Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Highlights | Peaceful polling across 13 States/UTs in phase 2 as over 63% turnout recorded in Phase 2

Which are the states heading to polls today?

The states which are going to polls in phase 2 are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Rajasthan, Manipur and West Bengal.

50 candidates in fray for five Bihar constituencies in phase two

The stage is set for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Bihar on Friday, when more than 93 lakh voters will decide the fate of 50 candidates across five constituencies.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), a BJP ally, is contesting all the five seats, including Kishanganj, which it seeks to wrest from the Congress, while its MPs in the remaining four constituencies would try to retain their turf.

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Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor in fray in 2nd phase; Hema Malini, Om Birla seek hat-trick of wins

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, and actor-turned-politician Arun Govil are among the key candidates in the fray for the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls with BJP's Hema Malini, Om Birla and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies.

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Which are the constituencies heading to polls today?

Assam 

Karimganj

Silchar

Mangaldoi

Nawgong

Kaliabor

Bihar 

Kishanganj

Katihar

Purnia

Bhagalpur

Banka

Chhattisgarh 

Rajnandgaon

Mahasamund

Kanker

Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu

Karnataka

Udupi Chikamagalur

Hassan

Dakshina Kannada

Chitradurga

Tumkur

Mandya

Mysore

Chamarajanagar

Bangalore Rural

Bangalore North

Bangalore Central

Bangalore South

Chikballapur

Kolar

Kerala

Kasaragod

Kannur

Vadakara

Wayanad

Kozhikode

Malappuram

Ponnani

Palakkad

Alathur

Thrissur

Chalakudy

Ernakulam

Idukki

Kottayam

Alappuzha

Mavelikkara

Pathanamthitta

Kollam

Attingal

Thiruvananthapuram

Madhya Pradesh

Tikamgarh

Damoh

Khajuraho

Satna

Rewa

Hoshangabad

Maharashtra

Buldhana

Akola

Amravati

Wardha

Yavatmal-Washim

Hingoli

Nanded

Parbhani

Manipur

Outer Manipur

Rajasthan

Tonk-Sawai Madhopur

Ajmer

Pali

Jodhpur

Barmer

Jalore

Udaipur

Banswara

Chittorgarh

Rajsamand

Bhilwara

Kota

Jhalawar-Baran

Tripura

Tripura East

Uttar Pradesh

Amroha

Meerut

Baghpat

Ghaziabad

Gautam Budh Nagar

Aligarh

Mathura

Bulandshahr

West Bengal

Darjeeling

Raiganj

Balurghat

'Karnataka witnessing Congress's guarantee wave': Siddaramaiah dismisses 'Modi wave'

Addressing an election rally in favour of Dharwad Congress candidate Vinod Asuti, Siddaramaiah launched a broadside against PM Modi, saying, 'He (Modi) does not visit the state when it’s reeling under drought or floods. But he never misses a poll campaign here.'

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BJP pins hope on women voters, higher turnout & strengthening booth-level strategy in Phase 2

Among the 102 seats that went to the polls in the first phase, the voter turnout percentage decreased in at least 93 seats compared to the 2019 numbers. The BJP has stated that it is not concerned about this decline, stating that women voters have shown significant support for the party.

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Your complete guide to Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections

Explore our straightforward guide to stay updated on Phase 2 of polling, featuring 88 constituencies in contention.

Congress announces 8 candidates from Haryana; fields Kumari Selja from Sirsa, excludes BJP turncoat from Hisar

The Congress announced candidates for eight Lok Sabha seats in Haryana on Thursday, with the party refusing to give a ticket to BJP turncoat and sitting Hisar MP Brijendra Singh citing adverse ground reports.

In a list that bears the imprint of Haryana strongman Bhupinder Hooda, the Congress has postponed the decision on choosing a candidate for Gurgaon to a later date, as the leadership considers fielding either Raj Babbar or Captain Ajay Yadav, with the latter said to have the edge.

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Polling set to begin in 87 and-a-half constituencies across West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Rajasthan, Manipur, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Assam

Visuals from Kannur as voters queue up at booths, with polling set to start from 7 am

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Visuals from Ghaziabad with minutes left for polling to begin

Lok Sabha elections 2024 | A to Z of India's parliamentary polls

Every election season sees politicians coughing up words and phrases that help them fan the poll fire. This election season, too, has seen several such buzzwords doing the rounds, which have caught the imagination of the polity.

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A 94-year-old woman arrives to cast her vote in Manipur

Polling begins in 88 constituencies across 13 states/UTs

India began voting on Friday in the second phase of the world's biggest election, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his rivals raise the pitch of the campaign by focusing on hot-button issues such as religious discrimination, affirmative action and taxes.

Almost one billion people are eligible to vote in the seven-phase general elections that began on April 19 and concludes on June 1, with votes set to be counted on June 4.

Modi is seeking a record-equalling third straight term on the back of his economic record, welfare measures, national pride, Hindu nationalism and personal popularity. Surveys suggest he will easily win a comfortable majority.

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Kerala Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan arrives to cast his vote in the Lok Sabha elections

All parliamentary constituencies in Kerala are going to the polls today.

Want to know more about the Lok Sabha polls? Check out our immersive primer for this year's parliamentary elections.

A 94-year-old woman casts her vote in Outer Manipur

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy casts his vote in Bengaluru as polling begins in Karnataka

"Once in every five years, we get an opportunity to execute the right given by our constitution, to choose whatever candidate from whichever party he/she is, to govern us. Today is a very happy day. Today is the day when we should all be enthusiastic to exercise our power," Murthy said after casting his vote.

Follow our live coverage of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka and Bengaluru!

Sudha Murty casts her vote in Bengaluru, urges youth to come out and vote

"I want to tell everyone- don't sit at home, come out and vote, choose your leader. I always feel that urban people vote less as compared to those in rural areas. I request youngsters to come out and vote," she said after voting.

NDA candidate Suresh Gopi casts his vote from Thrissur in Kerala

Amid polling in Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, son Vaibhav seek blessings of their ancestors

Kerala LoP V D Satheesan casts his vote

Large number of voters queue to cast their vote at a polling booth in Nagaon, Assam

Vasundhara Raje casts her vote in Jhalawar, with 13 Rajasthan seats in the poll fray

EDITORIAL | Surat is a case of electoral subversion

The Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat was set to see a contest between candidates belonging to the BJP, the Congress, the BSP and some independents. But all of them other than the BJP candidate, Mukesh Dalal, dropped off, leaving the field open for Dalal to be declared the winner without a contest.

The reasons for the exit of candidates are not natural and convincing, and that makes the whole situation contrived and dubious.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrives to cast her vote in Bengaluru

Madhya Pradesh BJP chief V D Sharma casts his vote, calls for large voter turnout in state

Actor Prakash Raj casts his vote in Bengaluru as polling continues across 14 seats in Karnataka

"Voting is my right and power. Everyone, specially the first time voters should experience the joy and liberation of choosing. I have voted for change against widespread corruption. Vote stands as my voice. It is my choice who will represent my aspiration in the parliament," said Prakash Raj.

OPINION | Elections in Kashmir bring in the petrichor of change

Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing its first parliamentary election since it lost the special constitutional position in the form of Article 370 and statehood in 2019.

These polls will also be a barometer of how people of J&K view the BJP’s decision to revoke Article 370. This time heavy polling is expected even in poll boycott areas to keep BJP at bay.

For the regional parties, this election is a test to see if the people still repose faith in them. After years without elections, it is difficult to get the pulse of the voter — and that makes it a hard one to gauge.

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Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan arrives to cast his vote in the Lok Sabha polls

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People wait to cast their votes for the 2nd phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Meerut, Friday, April 26, 2024.

'PM is panicking', says Congress leader K C Venugopal after voting from Alappuzha

"I am confident that the people of Alleppey will stand with me. After phase one of the Lok Sabha elections, the PM is panicking. I thank the PM for bringing the Congress manifesto into the public domain in a big way. In Kerala, UDF will sweep all 20 seats People of Wayanad, Kerala will show that they are with Rahul Gandhi," the Congress leader said.

Vasundhara Raje confident of PM Modi securing third term

"I feel, that with the kind of voting we are seeing this time, BJP will win again and Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister again. In this constituency, our candidate Dushyant Singh has received good support and he will have a historic win," Raje told news agency ANI after casting her vote.

Hot day, but all Bengalureans should vote, says FM Sitharaman

"Everyone should come out of their homes to cast their vote. Yes, it can be a hot day in Bengaluru but it is worth coming out. Choose your time, please come, do vote. India needs every vote," said the FM after casting her vote in the city.

Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot casts his vote in Jodhpur

PM Modi says your vote is your voice, calls for polling in record numbers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people on Friday to cast their votes in record numbers in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls and said a high voter turnout strengthens democracy.

Asserting that their vote is their voice, Modi especially told the young voters and women voters to turn up at the polling booths in great numbers.

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Visuals from across India as polling continues in 13 states/UTs

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Karnataka LoP R Ashoka casts his vote in Bengaluru Rural

Voter turnout in Kerala reaches 8.5 per cent as of 9 am

LS Speaker Om Birla appeals to people to come out and vote

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor arrives to cast his vote from Thiruvananthapuram

Congress may not win more than 30 seats, asserts BJP's Tejasvi Surya

"Today is a celebration day in Karnataka. it is a festival of democracy. Millions of people will go out and vote... This is not just a right, but also a duty, because if we don't vote, we are not registering our voice, and contributing meaningfully to a democracy... Just like every year, more senior citizens are seen at the booths, they are coming out in big numbers to vote. I wish young people draw inspiration from senior citizens and also come out in big numbers and vote...," Tejasvi Surya, the BJP's candidate from Bengaluru South, told news agency ANI.

"Congress party has become absolutely frustrated. Survey after survey shows that it may not win more than 30 seats... The more personal attacks and baseless allegations they make against the PM, history has shown that the Prme Minister has only gotten stronger and the BJP has only gotten popular... The fact that Mallikarjun Kharge wants to meet the Prime Minister to explain his party manifesto indicates that perhaps even the Congress realises that it will be the PM who will implement some good ideas that may be present in the Congress manifesto... Perhaps this is the admission of Congress that they are not coming anywhere near power for the next two decades," he added.

Tight security in Manipur as voting continues in the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency

Want to know more about the Lok Sabha polls? Check out our immersive primer for this year's parliamentary elections.

BJP candidate Hema Malini arrives to vote in Mathura, calls for large voter turnout

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As of 9 am, Maharashtra clocks lowest voter turnout, Tripura highest

Madhya Pradesh Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla casts his vote, urges voters to 'decide future of nation'

Shashi Tharoor casts his vote

"...This election is about far greater than my own future. It is about India's future. It is about changing the government in Delhi. We are here to restore democracy, restore faith in diversity and restore India's pluralism...The Left also claims they are also critical of BJP but they they've never said a world against BJP," Tharoor said after exercising his franchise.

Don't be swayed by diversionary tactics; vote, protect democracy, Congress chief Kharge urges voters

As polling for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections began, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday urged voters to come out and vote to protect democracy from the clutches of dictatorship.

In a fervent appeal to voters, he said this is not an ordinary election and they should not be swayed by any diversionary tactics.

He said the Constitution should reverberate in their hearts before they push to voting button.

Kharge also appealed to first time voters to come out in large numbers and vote as they were the real changemakers in this movement for democracy.

"'We, the people of India' - this soul of the Constitution of India, should reverberate in your hearts and minds, before you push the voting button.Do not forget that this is not an ordinary election. It is an election to protect Democracy from the clutches of dictatorship," he said in his message on X.

"To all my dear citizens, from 89 Constituencies in 13 States and UTs, do not get swayed by any diversionary tactics and lies.

"Always make your vote count. For it may change the lives of 140 crore Indians by bringing the paradigm of Yuva Nyay, Nariman Nyay, Kishan Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay," Kharge said.

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Visuals from across India as voting continues in 13 states/UTs

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Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda casts his vote in Karnataka's Hassan

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Congress will win most of the 14 seats going to polls today in Karnataka, asserts Home Minister G Parameshwara

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the Congress would win majority of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka where polling was underway on Friday.

Speaking to PTI videos after casting his ballot here, he said people have watched every "development in this country, how democracy and constitutional provisions have been compromised."

"All this has been observed by the voter and in Karnataka, we have observed that how the central government has compromised the federalism in the country...They have not been able to provide assistance which normally should have been given to the state,” the former state Congress chief said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah casts his vote

No change in vote counting process for elections: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta delivered two concurring verdicts in the matter.

Pronouncing the judgement, Justice Khanna said the court has rejected all the petitions, including those seeking resorting back to ballot papers in elections.

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Visuals from across the country as voters head to booths to cast their votes

Want to know more about the Lok Sabha polls? Check out our immersive primer for this year's parliamentary elections.

Congress has put out 'beautiful manifesto', come out and vote for change, says Karnataka Dy CM D K Shivakumar

Brisk polling in first 3 hrs in Kerala; 19.06 per cent turnout till 10.20 am

Brisk polling was seen in the 20 Lok Sabha seats during the initial few hours of voting with Kerala registering a turnout of 19.06 per cent by 10.20 am.

The election process, held amidst tight security arrangements, was primarily incident free except for electronic voting machine (EVM) breakdowns reported in some booths of the state.

To keep up with the latest updates on the Lok Sabha elections, follow us on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

OPINION | BJP’s distorted and polarising narratives will continue

Communal polarisation is all that the BJP has in its arsenal to deter the voters from voting on the basis of caste, community, and the reputation of the local candidate.

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Vote to make India no. 1 in development: Madhya Pradesh CM appeals to voters

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BJP candidate K Sudhakar booked for alleged bribery in K'taka, Rs 4.8 cr cash seized

A case was registered against BJP candidate K Sudhakar for alleged bribery and undue influence on electorate and cash worth Rs 4.8 crores was also seized, the Election Commission said on Friday.

Action was taken by the Flying Squads Team (FST) of Chikkaballapura, they said. Taking to X, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer on Friday said the FST of Chikkaballapura seized cash worth 4.8 crores.

An FIR also has been registered by the state surveillance team of Chikkaballapura Constituency against K Sudhakar, BJP candidate on April 25 at Madanayakanahally police station. The FIR is registered under relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act and that of the IPC for bribery and undue influence on electors, he posted.

Visuals from across India as polling goes on in 13 states/UTs

Congress seeks to give Muslims quota meant for SCs, OBCs, says Nadda amid polling for Phase 2

BJP president J P Nadda on Friday accused the Congress of seeking to snatch the rights of SCs, STs and OBCs to benefit Muslims, alleging that it is the hidden agenda of the opposition party.

Continuing with the BJP's attempts to project the Congress as a party championing interests of Muslims at the cost of traditionally deprived Hindu groups, Nadda said the opposition party has long been making the grounds for the minority community to be declared as SCs and give them reservation.

He issued a video statement as the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls got underway.

BJP candidate Navnit Rana casts her vote in Amravati

BJP candidate from Amravati Navnit Rana along with her husband Ravi Rana cast their vote in Lok Sabha polls, at a polling booth in Amravati.

Here is the voter turnout from 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of Rajasthan till 11:30 AM

Here is the voter turnout from 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of Rajasthan

• 24.43 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Ajmer

• 30.04 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Banswara

• 29.58 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Barmer

• 25.15 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Bhilwara

• 26.48 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Chittorgarh

• 28.50 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Jalore

• 28.88 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Jhalawar-baran

• 25.75 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Jodhpur

• 28.30 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Kota

• 24.62 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Pali

• 25.58 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Rajasmand

• 24.00 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Tonk-sawai Madhopur

• 27.46 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Udaipur

Nothing can happen in Bengal without corruption: PM Modi

Addressing a poll rally in West Bengal's North Malda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Nothing can happen in Bengal without corruption. They did not even spare farmers... TMC has regularly played with the future of Bengal's youth... 26000 families were left jobless, along with the burden of loans they had taken to pay TMC to secure those jobs."

Watch | How to find your polling booth

Many of you may have questions about what to do if your voter ID is lost, or using the Aadhar card to vote. Here, DH's Rishika Kashyap answers all your questions so you're all set to vote!

'Will this country now work as per Sharia?': Amit Shah slams Rahul Gandhi

Speaking to presspersons in Bhopal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lashed out at Congress, stating that people's inclination towards BJP has further increased after Congress released its manifesto.

"In its manifesto, Congress has repeated its old habit of appeasement. Congress manifesto speaks of taking forward Personal Law. I would like to ask Rahul Gandhi, will this country now work as per Sharia?...Our Constitution is secular, laws of the land can't be formed on the basis of religion. BJP has clearly said in its manifesto that it will bring Uniform Civil Code (UCC)...We scrapped Triple Talaq and started UCC & we will take this forward. Rahul Gandhi speaks of Pesonal Law, that is about dividing the country...Personal Laws can't be implemented in this country..," he said.

Voter turnout in India at 11:30 am

Here is the voter turnout across all 13 states during the second phase of polling today so far: 

• Assam - 27.43%

• Bihar - 21.68%

• Chhattisgarh - 35.47%

• J&K - 26.61%

• Karnataka: 22.34%

• Kerala: 25.61%

• Madhya Pradesh: 28.15%

• Maharashtra : 18.83%

• Manipur: 33.22%

• Rajasthan: 26.84%

• Tripura: 36.42%

• Uttar Pradesh: 24.31%

• West Bengal: 31.25%

TMC & Congress character is same, can do anything and everything for appeasement: PM Modi

Addressing a poll rally in West Bengal's North Malda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the TMC and Congress, saying that both the parties are just "pretending to be in a conflict" in the state.

"The truth is, character and ideology of both these parties is the same. Appeasement is the common thing between TMC and Congress, for which they can do anything and everything. They want to revoke each and every decision taken by us for the safety of our country. INDI alliance wants to revoke Article 370, TMC says it will abolish CAA... Many beneficiaries of the CAA include Dalits. For the sake of appeasement, TMC and Congress want to reject them...," he said.

"Congress has declared it will investigate all assets of the poor people. They have brought an X-ray machine from abroad and will conduct an X-ray of everyone in the country... They want to seize all assets, including jewellery and property, and give a part of it to their vote bank. But TMC did not speak a word against it and is supporting it by staying quiet... TMC settles illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in the state by giving them your lands, and Congress is talking about giving away your wealth to this vote bank... Congress' loot will continue 'Zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi'," the PM said.

Independent candidate Pappu Yadav gets his finger inked in Bihar's Purnea

Independent candidate Pappu Yadav shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting his vote for the 2nd phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Purnea, Friday

Here is the voter turnout from 8 Lok Sabha constituencies of Maharashtra till 12 pm

Here is the voter turnout from 8 Lok Sabha constituencies of Maharashtra

• 18.35 per cent voting till 12 pm in Wardha

• 17.37 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Akola

• 17.73 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Amravati

• 17.92 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Buldhana

• 18.19 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Hingoli

• 20.85 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Nanded

• 21.77 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Parbhani

• 18.01 per cent voting till 11:30 am in Yavatmal-Washim

In Tripura's Dhalai district, voters use boats to arrive at their polling booth

Voters of 44/68 Raima Valley Assembly segment, in a remote area of the Dhalai district in Tripura, use boats to arrive at their polling booth to exercise their franchise.

Voters of 44/68 Raima Valley Assembly segment

Don't hesitate to come out to vote: ISRO chief S Somanath's message to voters

First-time voters cast their vote in Bengaluru

Chetna, Bhuvi, Krishi, Jignesh, Jigna, Riddhi, Varsha and Lakshi at Government Girls Middle School, at Gandhi Bazar in Bengaluru on Friday

Watch | Man arrives at polling booth with his 'pet' langur to cast his vote in Maharashtra's Wardha

Watch | Actor Yash casts his vote in Bengaluru

Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar casts his vote at Kanakapura

Karnataka deputy chief minister and senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar casts his vote in Kanakapura on Friday. His brother DK Suresh is contesting from Bangalore Rural constituency while BJP has fielded H D Deva Gowda's son-in-law Dr C N Manjunath.

Arvind Kejriwal's Sunita to hold roadshow in Delhi on April 27

Confident of third term, PM Modi promises 'bigger decisions' in Bihar poll rally

SC judgement on cross-verification of votes set back for Opposition, says Modi in Bihar

"Bihar's role is crucial to make India developed and powerful [but] RJD, Congress do not care about the Constitution and the country," PM Modi thundered during his rally in Araria, Bihar.

Commenting on the Supreme Court's decision on the electoral process, the PM said, "The SC judgment on cross-verification of votes is a setback for opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc."

UCC is Modi's guarantee, assures Amit Shah in Madhya Pradesh poll rally

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the BJP-led government at the Centre will implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country as it is a guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and accused the Congress of advocating personal laws.

Shah was addressing a rally in Piprai area of Ashoknagar district under Guna Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh, from where Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is contesting as a BJP candidate.

Follow our live coverage of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka and Bengaluru!

India sees 39.13% voter turnout till 1 pm

Here is the voter turnout across all 13 states during the second phase of polling today so far: 

• Assam - 46.31%

• Bihar - 33.80%

• Chhattisgarh - 53.09%

• J&K - 42.88%

• Karnataka: 38.23%

• Kerala: 39.26%

• Madhya Pradesh: 38.96%

• Maharashtra : 31.77%

• Manipur: 54.26%

• Rajasthan: 40.39%

• Tripura: 54.47%

• Uttar Pradesh: 35.73%

• West Bengal: 47.29%

Opinion | BJP’s distorted and polarising narratives will continue

Suddenly in the run-up to the second round of voting, the Congress with hardly any prospect of forming the next government is being projected by Modi as a party that could come to power and seize the properties of unsuspecting voters.

Building on the familiar tagline of the Life Insurance Corporation of India’s Jeevan Anand policy, he has coined the slogan ‘Congress ki loot — zindagi ke saath bhi aur zindagi ke baad bhi (the Congress loots people during their lifetime and even their death).’ This is, of course, hype.

Read more here

Watch | Actor-filmmaker Rakshit Shetty arrives at a polling booth in Udupi to cast his vote

Here's what Rahul Gandhi said at poll rally in Karnataka's Bijapur

"INDIA alliance government will be the first one to provide right of apprenticeship program to every graduate... The graduates and diploma holders will have the right to ask for the employment for 1 year from the government. We are giving apprenticeship guaramtee to the graduates... PM Narendra Modi has never waived off the loans of farmers. We will waive off the loans of farmers," Rahul Gandhi said.

Watch | West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee shakes a leg at public rally in Paschim Medinipur

Watch | Bengaluru's first-time voters in high spirits as they cast their vote in LS polls

TMC leader Sushmita Deb casts her vote in Silchar

Sushmita Deb after casting her vote in Silchar

In Bijapur, Rahul Gandhi mocks PM Modi

Addressing a poll rally in Karnataka, Bijapur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "These days Narendra Modi looks very nervous during his speeches. Maybe in a few days, he might shed tears on the stage. 24 hrs he’ll try to divert you. Some days he’ll talk about Pakistan, China. Some days he’ll ask you to bang thali, flash your mobile lights."

Here's what Amit Shah said at poll rally in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh

"Congress was preserving Article 370, like its own kid. Terrorism was on the rise due to it. On August 5, 2019, PM Modi abrogated Article 370 in Kashmir... During the previous Congress rule, terrorists from Pakistan used to carry out bomb blasts in India every day, and the Congress government used to sit silently. During the BJP government, when the terrorists from Pakistan made the mistake of creating havoc in Pulwama and Uri, within 10 days, the Indian Army entered Pakistan's territory and eliminated the terrorists by carrying out surgical strikes and air strikes. PM Narendra Modi has eliminated terrorism and Naxalism from this country."

Here is the voter turnout from 5 Lok Sabha constituencies of Assam

Here is the voter turnout from 5 Lok Sabha constituencies of Assam

• 49.72% per cent voting till 1 pm in Darrang-udalguri

• 46.40% per cent voting till 1 pm in Diphu

• 49.14% per cent voting till 1 pm in Karimganj

• 44.48% per cent voting till 1 pm in Nagaon

• 40.23% per cent voting till 1 pm in Silchar

Watch | Actor Mammootty casts his vote at a polling booth in Kerala's Ernakulam

Voter turnout till 3 pm

Here is the voter turnout across all 13 states during the second phase of polling today so far: 

• Assam - 60.32%

• Bihar - 44.24%

• Chhattisgarh - 63.92%

• J&K - 57.76%

• Karnataka: 50.93%

• Kerala: 51.64%

• Madhya Pradesh: 46.50%

• Maharashtra : 43.01%

• Manipur: 68.48%

• Rajasthan: 50.27%

• Tripura: 68.92%

• Uttar Pradesh: 44.13%

• West Bengal: 60.60%

'Polling is going very smoothly', says Tripura's returning officer

Saju Vaheed, returning officer at East Tripura, said: "Polling is going very smoothly, we are monitoring it from the control room and whatever issues that we had related to EVMs we have already resolved that... In shadow areas, we are using radio and wireless communications. At 2-3 locations in shadow areas, there were some issues related to roads and to those places, the entire communication is being operated through Ham Radio and wireless communications."

50.25% turnout recorded till 3 pm as 88 vote in Phase 2

Here's what PM Modi said at poll rally in Bihar's Munger

"They want to bring reservation based on religion... Supreme Court refused religion-based reservation so they are trying to bring it through the backdoor. In Karnataka, they introduced a law overnight and said that all Muslims are OBC. As a result, the Muslims got a huge part in the 27% reservation for the OBC. They cut the OBC reservation... They want to do the same in the whole country... The RJD is in full support of this. The rights of the OBC are being looted and the RJD is clapping... As long as Modi exists, these people cannot loot the rights of ST, SC, OBC and distribute them on the basis of religion. This is Modi's guarantee..."

Watch | Indian Cricketer Mohammad Shami arrives at a polling booth in Amroha

Voter turnout till 5 pm

Here is the voter turnout across all 13 states during the second phase of polling today so far: 

• Assam - 70.66%

• Bihar - 53.03%

• Chhattisgarh - 72.13%

• J&K - 67.22%

• Karnataka: 63.90%

• Kerala: 63.97%

• Madhya Pradesh: 54.83%

• Maharashtra : 53.51%

• Manipur: 76.06%

• Rajasthan: 59.19%

• Tripura: 76.23%

• Uttar Pradesh: 52.64%

• West Bengal: 71.84%

Uma Bharti casts her vote at a polling booth in Tikamgarh

Man dies of cardiac arrest after casting his vote in Karnataka's Kodagu district

A man died of cardiac arrest after exercising his franchise in Kodagu district on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as 58-year-old Manohar. He had cast his vote at B Shettigeri polling station in Ponnampet taluk and allegedly collapsed after coming out of the polling booth. Though he was rushed to hospital, doctors who examined him declared him dead.

Ponnampet Tahsildar Mohankumar said, "Manohar had come out of the polling booth and collapsed 200 metres away from the booth."

Voting concludes in Manipur's Ukhrul & Amolapatty, Nagaon in Assam

Want to know more about the Lok Sabha polls? Check out our immersive primer for this year's parliamentary elections.

Watch | Why did these Karnataka villages boycott Lok Sabha elections?

Polling concludes in 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala

EVMs, and VVPATs machines are being sealed as polling concluded in 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. As per EC, Kerala has witnessed 63.97 per cent polling in the state till 5 pm.

Polling concludes in Chhattisgarh

EVMs, and VVPATs machines are being sealed in Chhattisgarh as voting for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections concludes.

PM Modi expresses gratitude to people who voted in Phase 2

Congress CEC (Central Election Committee) to hold meeting on April 27 to finalise the names of the candidates

EC says peaceful polling across 13 States/UTs in phase 2, voter turnout at 60.96% as of 7pm

The Election Commission has said that peaceful polling took place across 13 States/UTs in phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections and the voter turnout was recorded at 60.96% as of 7pm.

Over 63 per cent turnout in phase 2 of LS polls; Tripura records 79.46 pc, Manipur 77.32

Over 63 per cent polling was reported in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections covering 88 seats across 13 states amid few complaints of EVM glitches and bogus voting in some states. Polling for the second stage of the seven-phase elections started at 7 am and ended at 6 pm. Several states experienced intense heat conditions. The first phase of polling was held on April 19 in 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories. (PTI)

The third phase of elections for 94 seats across 12 states and Union territories will be held on May 7. Counting will be done on June 4.