Lok Sabha Elections Highlights: 'We are united, BJP trying to divide us,' says Kharge on I.N.D.I.A. bloc

What are the key contest in Phase 7?

• Varanasi: Narendra Modi (BJP) vs Ajay Rai (Congress)

• Mandi: Kangana Ranaut (BJP) vs Vikramaditya Singh (Congress)

• Chandigarh: Manish Tewari (Congress) vs Sanjay Tandon (BJP)

• Diamond Harbour: Abhishek Banerjee (TMC) vs Pratik Ur Rahman (CPIM)
  

In Number | Phase 7

• Seats: 57 - Gen:41; SC:13; ST:3

• States/UTs: 8

• Candidates: 904

• Women Candidates: 95

• Voters: 10.06 crore

• Men: 5.24 crore

• Women: 4.82 crore

• Third gender: 3574

• Polling stations: 1.09 lakh

• Polling officials: 10.9 lakh

Barbs, name calling and more: Campaign discourse went down path of insults

The Lok Sabha campaign got progressively more heated, quite like the summer sun scorching large swathes of India, with leaders from across the spectrum using political speak to sharpen their verbal knives with epithets, sarcasm and more.

Vish guru', ‘anubhavi chor’, ‘do shehzade’... As Election 2024 hurtles towards result day in a medley of ‘mangalsutra, mujra, mutton, machli’ and other barbs, these may sound like character names from Hindi comics of yore. Instead, these are the mocking, sometimes vicious monikers given by political rivals to each other.

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Mock poll at a booth in Kolkata's Jadavpur

Confident that like the last 6 phases, voting will be in favour of NDA in the seventh phase as well: Chirag Paswan

"Confident that like the last 6 phases, voting will be in favour of NDA in the seventh phase as well", said Chirag Paswan. "There is no doubt that we will win all 40 seats in Bihar and PM Modi will take oath as Prime Minister for the third time," he said.

Voting for the seventh & last phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 begins. Polling being held in 57 constituencies across 7 states and one Union Territories.

Polling begins for Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats, lone Chandigarh seat

Polling begins for 4 Lok Sabha seats, 6 assembly by-elections in Himachal Pradesh

Voting begins in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh

AAP MP Raghav Chadha shows his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling station in Lakhnaur

Voters in Punjab's Firozpur district at a polling booth

I hope young and women voters exercise their franchise in record numbers. Together, let’s make our democracy more vibrant and participative, says PM Modi

BJP's J P Nadda casted his vote at a polling booth in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh with his wife Mallika Nadda

Nadda said, "I appeal to all voters to vote in large numbers for a capable and self-reliant India. I urge voters to vote and contribute towards making India a capable, self-reliant and developed India."

BJP national president J P Nadda.

We have faith that on June 4th, the Modi government will be formed again, says UP CM Yogi

BJP candidate from Amritsar constituency, Taranjit Singh Sandhu casted his vote at a polling booth

BJP MP and candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan & his wife Preeti Kishan cast their votes at a polling booth in UP

Congress candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa casts his vote in Punjab

I would like to appeal to everyone to come and cast their vote, says cricketer and AAP MP Harbhajan Singh

AAP MP Harbhajan Singh.

I am a BJP cadre, I have done my duty, says Mithun Chakraborty after casting his vote in Belgachia, Kolkata

BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty.

Voters don't see parties but who will work for them, who will fight their battle and who will raise the voice of Punjab in the parliament, says Congress candidate from Gurdaspur Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa

Congress candidate from Gurdaspur Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi and their daughter Rohini Acharya arrive at a polling booth in Patna to cast their vote

No matter how hot it is, to strengthen democracy and save democracy, more and more people should come out and cast their vote, says AAP candidate from Anandpur Sahib Malvinder Singh Kang

AAP candidate from Anandpur Sahib Malvinder Singh Kang.

EVMs, VVPAT machines thrown in water by mob at booth number 40, 41 in Kultai, South 24 Parganas, WB

Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya casts his vote for the final phase in Ramnagar, Varanasi

CPI(M) candidate from Kolkata Dakshin, Saira Shah Halim casts her vote at a polling booth in Kolkata

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur along with his wife Shefali Thakur leave from their residence in Hamirpur to cast their votes

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur.

BJP chief J P Nadda has tea and snacks with people at a tea stall in Bilaspur after casting his vote

We are getting silent votes and those who were with other parties like BSP, Apna Dal are coming with us, says UP Congress chief Ajay Rai

UP Congress chief & candidate from Varanasi seat, Ajay Rai.

BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill casts his vote in Jalandhar, Punjab

BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur cast their vote at a polling booth in Sangrur constituency.

The workers of the BJP have done a lot of work for the people and I believe that we will get the blessings of the people, says Union Minister Anurag Thakur after casting his vote

Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

All voters should cast their votes today and vote for a government that can carry forward development work, says HP Guv Shiv Pratap Shukla after casting his vote

Himachal Pradesh Guv Shiv Pratap Shukla.

There is a difference between the Kashi which was there before and the Kashi which is there now. This has transformed, it is all due to PM Modi, says Padma awardee Pandit Chhannulal Mishra

Padma awardee Pandit Chhannulal Mishra.

BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jadavpur Lok Sabha Constituency, Anirban Ganguly casts his vote at a polling station in Jadavpur, WB

BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jadavpur, Anirban Ganguly along with his wife.

I appeal to Punjabis to come out of their homes and vote and choose good representatives who can work for you, says Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann after casting his vote

AAP and BJP are spreading false propaganda, says Congress candidate from Jalandhar, Charanjit Singh Channi

Congress candidate from Jalandhar, Charanjit Singh Channi.

I am going to cast my vote for Viksit Bharat, for Viksit Bharat, for a stable government, says BJP candidate from Patna Sahib, Ravi Shankar Prasad

BJP candidate from Patna Sahib, Ravi Shankar Prasad.

BJP candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut casts her vote at a polling station in Mandi

BJP candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut.

India is going to be the 3rd largest economy in the world, says NDA candidate from Gaya, Jitan Ram Manjhi

DA candidate from Gaya, Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Voters have already made up their minds about whom to vote after seeing the policies of every party, says Congress candidate from Patiala Dharamvir Gandhi

Congress candidate from Patiala Dharamvir Gandhi.

I am hopeful that he (Anurag Thakur) will win for the 5th time as well and serve the people of Hamirpur and the country, says former HP CM Prem Kumar Dhumal

Former HP CM and Union Minster Anurag Thakur's father, Prem Kumar Dhumal.

BJP Secretary Tarun Chugh and his family show their ink marked fingers after voting at a polling booth in Amritsar

BJP Secretary Tarun Chugh.

Only thing people kept in their minds is that Modi's guarantee means the guarantee of fulfilment of the guarantee, says

BJP national president J P Nadda.

11.31% voter turnout recorded till 9 am, in the 7th phase of elections

Bihar 10.58%

Chandigarh 11.64%

Himachal Pradesh 14.35%

Jharkhand 12.15%

Odisha 7.69%

Punjab 9.64%

Uttar Pradesh 12.94%

West Bengal 12.63%

Credit: X/@ANI

Credit: X/@ANI

We will maintain our old states where BJP has been winning, we will retain all our seats there. Among the new states, in West Bengal, we will win 30 seats. In Odisha, we will win over 18 seats, says BJP president J P Nadda

BJP president J P Nadda.

BJP will win double-digit seats in Tamil Nadu, says BJP candidate from Nilgiris, L Murugan

BJP candidate from Nilgiris, L Murugan.

Indian Army personnel stand in queue as they await their turn to cast their votes in Ferozepur Cantt

I appeal to everyone to come and vote, says BJD candidate from Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur seat Rajashree Mallick after casting her vote

Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur seat Rajashree Mallick.

TMC candidate from Diamond Harbour seat, Abhishek Banerjee shows his inked finger after casting his vote

TMC candidate Abhishek Banerjee.

People have already made up their minds that in the country it will be Modi's govt, says BJP candidate from Arrah, R K Singh

BJP candidate from Arrah, R K Singh.

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa casts his vote at a polling booth in Gurdaspur today

TMC candidate Sudip Bandyopadhyay shows his inked finger after he casts his vote

Sudip said, "I have won 5 times, my target is to win with an even bigger margin in the sixth term."

TMC candidate Sudip Bandyopadhyay along with is wife.

TMC will better its tally compared to what we got in 2019, both in terms of seat share and vote share, says TMC's Abhishek Banerjee

Today the contest is between national parties and the party of the people of Punjab, says SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal

SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal.

As per our survey, I.N.D.I.A. leads NDA by around 50 seats, says Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa

It will be the victory of 14 lakh people of Mandi, says Congress candidate from Mandi Vikramaditya Singh

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha casts his vote in Mohanpura village, Ghazipur

Punjab Congress President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring casts his vote at a polling booth in Sri Muktsar Sahib under Firozpur Lok Sabha seat

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar leaves after casting his vote at a polling booth in Bakhtiyarpur

BJP leader Jairam Thakur cast his vote at a polling booth in Mandi

BJP candidate from Balasore Lok Sabha seat Pratap Chandra Sarangi casts his vote

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu casts his vote at a polling station in Hamirpur

SAD leader Bikram S MajithiaThe Central govt has done nothing for the poor, farmers, youth...Loans of big industrialists and businessmen were waived off but they forgot farmers, says SAD leader Bikram S Majithia

SAD leader Bikram S Majithia.

People are voting for their identity on social and economic issues, says RJD leader Manoj Jha

RJD leader Manoj Jha.

26.3% voter turnout recorded till 11 am

Credit: X/@ANI

Credit: X/@ANI

RJD candidate from Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency Misa Bharti cast her vote at a polling booth in Patna

RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav cast their votes at a polling booth in Patna, Bihar

TMC MP and actor Nussrat Jahan casts her vote at a polling booth in Kolkata.

I am contesting elections on issues of people but Kangana Ranaut has no idea about the issues of Mandi: Vikramaditya Singh

If someone can bring Punjab on the right track, it's PM Modi and Amit Shah, says BJP leader Manpreet Singh Badal

BJP leader Manpreet Singh Badal.

AAP candidate from Amritsar, Kuldeep Dhaliwal casts his vote at a polling station in Amritsar

Gone are the days when people used to win in the name of their families, says BJP candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut

Nuns of Missionaries of Charity stand in a queue at a polling station in Kolkata to cast their votes

BJP leader RPN Singh casts his vote at a polling booth in Padrauna, Kushinagar

AAP candidate from Patiala, Dr Balbir Singh shows his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling station

Punjab Minister and AAP candidate from Patiala, Dr Balbir Singh.

Monks from ISKCON Temple in Kolkata cast their votes in Kolkata

His vote is for all the mothers and sisters who have to suffer and also to strengthen the hands of PM Modi, says BJP candidate from Basirhat, Rekha Patra

BJD parliamentary candidate from Mayurbhanj, Sudam Marandi with his family casts his vote in Baridapa

CPI-M leader M D Salim along with his wife cast their votes at a polling station in Kolkata

Why is CM MK Stalin not attending the I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting, says TN BJP chief K Annamalai

TN BJP chief K Annamalai.

Man arrives on a horse at a polling station to cast his vote in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana shows the indelible ink mark on his finger after voting at a polling booth in Chandigarh

BJP candidate from Jalandhar, Shushil Kumar Rinku casts his vote in Jalandhar

Our alliance will have discussions related to the elections. I.N.D.I.A. bloc will get a good number of seats, says Jharkhand CM Champai Soren

BJP candidate from Gurdaspur, Dinesh Singh Babbu casts his vote at a polling booth

BJP MP from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher says, 'People will remember me for the next 10 years. I was living in Chandigarh and was completely accessible for everyone.'

40.09% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm

Credit: X/@ANI

Credit: X/@ANI

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala says, 'I feel that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc will come to power because the people of India want a change.'

JP State President Manmohan Samal casts his vote in booth number 142 for 43- Bhandaripokhari Assembly constituency

BJP candidate from Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency, Locket Chatterjee casts her vote at a polling station in Hooghly

Sporadic incidents of violence mar final phase of voting in Bengal

Sporadic incidents of violence marred the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls in the nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, as TMC, ISF and BJP workers clashed in various parts of violence-prone Jadavpur and Diamond Harbour constituencies.

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Kejriwal, Tejashwi arrive at Kharge's residence ahead of I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting

Mehbooba likely to skip today's I.N.D.I.A. bloc meet

People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said Saturday she is likely to skip the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting to be held in New Delhi later in the day due to personal reasons.

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Here is a quick glance at some of the captures from today's polling

Here is a list of leaders attending I.N.D.I.A. meeting today

Today I.N.D.I.A. bloc will be having a meeting at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi. Here is a list of leaders who will be attending the meeting.

• Mallikarjun Kharge

• Sonia Gandhi

• Rahul Gandhi

• K C Venugopal

• Priyanka Gandhi

• Akhilesh Yadav

• Ram Gopal Yadav

• Sharad Pawar

• Jitendra Awhad

• Arvind Kejriwal

• Bhagwant Mann

• Sanjay Singh

• Raghav Chadha

• T R Baalu

• Tejashwi Yadav

• Sanjay Yadav

• Champai Soren

• Farooq Abdullah

• D Raja

• Sitaram Yechury

• Anil Desai

• Dipankar Bhattacharya

• Mukesh Sahani

I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting under way at Kharge's residence in Delhi

49.68% voter turnout till 3 pm, Jharkhand records highest with 60.14%

I.N.D.I.A. leaders meet to discuss strategy for June 4; Mamata, Mehbooba absent

Senior leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc met here on Saturday to discuss their strategy for the counting of votes on June 4, even as the TMC and PDP skipped the meeting.

TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already said they would not attend the meeting as polling was ongoing in the state, while PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti did not attend the meeting due to personal reasons.

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'We are united, BJP trying to divide us,' says Kharge on I.N.D.I.A. bloc

58.34% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

A voter turnout of 58.34 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Saturday in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls with incidents of violence between TMC and BJP supporters reported in Sandeshkhali region of West Bengal, and complaints of EVM glitches and rigging at some booths lodged. (PTI)

Over 400 villagers boycott voting in Jharkhand's Dumka

Over 400 people in a village in Dumka district boycotted voting in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday to protest against the construction of a coal dumping yard, an official said.

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NDA will form government and Narendra Modi will become Prime Minister again: Uday Samant

"NDA will form the government and Narendra Modi is becoming the Prime Minister again. Congress first said they would not participate in the Exit Poll debates but when we said that they have already lost which is why they're not participating, I think they have again decided to take part in exit poll debates but they are bound to lose," said Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant

Even if Congress' strike rate is 80%, then also they won't get 300 seats: BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri

Heartfelt thanks to all those who voted, will specially appreciate India's Nari Shakti and Yuva Shakti for strong presence in polls: PM Modi

Here is the voter turnout till 8:45 pm recorded in states

• Bihar 50.79%

• Chandigarh 62.80%

• Himachal Pradesh 67.67%

• Jharkhand 69.59%

• Odisha 63.57%

• Punjab 55.86%

• Uttar Pradesh 55.6%

• West Bengal 69.89%