Peaceful polling across 11 States/UTs in Phase-III of General Elections with 61.45 pc turn out

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were spotted casting their votes in Ahmedabad during Phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls that took place in 93 constituencies. While polling in 10 states went in peace, West Bengal recorded some instances of sporadic violence.

• Gujarat records 56.76 percent turnout despite Congress and AAP giving tugh fight to BJP
• Polling over in 20 States/UTs and 283 PCs; crosses halfway mark
• 75 International delegates witness polling in phase 3; commend India’s electoral processes
• Congress lodges 19 complaints of poll irregularities in Gujarat with Election Commission
• Prime Minister Modi applauds Election Commission’s remarkable handling of first two phases, hails minimal violence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated the Election Commission for conducting the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls with hardly any violence and asked the people to come out in large numbers to vote. He said violence during elections was very common in the past.

After casting his vote at Nishan School in Ranip area of Ahmedabad city under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, PM Modi also said the way the Indian elections are being conducted could be a learning process for other democracies.

“Today is the day of celebration of democracy. I congratulate the Election Commission, security forces and officials involved in conducting the first two phases of polls almost violence-free. In the past, violence during elections was very common,” he said.

Modi also congratulated the Election Commission for conducting the polls in a voter-friendly manner.

“The conduct of our election, our election management is such that it can be a learning process for other democracies. Big universities of the world should carry out a case study on the Indian elections,” he said.

The voting took place on 93 seats in Phase 3 in Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Goa (2), Gujarat (25), Karnataka (14), Madhya Pradesh (8), Maharashtra (11), Uttar Pradesh (10), West Bengal (4), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2).

According to the Election Commission of India, around 61.16 per cent voter turnout was recorded across 12 states and Union Territories as of 5 pm. Assam recorded the highest turnout at 75.01 per cent. Gujarat recorded 56.76 percent turnout. On the other hand, Maharashtra recorded the lowest turnout at 54.09 per cent.

More than 1,300 candidates, including over 120 women were contesting in this phase.

Congress lodges 19 complaints of poll irregularities in Gujarat with Election Commission

The Congress has registered 19 complaints of poll irregularities during the voting for the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat on Tuesday.

રાજ્યસભા સાંસદ અને ગુજરાત કોંગ્રેસ સમિતિના પ્રમુખ શ્રી @shaktisinhgohil જી એ લોકશાહી ને મજબૂત કરવા મતદાન કર્યું. pic.twitter.com/4F6AwsbQpI

— Gujarat Congress (@INCGujarat) May 7, 2024

Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil filed a complaint with the Election Commission, accusing the BJP’s booth representatives across all polling stations in the state of violating the law by allegedly carrying pens bearing a lotus symbol and a photo of PM Narendra Modi.

શું ચૂંટણી અધિકારીઓ ને આ બધું નથી દેખાતું? ચૂંટણી અધિકારીઓ ને ભાજપ નો ડર લાગે છે? ઇલેક્શન કમિશન નિષ્પક્ષ ચૂંટણી કરવામાં સતત નિષ્ફળ નીવડી રહી છે! @shaktisinhgohil pic.twitter.com/kwZLi5iLEF

— Gujarat Congress (@INCGujarat) May 7, 2024

Gohil said that when he arrived at the Sector-19 polling booth to cast his vote, he found a BJP polling agent seated inside with a pen bearing a lotus symbol.

He alleged, “It is against the law for anyone to sit inside the polling booth with an election symbol. But BJP’s polling/booth representatives in every polling station in Gujarat are violating this law by sitting inside the booth with a pen bearing a lotus symbol and a photo of a BJP leader.”

He further stated, “The ruling party is securing votes through money and power. Congress workers in Jamnagar have been detained by the local crime branch. The voting process has been disrupted due to pro-Congress voting at Vasan village in Gandhinagar.”

Gohil alleged that the Election Commission is not fulfilling its duties adequately.

In another incident, Ganiben Thakor, the Congress candidate from Banaskantha Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, has alleged that youths from outside the district used fake police plates on their vehicles outside the polling station in Siawada village of Danta taluka to coerce voters into supporting the BJP.

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) filed a complaint with the Election Commission, urging that passbooks of Pune District Central Co-Operative Bank and Baramati Co-Operative Bank should not be allowed for voter identification. The party claimed that the bank is run by leaders belonging to Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction and feared that there was a possibility of issuing fake passbooks.

The state wise approximate voter turnout at 8pm is as below:

Data displayed here are as per the information being filled in the systems by the field officer.

This is an approximate trend, as data from some polling stations (PS) takes time and this trend does not include Postal Ballot. Final actual account of votes recorded for each PS is shared in Form 17 C with all Polling agents at close of polls.

Read also

PM Modi, Shah, CM, Oppn leaders cast vote, urge voters to fulfill duty for nation-building