Phase 4: Maximum polling in WB, minimum in Maharashtra till 11am

As the fourth phase of polling is underway in in 72 parliamentary constituencies spread across nine states, West Bengal has recorded the highest polling at 34.71 per cent till 11am, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest figures at 18.39 per cent voter turnout. 

West Bengal

Voting began amid incidents of violence in West Bengal, where an estimated 34.71 per cent of voters exercised their franchise till 11 am on Monday in eight Lok Sabha constituencies, election officials said.

An electorate of 1,34,56,491 will decide the fate of 68 candidates in the eight constituencies—Baharampur, Krishnagar, Ranaghat (SC), Burdwan East (SC), Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum. Till 11 am, Baharampur recorded voting at 36.11 per cent, Krishnagar 34.85 per cent, Ranaghat (SC) 35.12 per cent, Burdwan East (SC) 36.09 per cent, Burdwan-Durgapur 34.64 per cent, Asansol 34.28 per cent, Bolpur (SC) 32.49 per cent and Birbhum 34.10 per cent, the state election office said.

The EC has deployed a total of 580 companies of central forces to cover all the polling booths in the Lok Sabha constituencies, to ensure free and fair polling.

There were reports of a clash between TMC and BJP workers outside a booth in Barabani in Asansol, following a tiff between sitting MP and BJP candidate in Asansol, Babul Supriyo and polling officials inside the station, an Election Commission source said.

Supriyo's vehicle was also reportedly vandalised in the clash, he said.

"I have come here just to see how the polling process is underway, but I found that voters are not being allowed to cast their ballots. Our fight is to establish democracy... It is shameful that I am saying this in a democratic country," the minister said.

However, an EC official said by and large, polling has so far been peaceful.

"There are reports of small incidents of violence from some booths which were addressed immediately. Our officials and forces are monitoring the situation in Asansol," said the official.

"We have sought a report from the presiding officer about what Babul Supriyo was doing inside the booth," he added.

Jharkhand

An estimated 20.87 per cent of the 45.26 lakh electorate cast their votes till 11 am on Monday in three Lok Sabha constituencies of Jharkhand, in the first phase of elections in the state.

Women voters were seen in large numbers at many booths in Lohardaga (ST), Palamu (SC) and Chatra constituencies, where voting began at 7 am, election officials said.

Ranchi Sadar Sub-divisional officer Garima Singh presented a citation to a woman, who became the first voter to turn up at a booth in Lohardaga constituency, they said.

The election officials said all preparations have been made to ensure fear and free polling till 4 pm. There are a total of 6,072 polling stations for the three seats, where 25,727 polling personnel have been deputed.

Police said there was no untoward incident reported so far from any part of the three constituencies. A total of 45,26,693 voters will decide the fate of 59 candidates, including two women.

Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Sudarshan Bhagat is among the prominent candidates contesting from Lohardaga. He is facing Sukhdeo Bhagat, a Congress MLA and 'Mahagathbandhan' candidate. 

Maharashtra

An average 18.39 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours in Maharashtra's 17 seats on Monday as polling for the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state was underway.

Polling began at 7 am and long queues were seen outside many booths, some of which were decorated with balloons and 'rangolis' (colourful decorations).

BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, industrialist Anil Ambani, Congress nominee Urmila Matondkar and actor Rekha were among the early voters in Mumbai.

State education minister Vinod Tawde, BJP candidate from Mumhai-North East Manoj Kotak and Congress nominee from Mumbai-Central Eknath Gaikwad also exercised their franchise in the initial hours.

So far, Nandurbar Lok Sabha seat recorded highest polling at 24.59 per cent while Kalyan constituency saw lowest voter turnout of 13.91 per cent, according to an official statement.

The voting figures till 11 am in other constituencies are as follows: Dhule- 18.26 per cent, Dindori - 21.06 per cent, Nashik- 17.22 per cent, Palghar- 21.46 per cent, Bhiwandi- 17.25 per cent, Thane-17.43 per cent, Mumbai-North- 19.46 per cent, Mumbai-North West 17.64 per cent, Mumbai-North East-18.39 per cent, Mumbai-North Central- 16.21 per cent, Mumbai-South Central-16.80 per cent, Mumbai- South 15.51 per cent, Maval- 18.23 per cent, Shirur- 18.65 per cent and Shirdi 20.55 per cent.

As many as 3.11 crore voters spread across the Mumbai metropolitan region and northern and western Maharashtra are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 323 candidates in the fray in these 17 seats.

Around 40 polling booths in these constituencies, including 26 in suburban Mumbai, are being managed women. 

READ: 4th phase of Lok Sabha polls: 14 key constituencies to watch

Uttar Pradesh

An estimated 21.15 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 11 am in 13 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections Monday.

Seats where polling is underway are Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheri, Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi and Hamirpur.

Polling in this phase is specially important for the ruling BJP as it is aiming for a clean sweep by winning all 13 seats, including Kannauj which was the only seat the Samajwadi Party had managed to win in 2014.

Some of the prominent candidates whose electoral fate will be decided in this phase are Dimple Yadav, former Union ministers Salman Khurshid (Farrukhabd) and Sriprakash Jaiswal (Kanpur) of Congress, UP Cabinet minister Satyadev Pachauri (Kanpur), Sakshi Maharaj of BJP (Unnao) and Annu Tandon of Congress (Unnao).

Rajasthan 

Over 29 per cent voting was recorded in the first four hours of polling in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Rajasthan which began at 7 am on Monday.

The Barmar parliamentary constituency recorded the maximum voter turn out of 33.53 per cent, while the overall voting percentage at 11 am was 29.40 per cent, according to the office of the chief electoral officer. 

Banswara, a tribal dominated Lok Sabha seat in south Rajasthan, recorded 31.66 voter turn out till 11 am.

Jodhpur, which is the keenly watched seat where the son of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Vaibhav Gehlot, is contesting against Union minister of state and sitting MP Gajendra Singh Shekhwat, recorded 30.53 per cent voting in the first four hours.

Tonk-Sawaimadhopur recorded 26. 15 percent voter turn out, Ajmer 28.16 per cent, Pali 28.53 per cent, Jalore 30.51 per cent, Udaipur 27.71 per cent, Chittorgarh 30.47 per cent, Rajsamand 28.83 per cent, Bhilwara 28.81 per cent, Kota 29.26 per cent and Jhalawar-Baran 29.04 per cent till 11 am.

The polling in 13 constituencies began amid tight security arrangements.

About 2.57 crore people are eligible to vote at 28,182 polling stations in the 13 constituencies where as many as 115 candidates are in the fray.

The fate of former Union minister Jaswant Singh's son and former MLA Manvendra Singh, erstwhile Jaipur royal family member Diya kumari, Union minister PP Chaudhary will also be decided in the polling Monday.