LS polls highlights: 3rd phase sees about 61.43% voter turnout; highest in Assam, lowest in Maha, UP

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE updates: Home Minister Amit Shah and Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan are in the fray in 3rd phase. The results of the elections will be declared on June 4

8:52 PM

3rd phase polling sees about 62 per cent voter turnout; highest in Assam, lowest in Maharashtra, UP

As per the Election Commission, approximately 61.43 per cent voters have cast their votes in the third phase with highest in Assam (75.09 per cent) and lowest in Maharashtra (57.34 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (57.34 per cent). In this phase, more than 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in this phase at 1.85 lakh polling stations.

7:53 PM

BJP govt in Haryana loses majority as 3 independent MLAs support Congress

 In a setback to the ruling BJP in Haryana amid the Lok Sabha elections, three Independent MLAs today announced that they have withdrawn their support to the Nayab Singh Saini-led government in the state. The three MLAs - Sombir Sangwan, Randhir Gollen and Dharampal Gonder - also said that they have decided to extend support to the Congress during the elections. They made the announcement at a press conference held in Rohtak in presence of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Udai Bhan.

6:11 PM

Model Code of Conduct turned into ‘Modi code of conduct' under BJP rule: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the Election Commission has turned a blind eye to the allegations against BJP leaders that they indulge in hate speeches during campaigns, converting the Model Code of Conduct to "Modi code of conduct".

5:01 PM

Amethi entrusted to me as 'amanat' of Rahul, Priyanka: Congress' KL Sharma

Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma today termed Amethi as the legacy of Rahui Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that he will return to them whenever asked. At an election meeting at Musafirkhana, Sharma said, "Amethi is the 'amanat' of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi that is with me as their 'dharohar'. Whenever the family asks me, I will return it."

 

4:59 PM

Chandrababu Naidu using BJP to stall welfare schemes, alleges Jagan Mohan Reddy

YSR Congress Party chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed that TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu along with BJP state president D Purandeswari was hindering the distribution of welfare schemes in Andhra Pradesh. "They are putting pressure on the Election Commission to stall direct benefit transfer (DBT) financial assistance on ongoing welfare schemes of the state like pensions and input subsidy, among others," he said at a public meeting.

4:44 PM

Nomination process for 7th phase of Lok Sabha polls begins in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh

The nomination process for Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha constituencies  and Himachal Pradesh's four seats as well as six assembly segments where bypolls are to be held on June 1 started today. The nomination process will continue till May 14, barring May 11 and 12 which are public holidays. The scrutiny of papers will take place on May 15 and the last date for the withdrawal of nominations is May 17, according to an official release.

4:41 PM

Lok Sabha polls update: Man killed over personal enmity outside polling booth in Dharashiv

A 27-year-old man was killed and his friend injured in a knife attack outside a polling booth in Maharashtra's Dharashiv district.The incident occurred outside the polling booth in Patsangvi village of Bhoom tehsil around 11.30 am  where polling is underway in the third phase of the general election on Tuesday, police said.

The attack was due to personal enmity and had nothing to do with the elections, an official said.

4:26 PM

NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule files complaint after video shows NCP MLA threatening her party worker

Baramati Lok Sabha candidate Supriya Sule today filed a complaint with the state Election Commission via email after a video, allegedly showing Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Dattatraya Bharne  threatening a party worker, went viral on social media, said party lawmaker Rohit Pawar. Rohit Pawar stated: “We have lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission against the (Indapur) NCP MLA (Bharne) for abusing and threatening our party worker in Indapur. This is a violation of the model code of conduct.”

4:23 PM

June 4 is 'expiry date' of INDIA bloc: PM Modi at Ahmednagar rally

 At an election rally in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, PM Modi said that polling in third phase has made it clear that June 4 is “expiry date” of INDIA bloc.

3:57 PM

News update: EC directs deferment of Telangana govt scheme Rythu Bharosa, says poll code violated

3:54 PM

Modi and BJP consider only themselves as Hindus, says West Bengal CM Mamata

PM Modi and BJP consider only themselves as Hindus, they don't think about other communities: Mamata Banerjee at Purulia rally. 

3:46 PM

'Siddaramaiah Investigation Team': JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy sees plot in sex abuse claims against Prajwal

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has claimed that 25,000 pen drives with videos of women being sexually abused allegedly by his nephew, Lok Sabha election candidate Prajwal Revanna, were distributed before polls, and accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar of a conspiracy.

3:13 PM

Lok Sabha polls: 36.69 % turnout recorded in five Bihar Lok Sabha seats till 1 pm

Around 36.69 per cent of over 98 lakh voters exercised their franchise in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar till 1 pm on Tuesday, an election official said.

Voting in 9,848 polling stations in Araria, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Madhepura and Khagaria seats, all currently held by the NDA, began at 7 am amid tight security and will continue till 6 pm, he said. Supaul recorded the highest turnout of 38.58 per cent.

3:10 PM

PM Modi made 22 billionaires in 10 years, INDIA bloc will make crores of people 'lakhpati': Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he wanted to hand over 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' belonging to tribals to industrialists.

2:39 PM

31.55% turnout recorded till 1 pm in Maharashtra; Pawars among early voters

A voter turnout of 31.55 per cent was recorded till 1 pm in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra, where polling is underway in the third phase of the general elections on Tuesday, election authorities said. Latur recorded 32.71 per cent polling, Sangli 29.65 per cent, Baramati 27.55 per cent, Hathkanangale 36.17 per cent, Kolhapur 38.42 per cent, Madha 26.61 per cent, Osmanabad 30.54 per cent, Raigad 31.34 per cent, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg 33.91 per cent, Satara 32.78 per cent and Solapur 29.32 per cent.

2:35 PM

INDIA bloc will provide one-year apprenticeship to the unemployed: Rahul Gandh

INDIA bloc will provide one-year apprenticeship to unemployed diploma holders, graduates, Congress lawyer Rahul Gandhi said at apoll rally in Jharkhand.

2:17 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Amritpal decided to contest election at instance of 'sangat', says father Tarsem Singh

Amritpal Singh was reluctant to fight elections but changed his mind at the instance of the 'sangat' or community, which wanted him to enter the poll fray, Tarsem Singh, the father of the radical Sikh preacher said.

2:14 PM

39.92% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm for phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls

2:12 PM

General Elections 2024 updates: Congress names Sher Singh Ghubaya from Ferozepur seat in Punjab

The Congress on Tuesday announced former MP Sher Singh Ghubaya as its candidate from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat. With this, the party has announced its candidates in all 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab.

1:41 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Modi govt neglected MP's Adivasi communities, alleges Congress

The Congress accused the BJP-led Centre  alleged that the saffron party's allocation for Adivasis in the central budget has consistently fallen short of the 8.2-per cent target set by the NITI Aayog. "Why has the BJP failed to improve rail connectivity in MP's tribal districts? Why are Adivasis unwelcome in 'Modi ka Parivar'? Why does the Modi sarkar continue to neglect migrant workers?" Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked on X.

1:39 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 updates: 24.35% voter turnout registered till 11 am in polls to 25 LS seats in Gujarat

A voter turnout of 24.35 per cent was recorded in the first four hours of polling in 25 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat in the third phase of the general election on Tuesday, an official from the Election Commission (EC) said.

As many as 265 candidates are in the fray for 25 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

1:20 PM

Cong spreading rumours that if Modi gets 400 Lok Sabha seats, he will change Constitution: PM Modi at Dhar

The Congress is spreading rumours that if  NDA gets 400 Lok Sabha seats, they will change Constitution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Madhya Pradesh. The prime minister claimed that till he is alive, he will foil attempts to erase India's identity in the name of pseudo secularism.

1:16 PM

LS polls: Cops patrol Murshidabad after CPI (M) candidate alleges Trinamool workers obstructed voters

The CPI(M) candidate Md Salim from the Murshidabad constituency filed a complaint with the Election Commission, claiming that TMC activists stopped voters from accessing the booth in the Gandhinagar area

12:54 PM

Want 400 seats in ongoing polls to ensure that Cong is unable to bring back Article 370: PM Modi

I want 400 seats in ongoing Lok Sabha polls to ensure that Congress is unable to bring back Article 370 in Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today at a poll rally. 

12:45 PM

News update: Former Congress leader Radhika Khera, actor Shekhar Suman join BJP

12:26 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Manoj Tiwari richest contender in Delhi, Bidhuri on 2nd spot

BJP's Manoj Tiwari (53) is the richest among the prominent Lok Sabha poll candidates in Delhi with assets worth Rs 28.05 crore.

Ramvir Singh Bidhuri (71), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from South Delhi, is on the second spot with assets worth Rs 21.08 crore. According to his income-tax returns for 2022-23, Bidhuri has an annual income of Rs 14.93 lakh.

12:20 PM

There is competition amongst Cong, India bloc partners on making anti-national statements: PM Modi

 "Congress and INDI alliance are not concerned about our faith or national interest. There is competition amongst them to make anti-national statements. After every phase, Congress' love for Pakistan is increasing... A former Congress CM said that our army does terror attacks and Pakistan is innocent... Another Congress leader said that Pakistan was not behind the Mumbai terror attacks. Another leader of the alliance said that Pakistan is not wearing any bangles. I want to ask Shehzade what is the intention of his partners who are making these statements. So much love for Pakistan and so much hatred for our army?," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today at a poll rally. 

11:53 AM

Lok Sabha polls LIVE: 25.41% voter turnout recorded for phase 3 of General Elections till 11 am

11:37 AM

Voters have to decide if vote jihad will work or Ram Rajya, says PM Modi at Khargone rally

India is at turning point in history; you have to decide if vote jihad will work or Ram Rajya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Madhya Pradesh. 

11:28 AM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Two government officials on poll duty in Karnataka die after heart attack

 Two government officials on Lok Sabha poll duty died in Karnataka following heart attacks, sources in the Election Commission said on Tuesday.

The sources identified the deceased as 48-year-old Govindappa Siddapura, headmaster of a government school, who breathed his last in Bagalkote district's Mudhol town on Monday. Assistant Agriculture Officer Anand Telang (32) died at Kudumbal in Bidar district, they said.