashtra (6.45 per cent) may be of greater significance at this time.

Andhra Pradesh recorded 9.05 per cent, Bihar 10.18 per cent, Jharkhand 11.78 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 14.97 per cent, Maharashtra 6.45 per cent, Odisha 9.23 per cent, Telangana 9.51 per cent and Uttar Pradesh 11.67 per cent turnouts.

Prominent among the early voters were former vice president of India M. Venkaiah Naidu, Telangana BJP chief G. Kishan Reddy, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, popular Telugu actors Chiranjeevi and Allu Arjun, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu.

AIMIM leader Owaisi said: "The country is bigger than any individual. Don't vote for an individual; vote for the country and vote for a party."

Former Air Force chief marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik was among the early voters in Maharashtra's Pune. However, his wife Madhubala's name was found missing from the voter list. Naik, 75, went to vote along with his wife, 72, and son Vineet, 43.

Polling was progressing peacefully across the country barring an instance of three TDP polling agents being allegedly kidnapped from Chittoor district. They were subsequently rescued by the Election Commission.

The EC believes that prevailing heatwave conditions in several states are one of the reasons for lower voter turnout in this year's elections so far, compared to the 2019 parliamentary polls.

However, the poll authority on Sunday, 12 May, cited an India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast and said 'there is no significant concern regarding hot weather conditions for the polling in Phase 4'.

Still, keeping in mind the hot weather conditions and people's reluctance to step out in the afternoon, the Election Commission has increased polling hours for some Telangana seats.

In the 175 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh up for grabs, there is a triangular contest among the ruling YSRCP, the Congress-led INDIA bloc, and the NDA, which includes the BJP, the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (DSP) and the Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu along with their respective family members were among the early voters in Andhra Pradesh by 8:30 p.m.

Reddy cast his vote at Bhakarapuram in Pulivendula constituency of Kadapa district, while Chandrababu Naidu and his wife exercised their franchise in Amaravati.

The polling is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the state, barring a few places where it will conclude one or two hours earlier.

Jagan Mohan Reddy (Pulivendula), TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu (Kuppam) and Janasena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan (Pithapuram) are among those in the assembly stakes.

Andhra Pradesh Congress president and Reddy's sister Y.S. Sharmila (Kadapa) and BJP state chief D. Purandeswari (Rajamahendravaram) are among those in the Lok Sabha poll fray.

The YSRCP is contesting in all 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha segments in the state.

As part of a seat-sharing deal among NDA partners, the TDP was allocated 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, while the BJP is contesting from 6 Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats.

The Janasena is contesting 2 Lok Sabha and 21 Assembly seats.

Sharmila got a boost 2 days ago, with her mother Vijayamma sharing a video in support of her candidacy. Vijayamma has of course been an MLA in her own right

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress strongman with an enviable record from Baharampur in West Bengal, is confident of retaining his seat this time as well.

"We are going to win and there is no doubt about that," he said. "I am extremely confident. Some isolated incidents have taken place at about 4–5 places. We are also going to file a complaint."

The eight constituencies of West Bengal going to the polls in the fourth phase are Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Bardhaman–Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum.

The fates of several heavyweights—besides Chowdhury, former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh and veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha—hang in the balance.

A total of 1.45 crore eligible voters, including 71.45 lakh women and 282 third-gender individuals, will cast their votes across 15,507 polling stations.

Posting on X, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi declared that it was clear from the first phase of polling that the INDIA bloc would be forming the government at the Centre on 4 June.

He posted:

Urging citizens to come out and vote, he called on them to 'show that the country will now vote on its issues — it will not get distracted!', alluding presumably to propaganda around communal identities and ad hominem attacks that Opposition leaders have repeatedly protested against in the run-up to the elections and during campaigning.

Polling for 4 Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 assembly seats in Odisha began today, 13 May, amid stringent security measures.

Voting started at 7 a.m. in Berhampur, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi parliamentary constituencies, along with 28 assembly segments within the jurisdiction of these Lok Sabha seats.

Polling will continue till 6 p.m., with a few adjustments in certain remote and Maoist-hit areas, where voting will conclude earlier, officials have said.

Chief electoral officer (CEO) N.B. Dhal says over 62.87 lakh electors are eligible to exercise their franchise across 7,303 polling booths, where 37 candidates are vying for 4 Lok Sabha seats and 243 contestants for the 28 assembly segments.

Dhal highlighted unique challenges, such as airdropping polling officials for six booths in the remote Nuapada district and using boats in other areas to ensure accessibility.

The police have deployed 17,000 personnel, particularly focusing on areas that see heightened Maoist activities, said DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has called on citizens of India to find the strength to overcome all challenging circumstances and vote to save the Constitution of India as it stands.

In a post on X today, 13 May, Yadav called on fellow citizens to revive the spirit of the freedom fighters who won the nation its Independence and become a 'Samvidhan Senani', a soldier of the Constitution, and come out of their homes to vote.

He writes:

He ended with: 'Jai swatantrata, Jai Samvidhan (Victory to freedom, victory to the Constitution of India)!'

While Yadav did not mention it explicitly, this was a clear reference to the many BJP leaders who have spoken of the 'need' to alter the Constitution as it stands and widespread talk of a Hindu Rashtra among Modi supporters.

There are 24 candidates in the fray from the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir

Voting began at 7 a.m., with people seen lining up outside polling stations to exercise their franchise.

This is the first major election in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The article was revoked in 2019, leading to the bifurcation of the state into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir on one side and Ladakh on the other.

There are 17.48 lakh voters in the constituency, which includes the Srinagar, Ganderbal and Pulwama districts and parts of Budgam and Shopian districts.

A total of 2,135 polling stations have been set up across the five districts.

Special polling stations have also been established elsewhere for migrant voters of the Kashmir division of the union territory: 21 in Jammu, 4 in Delhi and 1 in Udhampur district.

The National Conference, supported by the INDIA bloc, has fielded influential Shia leader and former minister Aga Ruhullah Mehdi from the Srinagar seat, while the PDP has named its youth president Waheed Para as its candidate.

Meanwhile, Apni Party has fielded Mohammad Ashraf Mir and the DPAP has fielded Amir Ahmad Bhat. There are 20 others, including two women, in the fray.

The fate of 284 of India's 543 Lok Sabha constituencies was already decided in the first three phases of polling, on 19 and 26 April and 7 May respectively. Of course, the results will only be known on 4 June.

The voter turnout for the initial three phases of the Lok Sabha polls stood at 66.14 per cent, 66.71 per cent and 65.68 per cent, respectively. Lower turnouts have been a concern all round.

The seats going to the hustings today are in Andhra Pradesh (25 seats), Bihar (5), Jammu and Kashmir (1), Jharkhand (4), Madhya Pradesh (8), Maharashtra (11), Odisha (4), Telangana (17), Uttar Pradesh (13) and West Bengal (8). 

Unlike in the third phase, where there was a preponderance of seats won by the BJP in 2019, this time the saffron party will be looking to increase its share while the Opposition hopes to restrict it further in these constituencies.

In addition to the 1,717 candidates vying for a place in Parliament, 203 assembly seats go to the polls today—all 175 for the Andhra Pradesh assembly and 28 of 147 for neighbouring Odisha.