Assembly elections 2018: Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram record 75% voter turnout

BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Congress-ruled Mizoram vote to decide on new state government. Track Assembly elections 2018 LIVE updates here

7:53 PM

Tribal refugees vote in Mizoram polls

 

Amid prolonged uncertainty over return to their homes, Reang tribal refugees, sheltered in Tripura for 21 years, voted in large numbers in the Mizoram Assembly polls today.

 

North Tripura district officials said around 60% of the 12,018 voters among over 35,000 tribal immigrants after travelling around 50-60 km had cast their ballots at Kanhmun, a village along the Mizoram-Tripura border.

 

7:34 PM

Around 75% voter turnout was recorded in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, according to Deputy Election Commissioner C B Kumar

7:34 PM

A voter turnout of about 75% was recorded in the Mizoram Assembly polls, said Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain

7:28 PM

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6:56 PM

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, his wife Sadhna Singh and two sons Kartikeya and Kunal show their marked fingers after casting their votes for Assembly elections, at Jait village in Bhopal today (PTI Photo) 

6:25 PM

Around 73 per cent votes were cast in the Mizoram assembly polls today but the figure is expected to rise as there were long queues of voters outside polling booths to exercise their franchise, Chief Electoral Officer said.

6:15 PM

Altogether 65.5 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections today

6:01 PM

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and his wife Lal Riliani show their ink-marked fingers after casting their vote for the Mizoram Assembly elections at Zarkawt-II polling station in Aizawl (Mizoram) (PTI Photo)

5:50 PM

Around 60% voter turnout recorded in Madhya Pradesh's naxal hit areas

 

According to reports, voting has concluded in Naxal-hit areas of Madhya Pradesh. Over 60 per cent voter turnout was recorded. 66 per cent, 64 per cent and 68 per cent polling was reported from the Maoist-affected Baihar, Lanjhi and Paraswada constituencies respectively. Voting for these seats closed at 3 pm.

5:44 PM

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan along with her grand-daughter shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting her vote for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, outside a polling station in Indore, Madhya Pradesh (PTI Photo)

5:42 PM

Union minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Singh Tomar shows his ink-marked finger after casting vote for the Assembly elections, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh (Photo: PTI)

5:23 PM

Will break the jinx by forming govt in Mizoram for third time: CM Thanhawla

 

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said that he is going to "break the jinx" of no party winning the third consecutive term by forming the next Congress government with full majority.
 

"I am going to break the jinx because of our good work. I am coming with full majority," Thanhawla, who was with his wife Lal Riliani, told reporters after casting his vote at Zarkawt-II polling station in the state capital.

 

5:15 PM

According to media reports, voter turnout in the Mizoram Assembly elections has been 70 per cent till 4 pm. The elections in Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, registered a turnout of only 55.2 per cent.

 

5:03 PM

108-yr-old man turns up at booth as Mizoram's oldest voter

Rochhinga, aged 108, was considered to be the oldest voter in Mizoram as the election to the 40-member state Assembly ended peacefully on Wednesday.

 

Rochhinga, a Presbyterian Church elder and a resident of Zemabawk North in Aizawl East-I constituency, came holding a walking stick along with one of his neighbours.

 

Also among the voters were persons aged 106, 104 and 96.

 

"I never miss voting in elections. It is our duty. If we fail in our duty, then how can we question when the government will fail in its duty?" Rochhinga told PTI after casting vote.

 

4:57 PM

Madhya Pradesh elections: BJP moves EC, alleges Kamal Nath violated code of conduct

 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has moved the Election Commission (EC) against Congress leader Kamal Nath for an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct by showing his hand- a symbol of the Congress party- after casting his vote in Chhindwara on Wednesday.

 

However, Nath, while speaking to ANI, said: "I had already cast my vote. When people asked me when those from media asked me whom I have voted for I showed this (palm). What else could have I done? Show a lotus?"

 

4:52 PM

Amid tight security, Madhya Pradesh is voting for a new assembly today. The voting is underway at 65,341 polling booths, which have been set up for the single-phase elections to 230 seats of the State Assembly.

4:46 PM

Age is no deterrent in casting votes in Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh elections 2018

 

Proving that age is just a number and nothing else, a significant number of people falling under the age group of 90 to 100 years, and even above, came to the polling stations to exercise their franchise in the ongoing Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram Assembly polls on Wednesday.

 

Although a majority of these women were visibly fragile, their determination to contribute to strengthening democracy in the states was motivation enough to come out and cast their votes.

 

In Mizoram's Kawrthah, a 106-year-old woman arrived to cast her vote in a wheelchair along with a family member.

4:37 PM

Using faulty EVMs a ploy to manipulate votes: Mamata on Madhya Pradesh polls

Criticising the malfunctioning of some Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the ongoing Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that providing faulty EVMs was a ploy to manipulate people's votes.

 

Taking a swipe at the Election Commission, Banerjee said it is the responsibility of the constitutional body to ensure that none of the EVM or VVPAT machines used during polling are faulty.

"I am hearing since morning that several EVM machines used in Madhya Pradesh polls are faulty. We all understand these plans. These are attempts to manipulate people's vote for own advantage," Banerjee further said.

4:28 PM

Madhya Pradesh elections 2018: 745 EVMs, VVPATs replaced after malfunctioning

Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections are being marred by complaints of faulty Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at some places. Around 745 EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were replaced after complaints of technical snags, MP's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V L Kantha Rao said.

 

4:21 PM

Kamal Nath wants faulty EVMs replaced in Madhya Pradesh elections

Congress state unit chief Kamal Nath has requested the poll panel to quickly replace all faulty EVMs and VVPAT machines after 100 complaints were received within the first hour of polling in Madhya Pradesh.

 

"There is a large number of EVM machines not working properly, we have information from across the state... This is affecting voting. "There are long queues outside the polling stations... Why such big glitches? The Election Commission must urgently take steps," the Congress leader tweeted.
 

3:56 PM

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3:37 PM

50% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in Madhya Pradesh.

3:36 PM

People wait with their identity cards to cast their votes for the Assembly elections, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Photo: PTI

3:10 PM

Three poll officials found drunk in Mizoram

Three polling officials, including two presiding officers, in Mizoram's Lunglei district were removed from their duties after they were allegedly found in an inebriated state, attempting to assault other officials.

 

Those who faced action include James RT Khuma, an Associate Professor at Government J Buana College, who was the presiding officer at a polling station in Lunglei South assembly seat.

 

"He was found to be intoxicated in the DC office premises, was behaving in an extremely unruly manner and attempted to physically assault a senior officer in the presence of others," Lunglei Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Returning Officer Ankita Chakravarty said in an order.

3:05 PM

EVM malfunctioning

 

Congress Wednesday claimed that some EVMs malfunctioned during the ongoing Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections and demanded that polling be extended. Polling is underway to elect the 230-member Assembly, where the ruling BJP and opposition Congress are fighting for supremacy. It is being held between 8 am and 5 pm in 227 seats and between 7 am to 3 pm in three Naxal-affected segments.

 

"There have been several complaints that EVMs at many places malfunctioned. We have have written to the Election Commission and demanded that voting time in these polling booths should be extended to compensate for the delay," Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said.

2:55 PM

2:49 PM

34.99% voter turnout recorded till 2 pm in Madhya Pradesh.

2:36 PM