Elections 2019 Phase 5 Highlights: 62.46 per cent turnout in fifth phase polling, says EC

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 5 LIVE UPDATES: Voting in 51 seats spread across seven states across north and east India were conducted today. Rae Bareli and Amethi seats in Uttar Pradesh were among the most watched contests in the fifth phase today. Over 8.75 crore voters decided the fate of a total of 674 candidates in the fifth phase which is comparatively the smallest among the staggered seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in terms of the number of seats. The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections started on April 11 and would conclude on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported during polling in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election in seven seats of West Bengal on Monday. However, the highest turnout so far has been recorded in West Bengal. The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections started on April 11 and would conclude on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23. Stay tuned and keep refreshing this page to get latest and live updates on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 5 voting.

06/05/2019 20:11:56

62.56 per cent turnout in fifth phase polling, says Election Commission.

06/05/2019 19:01:00

Claiming that there was an unusual increase in percentage of votes given on polling day and the final figures in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress in Telangana has sought information on polling details from the Election Commission, suspecting foul play.



Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy, who made a powerpoint presentation on the issue on Monday, met EC officials in Delhi two days ago and submitted a representation.

06/05/2019 18:53:00

Over 63 per cent voter turnout was recorded at the end of polling in 12 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan on Monday. The maximum voter turnout of 72.42 per cent was recorded in the Ganganagar (SC) seat. Jaipur recorded 68.85 per cent voting followed by 66.57 per cent in Sikar, 66.20 per cent in Alwar, 65.15 per cent in Churu, 61.85 per cent in Bikaner, 61.58 per cent in Jaipur Rural.


A voter turnout of 60.90 per cent was recorded in Nagaur, 60.51 per cent in Jhunjhunu, 58.82 in Dausa, 58.65 per cent in Bharatpur, 53.92 per cent in Karauli-Dholpur, according to the website of the chief electoral officer of Rajasthan. The overall polling percentage in the 12 seats till 6 pm was 63.45 per cent, as per the website of the state poll panel.

06/05/2019 18:49:54

Over 63 per cent voter turnout was recorded at the end of polling in 12 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan on Monday. The maximum voter turnout of 72.42 per cent was recorded in the Ganganagar (SC) seat. Jaipur recorded 68.85 per cent voting followed by 66.57 per cent in Sikar, 66.20 per cent in Alwar, 65.15 per cent in Churu, 61.85 per cent in Bikaner, 61.58 per cent in Jaipur Rural.


A voter turnout of 60.90 per cent was recorded in Nagaur, 60.51 per cent in Jhunjhunu, 58.82 in Dausa, 58.65 per cent in Bharatpur, 53.92 per cent in Karauli-Dholpur, according to the website of the chief electoral officer of Rajasthan. The overall polling percentage in the 12 seats till 6 pm was 63.45 per cent, as per the website of the state poll panel.

06/05/2019 18:41:22

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded re-polling in West Bengal's Barrackpore parliamentary constituency, alleging that the Trinamool Congress had resorted to rigging and violence to win the elections.

06/05/2019 18:39:12

In Jaipur, the BJP has complained to Rajasthan CEO Anand Kumar against Congress nominee from Sikar Lok Sabha seat Subhash Meharia for allegedly trying to abduct and attack a party worker. In his complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer, state BJP communication department in-charge Nahar Singh Maheshwari said that the Congress nominee attacked party worker Sudhir Garg.


He lugged Garg in his vehicle but could not succeed as a number of people gathered at the spot. The party worker sustained injuries on his head and ear, Maheshwari alleged.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader also claimed that the police officers present on the spot failed to act against the Congress leader.

06/05/2019 18:30:32

Congress lodges complaint against PDP leader Waheed Para and his associates for thrashing Congress polling agent at booth no- 113 and resorting to bogus voting in Naira area of Southern Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Congress accused NC and PDP of resorting to booth capturing in Pulwama.

06/05/2019 18:25:07

Clashes erupted at many places on Monday between mobs and security forces after the elections ended in the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat with a dismal voter turnout of 3 per cent. The turnout in the third and final phase of polling in Anantnag constituency is the lowest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the troubled state.



But the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency saw a 51.9 per cent voter turnout. The overall voter turnout in both Anantnag and Ladakh constituencies was 15.2 per cent. The poll process in the third phase of Anantnag was marred by violence although the security forces used restraint in controlling the mobs which stoned polling stations and engaged the security forces in pitched clashes throughout the day.

06/05/2019 18:12:24

Clashes erupted at many places on Monday between mobs and security forces after the elections ended in the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat with a dismal voter turnout of 3 per cent. The turnout in the third and final phase of polling in Anantnag constituency is the lowest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the troubled state.



But the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency saw a 51.9 per cent voter turnout. The overall voter turnout in both Anantnag and Ladakh constituencies was 15.2 per cent. The poll process in the third phase of Anantnag was marred by violence although the security forces used restraint in controlling the mobs which stoned polling stations and engaged the security forces in pitched clashes throughout the day.

06/05/2019 18:08:07

Clashes erupted at many places on Monday between mobs and security forces after the elections ended in the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat with a dismal voter turnout of 3 per cent. The turnout in the third and final phase of polling in Anantnag constituency is the lowest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the troubled state.



But the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency saw a 51.9 per cent voter turnout. The overall voter turnout in both Anantnag and Ladakh constituencies was 15.2 per cent. The poll process in the third phase of Anantnag was marred by violence although the security forces used restraint in controlling the mobs which stoned polling stations and engaged the security forces in pitched clashes throughout the day.

06/05/2019 18:07:53

West Bengal: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Locket Chatterjee staged a sit-in at District Magistrate's office in Hooghly after her car was vandalized by unknown miscreants, earlier today.

06/05/2019 18:06:30

This Lok Sabha elections will prove to be a milestone as it will end coalition politics in the country, senior BJP leader and Union minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday. Vardhan claimed that there was no fight for him in the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, from where he is seeking a reelection. During a press conference, he said - After the Lok Sabha elections, the politics of coalition will be finished as people are becoming more aware. It will be a milestone election for such politics.



The minister of science is locked in a triangular contest in the trader-dominated constituency, along with Congress's two-time lawmaker from the seat JP Agarwal and AAP's Pankaj Gupta.

06/05/2019 17:58:39

This Lok Sabha elections will prove to be a milestone as it will end coalition politics in the country, senior BJP leader and Union minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday. Vardhan claimed that there was no fight for him in the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, from where he is seeking a reelection. During a press conference, he said - After the Lok Sabha elections, the politics of coalition will be finished as people are becoming more aware. It will be a milestone election for such politics.



The minister of science is locked in a triangular contest in the trader-dominated constituency, along with Congress's two-time lawmaker from the seat JP Agarwal and AAP's Pankaj Gupta.

06/05/2019 17:50:10

Odisha: Due to cyclone Fani, ECI has extend the completion of the elections on Patkura assembly constituency for 60 days. Earlier, ECI had appointed 19th May as the date of poll for Patkura Assembly Constituency after the demise of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla.

06/05/2019 17:45:32

Odisha: Due to cyclone Fani, ECI has extend the completion of the elections on Patkura assembly constituency for 60 days. Earlier, ECI had appointed 19th May as the date of poll for Patkura Assembly Constituency after the demise of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla.

06/05/2019 17:45:10

59.15 polling percentage recorded in till 5 pm

06/05/2019 17:13:43

59.15 polling percentage recorded in till 5 pm

06/05/2019 17:13:19

West Bengal: Scuffle broke out between TMC's MP from Howrah, Prasun Banerjee and security forces at polling booth no. 49 & 50 in Howrah.

06/05/2019 17:08:20

The presiding officer of booth no 316 in Gauriganj in Amethi has been replaced after a video of a woman complaining that she was forced to vote for the Congress by the official went viral. Union Minister Smriti Irani, the BJP candidate, complained about booth capturing by the Congress and demanded action. She blamed Rahul Gandhi, the Congress candidate.


District Magistrate and Returning Officer Ram Mohan Misra said that the presiding officer had been removed on the complaint and an inquiry had been ordered into the incident.Meanwhile, the woman whose video had gone viral remained untraceable even as media persons tried to locate her.

06/05/2019 16:58:48

Jammu & Kashmir: Petrol bomb was hurled at a polling station in south Kashmir’s Shopian, today, no loss of life or injuries reported.

06/05/2019 16:49:31

As the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections got underway in West Bengal on Monday, the ruling Trinamool Congress offered free 'soft drinks' to the voters in an area under the Sreerampur Lok Sabha constituency. Trinamool workers were seen distributing cold drinks to the people enroute the polling stations. Local party leaders cited the unbearable heat as the reason behind the kind act, while the opposition parties alleged that Trinamool workers were trying to lure the voters.

06/05/2019 16:42:44

As the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections got underway in West Bengal on Monday, the ruling Trinamool Congress offered free 'soft drinks' to the voters in an area under the Sreerampur Lok Sabha constituency. Trinamool workers were seen distributing cold drinks to the people enroute the polling stations. Local party leaders cited the unbearable heat as the reason behind the kind act, while the opposition parties alleged that Trinamool workers were trying to lure the voters.

06/05/2019 16:37:57

As the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections got underway in West Bengal on Monday, the ruling Trinamool Congress offered free 'soft drinks' to the voters in an area under the Sreerampur Lok Sabha constituency. Trinamool workers were seen distributing cold drinks to the people enroute the polling stations. Local party leaders cited the unbearable heat as the reason behind the kind act, while the opposition parties alleged that Trinamool workers were trying to lure the voters.

06/05/2019 16:21:14

As the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections got underway in West Bengal on Monday, the ruling Trinamool Congress offered free 'soft drinks' to the voters in an area under the Sreerampur Lok Sabha constituency. Trinamool workers were seen distributing cold drinks to the people enroute the polling stations. Local party leaders cited the unbearable heat as the reason behind the kind act, while the opposition parties alleged that Trinamool workers were trying to lure the voters.

06/05/2019 16:16:25

As the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections got underway in West Bengal on Monday, the ruling Trinamool Congress offered free 'soft drinks' to the voters in an area under the Sreerampur Lok Sabha constituency. Trinamool workers were seen distributing cold drinks to the people enroute the polling stations. Local party leaders cited the unbearable heat as the reason behind the kind act, while the opposition parties alleged that Trinamool workers were trying to lure the voters.

06/05/2019 16:14:46

In UP, known for blowing hot and cold against ally BJP, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed on Monday he has resigned from the Yogi Adityanath government and it was up to the saffron party to decide on it. Rajbhar, a cabinet minister in the UP government, told media - I tendered resignation as minister on April 13. It is up to the BJP to decide whether to accept or reject it.


The SBSP chief alleged the BJP was misusing his party's name and flag in the election under way. Rajbhar said - Even during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow, they were used. I have filed a complaint in this regard with the Election Commission.

06/05/2019 15:55:50

On Monday, Central forces baton lathicharged on TMC workers at Hooghly’s Pursura when they allegedly stop voters to cast their vote today morning. Allegation denied by TMC.

06/05/2019 15:53:46

On Monday, Central forces baton lathicharged on TMC workers at Hooghly’s Pursura when they allegedly stop voters to cast their vote today morning. Allegation denied by TMC.

06/05/2019 15:39:47

Voter's Turnout till 3 pm – 50.70%




Bihar - 44.08%




Jammu and Kashmir - 15.34%




Madhya Pradesh - 54.17%




Rajasthan - 50.39%




Uttar Pradesh - 44.89%




West Bengal - 62.84%




Jharkhand - 58.63%

06/05/2019 15:23:35

According to ANI, Election Commission of India has given relaxation in Model Code of Conduct in Maharashtra and has allowed state govt to carry out drought relief work.

06/05/2019 15:15:03

The overall voter turnout at 3 pm for the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections is 42.26%.

06/05/2019 15:13:50

A total of 20 polling personnel were suspended by the Election Commission on Monday in connection with electoral malpractices in Munger Lok Sabha constituency during the fourth phase of polling on April 29.

06/05/2019 15:12:51

A grenade attack on a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, violence in West Bengal and EVM glitches were reported during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday across seven states in which voters turned out in considerable numbers till the afternoon, PTI reported.

06/05/2019 15:12:17

BJP president Amit Shah said Monday and urged people to vote back Narendra Modi to secure the country from cross-border terrorism.

06/05/2019 14:27:15

According to reports, two persons, including a Home Guard, engaged in election duty died in separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh.

06/05/2019 14:25:22

An estimated 32.27 per cent of over 87.66 lakh voters exercised their franchise till noon in Bihar. According to reports, polling is underway in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur parliamentary seats amid tight security.

06/05/2019 14:20:25

The maximum voter turnout of 47.45% was recorded in Ganganagar (SC) seat. Churu, Jaipur, Nagaur, Alwar and Sikar registered a voter turn out of 44.75, 44.47, 43.54, 43.34 and 43.16 per cent, respectively.

06/05/2019 14:20:01

According to the chief electoral officer of Rajasthan, total voter turnout of 42.7 per cent was recorded in Rajasthan’s 12 Lok Sabha seats, where polling began at 7 am, in the first six hours on Monday.

06/05/2019 13:25:56

Voter's Turnout till 1 pm – 40.20%




Bihar - 32.27%




Jammu and Kashmir - 11,35%




Madhya Pradesh - 41.48%




Rajasthan - 42.30%




Uttar Pradesh - 35.01%




West Bengal - 50.30%




Jharkhand - 45.98%

06/05/2019 12:34:11

Narsinghpur: Actor Ashutosh Rana after casting his vote at polling booth number 105 in Gadarwara. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/Pzjeo7aKqI— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019

06/05/2019 12:31:16

Rahul 'ensuring booth capturing' in Amethi, alleges Smriti Irani




Union minister and the BJP's Amethi candidate Smriti Irani on Monday alleged that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was ensuring booth capturing in the constituency.


Irani and Gandhi are contesting against each other in the seat.


Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @Rahul Gandhi ensuring booth capturing, Irani said on Twitter.


She also tagged a video in which an elderly women is seen alleging that her hand was forcibly put on 'panja' (hand) election symbol of the Congress though she wanted to vote for the 'kamal' (lotus), the BJP's symbol.


There is no written complaint on the matter.


Amethi is one of the 51 constituencies in seven states that is voting in the fifth round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.

06/05/2019 12:03:06

Voter's Turnout till 12 pm – 27.11%




Bihar - 20.74%




Jammu and Kashmir - 6.09%




Madhya Pradesh - 29.71%




Rajasthan - 29.38%




Uttar Pradesh - 22.96%




West Bengal - 33.57%




Jharkhand - 29.49%

06/05/2019 10:17:21

12.22 per cent polling recorded in Jharkhand till 9 am




Jharkhand on Monday recorded 13.46 per cent voting in the first two hours of polling for four parliamentary constituencies till 9 a.m., an official said.


Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Koderma and Khuti recorded 15.69 per cent, 12.09 per cent, 12.76 per cent and 12.85 per cent voter turnout, respectively, the Election Commission data showed.


Voting for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state started at 7 a.m. and will end at 4 p.m.


A total of 61 candidates are in the fray for the four seats -- 14 in Koderma, 20 in Ranchi, 11 in Khunti and 16 in Hazaribagh.


A total of 65,87,028 voters are eligible to vote on these seats across 8,834 polling booths.

06/05/2019 10:11:56

Voter's Turnout till 9 am - 12.57%




Bihar - 11.51%




Jammu and Kashmir - 0.97%




Madhya Pradesh - 12.89%




Rajasthan - 14.00%




Uttar Pradesh - 9.86%




West Bengal - 16.56%




Jharkhand - 13.46%

06/05/2019 10:01:07

Rajnath Singh, Lucknow BJP candidate: The Mahagatbandhan is no challenge for BJP here. I don't want to comment on her(SP-BSP-RLD candidate Poonam Sinha), as I believe elections are not about individuals but about issues.

06/05/2019 09:54:49

Polling is underway for phase 5 of Lok Sabha elections Monday. Here are some interesting nuggets about this phase:




* 51 Lok Sabha constituencies across 7 states headed for polls




* Over 8.75 crore voters to decide fate of 674 candidates




* Over 96,000 polling booths in place for smooth conduct of polls




* Uttar Pradesh has maximum number of polling booths: 28,072




* Jammu and Kashmir has the least number of polling booths: 1,254




* Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency (PC) in Jammu & Kashmir going to polls in Phase III, Phase IV & Phase V, the only such PC in the country.

06/05/2019 09:47:55

Jharkhand: Union Minister and BJP candidate from Hazaribagh, Jayant Sinha arrives at a polling booth to cast his vote. Sinha is contesting against Congress' Gopal Sahu & CPI's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency.

Jharkhand: Union Minister and BJP candidate from Hazaribagh, Jayant Sinha arrives at a polling booth to cast his vote. Sinha is contesting against Congress' Gopal Sahu & CPI's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency.

06/05/2019 09:43:42

Voter's Turnout till 9 am - 11.58%




Bihar - 11.51%




Jammu and Kashmir - 0.80%




Madhya Pradesh - 11.14%




Rajasthan - 12.99%




Uttar Pradesh - 9.82%




West Bengal - 12.99%




Jharkhand - 13.46%

06/05/2019 09:35:09

West Bengal: Arjun Singh, BJP candidate from Barrackpore alleges that he was attacked by TMC workers, says, 'I was attacked by TMC goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured.'

06/05/2019 09:33:51

Clash breaks out in West Bengal between TMC and BJP at Howrah’s Karampara near Udaynarayanpur under Uluberia constituency

Smriti Irani took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi in Amethi today: A person died as he was denied treatment at a hospital where Rahul Gandhi is trustee in Amethi just because he had Ayushman Bharat card. This family is so disgusting that they are ready to sacrifice the life of an innocent just for politics

06/05/2019 09:21:55

Smriti Irani took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi in Amethi today: A person died as he was denied treatment at a hospital where Rahul Gandhi is trustee in Amethi just because he had Ayushman Bharat card. This family is so disgusting that they are ready to sacrifice the life of an innocent just for politics

06/05/2019 09:20:57

Smriti Irani, BJP candidate from Amethi on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra:She did not know my name 5 years back, now she keeps taking my name, such an accomplishment. Nowadays she takes her husband's name less and my name more.

06/05/2019 09:18:01

EVM glitches




Incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir and EVM glitches in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were reported today.




Uttar Pradesh


• EVM malfunction reported at several booths in Gonda and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.


• In UP's Amethi, polling could not begin on time this morning due to EVM malfunction at election booth in Tiloi.


• EVM malfuction at a polling booth in Raebareily's Sikandpur also disrupted the voting process.




West Bengal


Earlier in the day, voting was delayed in Howrah, reportedly after glitches in EVMs and VVPATs.




Madhya Pradesh


• Polling was underway on Monday in seven Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh with minor EVM glitches being reported at some booths, an official said.


• State's chief electoral officer V L Kantha Rao was quoted as saying, 'Polling is going on peacefully across the seven constituencies. Minor issues related to EVMs were reported at
some places but they were sorted out.'




Rajasthan


The EVM machine is allegedly not working in Alwar. Voters have now began a demand for a change in the machine.

06/05/2019 08:56:22

Jammu and Kashmir :


Grenade attack on polling station at Rohmoo, Pulwama. No injuries reported so far.

06/05/2019 08:39:14

BJP candidate Arjun Singh attacked:




BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Barrackpore constituency, Arjun Singh, was attacked during poll violence between BJP and TMC workers in the constituency.

06/05/2019 08:22:24

BSP Chief Mayawati casts her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow.

BSP Chief Mayawati casts her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow.

06/05/2019 08:14:03

Voting underway in Bihar's five Lok Sabha seats




Voting began on Monday amid tight security for five Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, officials said.




Constituencies


The voting is underway in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur and Saran parliamentary constituencies. More than 87 lakh voters would decide the fate of 82 candidates.




Security at polling booths


Heavy security forces have been deployed at the polling booths and three helicopters requisitioned to assist the security forces.




Prominent candidates


• The prominent candidates in the fray are Chandrika Rai (RJD, Saran), father in law of RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav. He is taking on senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy.


• In Muzaffarpur, sitting BJP MP Ajay Nishad is caught in a tough battle with Vikassheel Insaan Party's Raj Bhusan Choudhary.


• In Hajipur, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) candidate Pashupati Kumar Paras is being challenged by RJD's Shiv Chandra Ram. Paras is the younger brother of LJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan who is not contesting this time.




EVM glitches


There were some reports of problems in EVM machines at several booths in Darbhanga, Begusarai, Samastipur and Munger.

06/05/2019 08:05:42

Uttar Pradesh




The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting on five seats, while its ally Samajwadi Party (SP) is fighting on seven seats.




In Amethi and Rae Bareli, the SP-BSP alliance has not put up any candidate, leaving the two constituencies for the Congress.




Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow, while his colleague at the Centre Smriti Irani is again taking on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.

06/05/2019 08:00:23

Uttar Pradesh




The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting on five seats, while its ally Samajwadi Party (SP) is fighting on seven seats.




In Amethi and Rae Bareli, the SP-BSP alliance has not put up any candidate, leaving the two constituencies for the Congress.




Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow, while his colleague at the Centre Smriti Irani is again taking on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.

06/05/2019 07:58:35

West Bengal




In West Bengal, all seven seats were won by the Trinamool Congress, in Bihar, one was won by BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party and one by then ally Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, and in Jammu and Kashmir, one seat was won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

06/05/2019 07:58:20

In this phase, the BJP will be defending 39 seats -- all 12 in Rajasthan and a similar number in Uttar Pradesh, all seven in Madhya Pradesh, three in Bihar, all four in Jharkhand and one in Jammu and Kashmir.

06/05/2019 07:50:49

In this phase, the BJP will be defending 39 seats -- all 12 in Rajasthan and a similar number in Uttar Pradesh, all seven in Madhya Pradesh, three in Bihar, all four in Jharkhand and one in Jammu and Kashmir.

06/05/2019 07:47:41

Home Minister and Lucknow BJP Candidate Rajnath Singh casts his vote at polling booth 333 in Scholars' Home School.

Home Minister and Lucknow BJP Candidate Rajnath Singh casts his vote at polling booth 333 in Scholars' Home School.

06/05/2019 07:43:19

West Bengal: Voting yet to begin in booth numbers 289/ 291/292 in Howrah, reportedly after glitches in EVMs and VVPATs.

06/05/2019 07:41:20

In the state of Rajasthan, two former Olympians, one former IAS and one former IPS officer are among the 134 candidates whose fate will be decided by voters in 12 Lok Sabha seats today. After this phase, polling will come to an end in the desert state.

06/05/2019 07:28:42

Also contesting are Union Ministers Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore - who faces fellow Olympian Krishna Poonia in Jaipur Rural - and Jayant Sinha (Hazaribagh), former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress) in Barrackpore, and actress-turned-BJP leader Locket Chatterjee in Hooghly.

06/05/2019 07:26:28

Among the 674 candidates in this phase, prominent ones include Congress President Rahul Gandhi from his traditional Amethi constituency where he faces Union Minister Smriti Irani, his mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi from neighbouring Rae Bareli, and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who faces actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam Sinha (Samajwadi Party) in Lucknow.

06/05/2019 07:25:24

Voting is also being held in the final phase of the three stage polling in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag, as well as the state's Ladakh constituency. It will be a challenge for security forces to ensure smooth polling in Anantnag, as violence was reported on Sunday in Shopian and Pulwama which will vote on Monday.

06/05/2019 07:24:59

A total electorate of over 8.75 crore is eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase which covers the remaining 12 constituencies in Rajasthan, as well as 14 in Uttar Pradesh, including the high-profile Amethi, Rae Bareli and Lucknow seats, five in Bihar, and seven in West Bengal.

06/05/2019 07:20:12

Rajasthan: Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore arrive at a polling station in Jaipur to cast their vote for

Rajasthan: Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore arrive at a polling station in Jaipur to cast their vote for

06/05/2019 07:09:10

PM Modi has requested people to vote in today’s fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in large numbers.

PM Modi has requested people to vote in today’s fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in large numbers.

06/05/2019 07:06:40

Hazaribagh: Former Union Min Yashwant Sinha along with his wife Nilima Sinha arrived at a polling booth to cast vote. His son and Union Minister Jayant Sinha is contesting against Congress' Gopal Sahu & CPI's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency.

Hazaribagh: Former Union Min Yashwant Sinha along with his wife Nilima Sinha arrived at a polling booth to cast vote. His son and Union Minister Jayant Sinha is contesting against Congress' Gopal Sahu & CPI's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency.

06/05/2019 07:01:22

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 5: Voting Begins!




Voting in 51 Lok Sabha constituencies across seven states has begun. This is the fifth phase of polling.

06/05/2019 06:58:58

Interestingly, this is the first election which will take place in Ladakh division after it got separated from the Kashmir division earlier this year.

06/05/2019 06:58:00

As many as 51 Constituencies will go for polls on Monday in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections spread across seven states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

06/05/2019 06:57:44

Voting in the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha election is set to begin shortly.

Background

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 LIVE UPDATES: As many as 51 Constituencies went for polls on Monday in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections spread across seven states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir. As per reports, over 8.75 crore voters decided the fate of a total of 674 candidates in the fifth phase which is comparatively the smallest among the staggered seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in terms of the number of seats.

Voting in 14 constituencies took place in Uttar Pradesh, while Jammu and Kashmir witnessed two constituencies going to polls. Interestingly, this is the first election which took place in Ladakh division after it got separated from the Kashmir division earlier this year. Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal had polling on 7 Lok Sabha seats each, Rajasthan on 12, Bihar on 5 and Jharkhand on 4.

Key states and constituencies went for polls in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019:

Uttar Pradesh: Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Mohanlalganj, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Barabanki, Faizabad, Bahraich, Kaiserganj and Gonda

Jammu and Kashmir: Ladakh and Anantnag

Madhya Pradesh: Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul

West Bengal: Bangaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uleberia, Sreerampur, Hooghly and Arambag

Rajasthan: Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur

Bihar: Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur

Jharkhand: Kodarma, Ranchi, Khunti and Hazaribagh

Key candidates, constituencies and their issues in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019:

Amethi (Uttar Pradesh)

Key contestants: Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Smriti Irani (BJP)

Main issues and factors: Amethi is one of the most significant constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections with Union Minister Smriti Irani expected to give a tough fight to Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

Both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have put their might in the campaign. Gandhi's campaign was bolstered by his sister and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Gandhi's winning margin had come down considerably when Irani first contested against him from here in 2014.

Irani's campaign was boosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah who held rallies in the constituency. The result and the margin of victory here will have consequences at the national level. While the BJP has accused Gandhi of not developing the area, the Congress has accused the BJP-led government of stalling projects.

Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh)

Key contestants: Sonia Gandhi (Congress), Dinesh Pratap Singh (BJP)

Main issues and factors: For the first time Sonia Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli when she is not the Congress President. Her campaign was mainly handled by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi and son Rahul Gandhi.

Her rival Dinesh Pratap Singh is an ex-Congressman who now accuses his former party of dynastic politics. Sonia Gandhi enjoys a lot of goodwill among the people in the constituency which in the past had elected former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to the Lok Sabha. Though it appears an easy contest for Sonia Gandhi, the final outcome of this high-profile seat will be keenly watched.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

Key contestants: Rajnath Singh (BJP), Poonam Sinha (Samajwadi Party), Acharya Pramod Krishnam (Congress)

Main issues and factors: Home Minister Rajnath Singh appears to be placed comfortably in this seat given his efforts to reach out to all the communities. The BJP is also expected to benefit from the legacy of former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee who represented the seat.

Poonam Sinha is the wife of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha and her campaign got a boost with the participation of her daughter and Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha.

Saran (Bihar)

Key contestants: Rajiv Pratap Rudy (BJP), Chandrika Rai (RJD)

Main factors and issues: Former Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy is a BJP spokesperson and has a bigger national profile as compared to Chandrika Rai of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The seat has been a traditional stronghold for the RJD.

Rai, the estranged father-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap, has good connections at the grassroots level. Rabri Devi, the wife of Lalu Prasad who is presently in jail in connection with the fodder scam case, had lost to Rudy in the 2014 elections. Lalu Prasad had also won from here before and the seat is a prestige battle for the RJD.

Ladakh (J&K)

Key candidates: Jamyang Tsering Namgyal (BJP), Rigzin Spalbar (Congress), Sujjad Hussain (Independent), Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai (Independent)

Main factors and issues: Ladakh is geographically the largest parliamentary constituency in the country but the smallest in terms of population. The region, where the demand for Union Territory status has been predominant for years, will see a four-cornered contest.

The seat was last time won by BJP's Thupstan Chhewang who defeated Independent candidate Gulam Raza by just 36 votes. Chhewang, however, resigned from the party accusing it of not fulfilling the promises made to the people of Ladakh.

BJP candidate Tsering Namgyal is the Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). Independent candidate Sujjad Hussain is being supported by the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), both of which have not fielded any candidate from here.

Hazaribagh (Jharkhand)

Key contestants: Jayant Sinha (BJP), Gopal Sahu (Congress)

Main issues and factors: Union Minister and sitting BJP MP Jayant Sinha is facing a tough battle in this seat. His father, former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, is no longer in the BJP. Jayant Sinha had told the voters after filing his nomination that if they voted for him, they will get two more important leaders for free -- his father and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress forming an alliance here with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) has mounted the pressure on Sinha.

Jaipur Rural (Rajasthan)

Key contestants: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (BJP), Krishna Poonia (Congress)

Main factors and issues: It is a riveting contest between two Olympians. Union Minister and sitting BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is an articulate leader whose profile has grown in the Narendra Modi government.

Rathore, the ace shooter who has an Olympic silver medal to his name, will face a formidable opponent in Congress' Krishna Poonia, a discuss thrower whose best showing was a sixth-place finish at the 2012 London Olympics.

While Poonia, a sitting MLA from Sadulpur, is talking about the welfare measures being undertaken by the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan in the last four months, including farm loan waiver, Rathore is talking about the works done by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

Nagaur (Rajasthan)

Key contestants: Hanuman Beniwal (Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, an ally of BJP), Jyoti Mirdha (Congress)

Main issues and factors: Nagaur has been a traditional Congress stronghold and is the only seat the BJP is not contesting in Rajasthan. While local equations favour Congress' Jyoti Mirdha, a former MP, Hanuman Beniwal of the RLP has strong connect with the youth. His party had won three seats in the Assembly polls held in December last year.

Like other constituencies in the state, the narrative here is also about Narendra Modi. Mirdha, the grand duaghter of prominent Jat leader Nathu Ram Mirdha, had won from here in 2009. The constituency has a sizeable population of Dalits and minorities.

Barrackpore (West Bengal)

Key contestants: Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress), Arjun Singh (BJP), Gargi Chatterjee (CPI-M), Mohammad Alam (Congress)

Main issues and factors: Former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi is taking on his erstwhile "election-manager" Arjun Singh, who crossed over to the BJP in March after he was denied the ticket from Barrackpore by the Trinamool leadership.

Singh's desertion has made cosmopolitan Barrackpore -- an industrial belt with 35-40 per cent non-Bengali voters mostly working in the jute mills and 17 per cent people from the minority community -- an eye-grabbing seat with 15 candidates in fray.

Trivedi feels he will get the votes for the development works undertaken by the Trinamool Congress government. Singh, on the other hand, said he was "200 per cent sure" of victory as people "hardly knew Trivedi who may finish third". The CPI-M is hoping to emerge as the proverbial dark horse in this seat.

Hooghly (West Bengal)

Key contestants: Ratna De Nag (Trinamool Congress), Locket Chatterjee (BJP), Pradip Saha (CPI-M) and Pratul Chandra Saha (Congress)

Main issues and factors: Singur, from where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched her anti-land acquisition agitation, is one of the seven Assembly segments under this parliamentary constituency. Ratna De Nag is hopeful that her work and that of the Trinamool Congress government will see her through. Locket Chatterjee, an actor-turned-politician, who is also the chief of BJP's women wing in West Bengal, is putting up a spirited fight in what was earlier a Left bastion.