Assembly Elections LIVE: 77% voting in West Bengal; 71% in Tamil Nadu

West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu Election 2021 Live Updates: Voting in the 4 states and 1 UT is underway. Stay tuned for LIVE updates on Assembly elections 2021

3:17 AM

Puducherry records 81 per cent polling

An estimated 81.64 per cent of the 10.04 lakh voters exercised their franchise in Puducherry on Tuesday for the 30 Assembly seats in the union territory.

An official source said that Yanam registered the highest polling percentage of 91.27 per cent and Mahe region, the lowest at 73.53 per cent

Polling was by and large peaceful.

 

A health department release said 510 COVID-19 patients also cast their franchise with full protective gear in the last hour of the polling, from 6-7 pm.
 

Among key contestants trying their electoral fortunes are AINRC leader and former Chief Minister N Rangasamy, heading the National Democratic Alliance, with the other constituents being the BJP and the AIADMK.
 

He is seeking election from Thattanchady segment in Puducherry region as well as in Yanam, an enclave of the UT.
 

Former minister A Namassivayam is contesting on a BJP ticket from Manadipet, a new turf for him.
 

Former ministers M O H F Shah Jahan and R Kamalakannan are the other big names in the fray.
 

The election is a seen as a crucial battle for both the Congress led Secular Democratic Alliance and the NDA, as the former makes a bid to regain power, although its V Narayanasamy-led government fell in February after being reduced to a minority.
 

The NDA, under Rangasamy, is also keen to win a majority and form the government.
 

Counting of votes is slated for May 2.
 

3:16 AM

UDF seeks repoll in Taliparamba seat

The UDF on Tuesday sought repoll in the Taliparamba Assembly seat in Kerala's Kannur district, alleging that the CPI(M) workers captured many booths and engaged in bogus voting.
 

Congress state working president K Sudhakaran said the UDF would move court if repolling was not announced in the constituency.
 

Talking to reporters, Sudhakaran, who represents Kannur in the Lok Sabha, alleged that booths were captured in some parts of Anthoor municipality and five panchayats with the help of the poll officials.
 

UDF candidate V P Abdul Rasheed was prevented from visiting the booths seeking votes in the constituency, he alleged. CPI(M) leader M V Govindan is the LDF candidate in the seat.
 

Sudhakaran alleged widespread rigging of votes in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's Dharmadam Assembly constituency.
 

Meanwhile, incidents of violence have been reported from some areas of the district.
 

3:16 AM

Stones 'pelted' at Shahnawaz Hussain in Howrah

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain alleged that stones were pelted at him in Howrah on Tuesday night when he was campaigning for the West Bengal assembly election.
 

The BJP leader posted on social media a video in which he was seen showing two stones to the officer on duty and blaming the TMC for the alleged incident.
 

"TMC workers pelted stones on me while I was addressing a meeting at Muzzafar Chowk," Hussain tweeted, saying he was safe and the party workers had lodged a complaint.
 

"It's clear that TMC knew it is losing and hence is becoming desperate," Hussain said. "I myself went to the Golabari Police Station & asked them why police personnel were not deployed according to my Y + CRPF cover security protocol. Strangely, they had no answers for that." In his complaint, Umesh Rai, the BJP candidate from Howrah North, named few persons behind the attack, alleging they were all known TMC men in the area.
 

Police confirmed the lodging of the FIR and visit of Hussain to the station, adding that the alleged incident was being investigated.
 

The TMC denied any involvement of its workers and said the BJP was staging a "drama" to get attention as the roadshows and meetings of the saffron party were "failing" to draw crowds.
 

Earlier on Sunday, a roadshow attended by Hussain and Domjur assembly candidate Rajib Banerjee was stopped by police at Bankra area on the ground that there was no earlier permission.
 

Both Banerjee and Hussain had protested the action of police.
 

9:39 PM

Central forces assaulting people, asking them to vote for BJP: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that central forces "assaulted" voters in several constituencies where polling was underway, "instructing" them to vote for the BJP.
 

Banerjee also alleged that BJP forcibly occupied polling booths and attacked TMC candidates.
 

Addressing a public meeting here in Alipurduar district, the TMC boss accused the Election Commission of turning a blind eye to the "excesses" of the CRPF, CISF, BSF and the ITBP.
 

"They are beating and torturing people since morning.
 

They are saying 'BJP ko vote do' (vote for the BJP)," the chief minister said.
 

She said her party's nominee in Arambagh, Sujata Mondal, was chased and hit on head near a polling booth by saffron party workers.

"BJP supporters inflicted serious injury on our Scheduled Caste candidate Sujata, when she visited a booth.
 

They also hit another candidate in Khanakul.
 

"In Canning East, security forces prevented our nominee Shaukat Mollah from entering a booth. There have been numerous such instances of attack on our candidates and workers across the state," Banerjee said.
 

The CM also stated she has received at least 100 complaints of assault and violence since morning, and the EC has been duly informed but to no avail.

Alleging that a deep-rooted conspiracy has been hatched by the BJP leadership in Delhi after experiencing "poor turnout" in rallies, Banerjee said "security forces have been asked not to resist booth capturing".
 

"They have asked the CRPF to help BJP goons to capture booths. The BJP is running elections through guns. Even Donald Trump has not gone to the extent of Narendra Modi," she said.
 

9:38 PM

Impressive turnout in high-stakes assembly elections; Clashes reported in several areas

A high voter turnout was recorded in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry assembly elections on Tuesday, with the Congress along with its allies like the DMK locked in a keen contest to regain turf in South India.
 

In Kerala, where the Left is hoping to beat anti-incumbency to retain power, a feat unseen in four decades, while the BJP is making efforts to build inroads, nearly 74 percent polling was recorded till 7 PM. There was 63.47 percent voting in Tamil Nadu for 234 assembly constituencies and 77.90 percent in Puducherry till 5 PM.
 

The three-phase assembly election culminated in Assam with nearly 79 percent polling in the final round in the state where the ruling BJP is battling the Congress-led alliance to retain power, while the trend of high turnout and violence during polling continued in West Bengal as the ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP and the Left-Congress alliance put up an intense fight in the high-stakes contest.
 

Five candidates, including two women, were assaulted in poll-related clashes as over 77 percent voting was recorded in 31 seats in West Bengal till 5 PM in the third phase.
 

Violence was reported in areas like Uluberia, Khanakul, Falta, Canning Purba, Durbrajpur and Hooghly, where a BJP supporter's family member was killed.

The state is having eight-phase elections.
 

Stray incidents of clashes between workers of rival parties were also reported in other states.
 

The massive polling exercise following Covid-19 health protocol and involving lakhs of personnel began at 7 AM and the last hour from 6 PM to 7 PM was set aside for Covid-19 patients and those under isolation.
 

8:49 PM

Glimpse of Enthusiastic Voters at the Polling queue of Howrah District

8:05 PM

Polling for Kerala Assembly Elections 2021 concluded at 7 pm

8:03 PM

Voting peaceful at Bhogdanga, polling station outside Indo-Bangla border fencing

With the hope that the new government of Assam will address their problems, Haleswar Ray on Tuesday voted for the party of his choice at the sole polling station set up outside the Indo-Bangladesh border fencing in the state's Dhubri district.

 

Ray is one of the 386 voters of the polling station at Bhogdanga, a tiny hamlet in the Gauripur assembly constituency in the district, and voting was held peacefully in the third and final phase of the elections.

 

Dhubri district, which shares 153 kms of the total 267.5 kms of Assam's border with Bangladesh, has 63 polling stations along the international boundary with 26 in Dhubri, 18 in Gauripur and 19 in Golokgunj constituencies, an official said.

7:34 PM

BJP demands independent inquiry from EC after EVMs found in TMC candidate's house

The BJP on Tuesday demanded an independent inquiry from the Election Commission after electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPAT machines were found in a TMC leader's house in a constituency in West Bengal's Howrah district.
 

Four EVMs and a similar number of VVPAT machines were found at the house of the Trinamool Congress leader in Uluberia constituency following which an election official was suspended by the poll body.
 

Addressing a press conference, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said it is a serious matter that a day before the polling EVMs and VVPAT machines were found in the TMC leader's house and were confiscated.

7:20 PM

LIVE: Voter turnout in Assembly Elections 2021 till 7:10 pm

Voter turnout in Assembly Elections 2021 till 7:10 pm: Assam 82.29%, Kerala 70.04%, Puducherry 78.13%, Tamil Nadu 65.11% and West Bengal 77.68%

7:18 PM

Polling conducted peacefully in all four states and one UT, says EC

Polling in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and for Phase 3 Assembly Constituencies in Assam and West Bengal conducted peacefully, says election commission of India

7:16 PM

Attacks on TMC and BJP candidates, 5 arrested

Police arrested five persons -- three members of the TMC and two of the BJP -- for their alleged involvement in assaulting TMC's Sujata Mondal, candidate from Arasmbagh, earlier on Tuesday, a police officer said.

 

Police also said they had launched a search for those who assaulted Papiya Adhikary, BJP candidate from Uluberia (Dakshin) assembly seat, when she visited Uluberia hospital to call on an injured party candidate.

 

The attacks were part of a series of clashes which were reported from several parts of Bengal, where polling is underway in the third phase of assembly elections.

7:05 PM

LIVE: Polling ends for the third and the final phase of Assam Assembly Election 2021

LIVE: Polling ends for the third and the final phase of Assam Assembly Election 2021

6:37 PM

DMK MP Kanimozhi cast her vote wearing PPE kit in Mylapore constituency

5:58 PM

LIVE: Voter turnout till 5:30 pm in all the four states and one UT

Voter turnout in Assembly Elections till 5:30 pm: Assam 78.94%, Kerala 69.95%, Puducherry 77.90%, Tamil Nadu 63.47% and West Bengal 77.68%

5:33 PM

Assam: Voters queue at a polling booth in Guwahati

4:17 PM

Watch: PM Modi addresses public meeting at Howrah, West Bengal

3:54 PM

Opposition has no face in Assam: Pramod Boro

3:39 PM

First-time voters in Assam thrilled to be part of democracy

First-time voters in Assam displayed their enthusiasm by queuing up in large numbers before polling stations, much before the third phase of the assembly polls began on Tuesday, with the momentum continuing.

 

The young voters turned up in large numbers in most of the 40 constituencies spread across 12 districts.

 

In the third and last phase of state polls, there are 4,18,537 electors who are eligible to exercise their franchise for the first time.

 

Reposing their faith in democracy, the young voters said, they felt thrilled to be part of the electoral process.

 

One such voter was Nandil Biswa Sarma, 19-year-old son of Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who exercised his franchise along with his parents at Amingaon High School under Jalukbari constituency.

3:17 PM

TMC candidates allege assault by BJP men, saffron party denies charge

Clashes were reported from several parts of Bengal, where polling is underway in the third phase of assembly elections, with TMC candidates Sujata Mondal and Nirmal Majhi alleging that they were heckled and assaulted by BJP workers, a charge denied by the saffron camp.

 

Mondal, who is contesting the elections from Arambagh, said saffron party men chased her and hit her on the head, when she was out visiting polling booths in Arandi area of the constituency, after having received reports that "voters were not being allowed to exercise their franchise".

 

"My bodyguards saved my life... I came to know that BJP members were thwarting people from casting their votes in Arandi. I went there to find out what went wrong. I was assaulted, hit with bamboo sticks by saffron party men," Mondal, estranged wife of BJP MP Saumitra Khan, said.

3:11 PM

Higher turnout is good for UDF, too late for Kerala CM to remember Lord Ayyappa: Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said higher turnout for the Kerala Assembly Elections indicate a victory for the United Democratic Front (UDF) adding that it is "too little too late" for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to remember Lord Ayyappa just ahead of the polls.

 

After casting his vote in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said, "The turnout has been very high... which is unusual for Kerala. As a general rule when the turnout is high UDF will prevail. The other parties are more cadre-based, so be it rain or bad voter turnout they will come and vote whereas UDF voters are regular folks."

2:21 PM

Rahul, Priyanka urge voters to exercise franchise

As the polling for the third phase in West Bengal and Assam and single phase poll in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are underway, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his sister and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged the people to exercise their franchise.

 

Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and wrote, "Do cast your votes today - India is counting on you."

 

His sister Priyanka Gandhi, who is in home isolation after her husband Robert Vadra tested positive for Covid-19, took to Twitter and wrote, "As polling begins in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, I request my sisters and brothers to go out and vote in large numbers and ensure a strong, progressive and prosperous future for themselves."

2:20 PM

PM Modi urges people of Bengal 'Chalo Paltai' - let's make the change

Amidst the third phase of West Bengal Assembly polls on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra coined the slogan "Chalo Paltai" (let us make the change).

 

Addressing a public meeting in Cooch Behar, Prime Minister said, "For 10 years, women, Dalits, backward classes, farmers and tea workers were subjected to injustices, but Didi (Mamata Banerjee), you were just an onlooker. Didi has started a new tax in Bengal - 'Bhaipo Service Tax'! For this reason, today the voice is coming from every corner of Bengal - 'Chalo Paltai, Chalo Paltai' (let us make the change)."

 

"When your party announces that Didi will now contest from Varanasi, then anyone can easily understand that TMC's is going to be faded away. Every day you have to say that you are winning Nandigram. But after the game you played on the polling day in Nandigram, the entire country got to know that you have lost. Didi, your anger, your resentment, your behaviour and your speech describe that you have lost the election," stated Prime Minister Modi.

2:18 PM

Mamata asking Muslims to back her reflects minority votes slipping away: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for seeking en bloc voting by Muslims for the TMC and said had his party made a similar appeal to Hindus, it would have been criticised and censored.

 

Asserting that Banerjee has problems with people sporting a Tilak and wearing saffron, Modi said the TMC supremo's appeal to the Muslims reflects that her "minority votes are slipping out of her hands."

 

Claiming a BJP wave was blowing across West Bengal and his party would form the next government, Modi said Banerjee's angry reactions indicates that she has lost the polls.

1:53 PM

BJP workers chased TMC's Arambagh candidate Sujata Mondal, hit her on head near polling booth: Mamata Banerjee

BJP workers chased TMC's Arambagh candidate Sujata Mondal, hit her on head near polling booth: Mamata Banerjee

1:37 PM

BJP workers forcibly occupying polling booths, attacking TMC activists: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tells rally

BJP workers forcibly occupying polling booths, attacking TMC activists: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tells rally

1:35 PM

Voter turnout in four states and UT till 1 pm

1:32 PM

BJP will win 22 out of 40 seats in 3rd phase of Assam polls: Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win 22 out of 40 seats in the third and final phase of Assembly polls in Assam, claimed State Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday.

 

Sarma, who is contesting from the Jalukbari constituency, cast his vote earlier today.

 

"There are 40 seats in this phase, we are expecting to win on 22 of them, number can be higher. In this election, we will win more seats," Sarma said while speaking to ANI.

 

Sarma further took a jibe at Congress, stating that its alliance partner All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) will perform better than Congress.

1:29 PM

Voter turnout in Assembly Elections 2021 till 12 pm

1:07 PM

Didi your anger indicates you have lost polls, accepted defeat: PM Modi

That Didi's exit is imminent is clear after polling in first two phases: PM Modi at Coochbehar rally