Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Voting Live Updates (Agency): Polling is underway in 102 parliamentary seats across 21 states and Union Territories in the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections today, April 19.
The polling commenced at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.
The states and Union Territories where elections are being held in the first phase today include include Arunachal Pradesh (2 seats), Assam (5 seats), Bihar (4 seats), Chhattisgarh (1 seat), Madhya Pradesh (6 seats), Maharashtra (5 seats), Manipur (2 seats), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1 seat), Nagaland (1 seat), Rajasthan (12 seats), Sikkim (1 seat), Tamil Nadu (39 seats), Tripura (1 seat), Uttar Pradesh (8 seats), Uttarakhand (5 seats), West Bengal (3 seats), Andaman and Nicobar (1 seat), Jammu and Kashmir (1 seat), Lakshadweep (1 seat) and Puducherry (1 seat).
Voting is also being held simultaneously in 92 Assembly Constituencies in the State Assembly Elections in Arunachal and Sikkim today.
At least 16.63 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in the first phase at 1.87 lakh polling stations. As many as 18 lakh polling officials are deployed on poll duty. The eligible voters include 8.4 crore men, 8.23 crore women and 11,371 third-gender electors. In the 3.51 crore young voters in the age group 20-29 years, as many as 35.67 lakh first-time voters are registered to cast their votes in the first phase.
Overall, 1625 candidates cutting across parties are in the fray in the first phase of elections. Among the key candidates whose fate will be sealed on Friday include Nitin Gadkari, K Annamalai, Jitin Prasada, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Nakul Nath, Gaurav Gogoi, Imran Masood, Karti Chidambaram, Tamilisai Soundararajan and Dayanidhi Maran.
Overall, voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases beginning today. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is seeking a record third term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set a target of winning 400 seats this election. The ruling alliance is challenged by the opposition parties led by the Congress under the banner of INDIA bloc.
The counting of votes for all seven phases of Lok Sabha Elections will take place on June 4.