Lok Sabha elections: Violence, reports of EVM glitches, missing names mar phase 1

Polling for 91 Lok Sabha constituencies across 20 states and Union Territories in the first of seven-phased general elections came to an end on Thursday. People also voted to 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly, 32-seat Sikkim Assembly, 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Assembly and for 28 of 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.

Jyoti Amge, Indian world's smallest woman, casts her vote for the first phase of India's general election at a polling station in Nagpur on April 11, 2019. (Photo by STR / AFP)

NEW DELHI: Polling was held on Thursday for 91 Lok Sabha constituencies across 20 states and Union Territories in the first of seven-phased general elections. People also voted to 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly, 32-seat Sikkim Assembly, 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Assembly and for 28 of 147 Assembly seats in Odisha. A voter turnout of 59.77 per cent was recorded in Uttar Pradesh till 5 p.m while it was around 50.26 per cent in Bihar. Maharashtra registered 55.78 per cent, Uttarakhand 57.85 per cent, Telangana 60.57 per cent, Andhra Pradesh over 73 per cent, Assam 68 per cent and Sikkim 69 per cent voting till the same period. In Manipur, 78.20 per cent electorates cast their votes till 5 PM. In Meghalaya, the average poll percentage was 62. The polls kicked off to a troubled start with two people being killed in clashes in Andhra Pradesh, an IED blast in Maharashtra, reports of EVM glitches and multiple complaints from voters about their names not being on the electoral list. There were reports of violence from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh while the chiefs of several parties, including TDP's N Chandrababu Naidu, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, came forward to complain about administrative and other lapses. In Andhra Pradesh, where elections are being held for 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats, one worker from the ruling Telugu Desam Party and one from the main opposition YSR Congress were killed in a clash in a village in Tadipatri Assembly constituency in Anantapuramu district In Maharashtra, Naxals triggered an IED blast near a polling booth in Waghezari area of Gadchiroli district while voting was underway, police said. There were no casualties. In the early hours of the morning, Naxals detonated an IED in Narayanpur in Chhattigarh's Bastar region. No casualties were reported here too. An IED was detected in an oil pipeline passing through a tea garden in Assam's Dibrugarh district. Security forces rushed to the spot to ensure there is no trouble. In Kairana in western Uttar Pradesh, BSF personnel fired in the air at a polling booth when some people, who were not carrying their identity cards, tried to forcibly enter the premises to cast their votes, police said. There were reports of EVM glitches and voters not being allowed to exercise their franchise. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal took to Twitter and tagged people who claimed their names or the names of their relatives have been deleted from voter lists. "What is happening EC? Are these elections fair?" Kejriwal asked. In Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference and the PDP alleged that uniformed personnel coerced people to vote for the BJP and EVMs malfunctioned in some places with the Congress button not working during polling in Jammu's Poonch area. More than 14 crore people are listed to vote in the first phase, held in 91 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 18 states and two union territories. The votes for the election, being held over seven phases, will be counted on May 23. (With inputs from PTI)