Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti, center, blocks a road with her supporters as she protests against the alleged detention of her party workers ahead of the sixth round of polling in India’s national election in Bijehara, south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on May 25, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP
Fifty-eight Lok Sabha seats from six States and two Union Territories are polling today in the sixth and penultimate phase of the general election.
Some Lok Sabha and assembly seats in Odisha along with some parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal are also going for polls on Saturday in phase six.
Also read: Delhi Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE updates, May 25, 2024
Polling for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir, which was postponed from phase three due to adverse weather conditions, is also under way today.
Polling for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir, which was postponed from phase three due to adverse weather conditions, is also under way today.
The Election Commission has urged the voters in the urban centres, including Delhi, Gurugram and Faridabad to break the trend of urban apathy by coming out in large numbers to vote on Saturday.
The last phase of polling will be on June 1 for the remaining 57 seats with counting of votes scheduled on June 4.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh cast their votes in the Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Dhankhar reached the polling station at the CPWD service centre in Delhi’s North Avenue to exercise his franchise.
“Proud to cast my vote for Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Urge everyone to exercise their right to vote and fulfil their constitutional duty,” he said in a post on X after casting his vote.
West Bengal registered a voter turnout of 16.54 % till 9 am in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls in the sixth phase on Saturday, an official said.
Polling began at 7 a.m. in Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur constituencies. It would continue till 6 p.m.
Tamluk recorded the highest polling at 19.07 %, followed by Bishnupur (18.56 %), Ghatal (18.27 %), Bankura (17.69 %), Jhargram (16.22 %), Kanthi (15.45 %), Medinipur (14.58 %) and Purulia (12.68 %), he said.
“Voting has been peaceful so far. There are no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere,” the poll official said.
A voter turnout of 12.33% was recorded till 9 a.m. in Uttar Pradesh where polling is underway in 14 constituencies in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Polling began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm.
According to the Election Commission, Allahabad recorded a voter turnout of 9.37% till 9 am, Ambedkar Nagar 14.61 %, Azamgarh 14.17 %, Basti 14.26 %, Bhadohi 12.84 %, Domariaganj 13.38 %, Jaunpur 12.91 %, Lalganj 10.95 %, Machhlishahar 13.33 %, Phulpur 7.45 %, Pratapgarh 12.89 %, Sant Kabir Nagar 12.73 %, Shrawasti 9.95 % and Sultanpur 14.11 %.
-PTI
BJP candidate for the Puri Lok Sabha seat Sambit Patra voiced serious concerns on Saturday regarding malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at multiple polling stations in Puri and urged the Election Commission to take immediate action.
Mr. Patra highlighted that voters, including senior citizens, were facing significant delays, with some waiting for up to two hours to cast their ballots.
“For 2 hours people are waiting here to cast their vote, they are going back. Up till now, the EVM machine is not working. The Election Commission should definitely take action on this and give an extension of time,” Mr. Patra stated.
“I am still waiting outside my booth, senior citizens are going back. People think that this is strategically being done. This is not the right thing in this festival of democracy. The Election Commission wants people to vote. It must take action on this”, he added.
-ANI
Following claims by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti that party workers were being detained during polling for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, the Jammu & Kashmir police has reacted saying that the detentions were based on inputs of potential threat to law and order on the polling day.
“Claims were made by a political party that their workers have been detained. Firstly, detentions are very few and restricted only to those who have a tainted past and based on credible inputs of potential threats to law and order and security on polling day.
“Mostly they are OGWs (over ground workers) and are taken into preventive custody for ensuring a safe and peaceful election,” an official said.
-Peerzada Ashiq
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged people to cast their ballot in the sixth phase and vote against the “politics of hatred, rhetoric and distraction”. Mr. Kharge said that in the last five phases, the “dictatorial forces” were “deeply shaken”.
In a post in Hindi on X, Mr. Kharge said this struggle to secure democracy and the Constitution has reached the last two phases.
“Today is the sixth phase of voting and you have to vote. Vote for unity, justice and important everyday issues. Vote against the politics of hatred, rhetoric and distraction,” the Congress chief said.
-PTI
- AAP’s Atishi casts her vote in Delhi, alleges voting could be slowed down in INDIA bloc strongholds
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi on Saturday cast her vote in the sixth phase of the general elections and alleged that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi V.K. Saxena, held a meeting with Delhi Police to slow down the voting process in areas which are strongholds of the INDIA bloc.
“We have received official information that last evening, LG had called a meeting of Delhi Police officials and instructions were given to Delhi Police that in all the areas which are strongholds of the INDIA alliance, voting should be slowed down in those areas. If this happens then it will be a violation of free and fair elections. So we hope that the Election Commission will take cognizance of this,” Atishi alleged.
Atishi cast her vote in New Delhi’s Kalkaji area. The New Delhi constituency is seeing a fight between AAP’s Somnath Bharti and BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj.
-ANI
- Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, wife cast vote in Mirzapur
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini along with his wife Suman Saini, on Saturday cast their vote at a polling booth in his native village Mirzapur in Haryana.
Addressing the media after casting his vote, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini lauded the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attributing India’s recent strides in development to his governance.
“I appeal to the people of Haryana to strengthen the democracy and they should come out and vote in large numbers. Under the leadership of PM Modi, India has entered a new era of development. Today in the whole world, India has got recognition, it has reached new heights,” Mr. Saini said.
-ANI
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was one of the first at his designated polling booth to cast his vote in Delhi. The Minister expressed his confidence that the Voters of Delhi would once again support the Modi government and Viksit Bharat.
EAM Jaishankar, while showing his inked finger after casting his vote for the sixth phase, highlighted that he was the first male voter in the booth.
“We have just cast our vote and I was the first male voter in this booth. We want people to come out and cast their votes as this is a decisive moment for the country,” he said.
“I believe that the voters in Delhi will once again support Viksit Bharat and the Modi government,” he said.
-ANI