By 5 pm, Assam recorded a voter turnout of 84.42%, Kerala 75.01%, Puducherry 86.92%

By 5 pm, Assam logged a voter turnout of 84.42 percent, while Kerala recorded 75.01 per cent voting. Puducherry logged a voter turnout of 86.92 per cent.  

First time voters in Puducherry were offered sapling

The election commission on Thursday presented first-time voters with a sapling.

A robot, dressed in a traditional saree and carrying a plate of flower petals, welcomed voters at a model polling booth set up at VOC Government Higher Secondary School in the Raj Bhavan constituency during the Assembly polls in Puducherry.

Moving along the corridor, the robot greeted visitors and encouraged them to exercise their franchise. First-time voters were also offered a seed pen and a sapling as part of an initiative to encourage the next generation of voters.

Kerala: BJP candidate MA Brahmaraj lodges complaint for being denied entry into a polling booth

BJP candidate from Aluva, MA Brahmaraj, alleges that he was denied entry into a polling booth and has lodged a complaint with the District Collector.

Puducherry logs 72.4 per cent voter turnout till 3 pm

Brisk polling was witnessed in Puducherry on Thursday with 72.4 per cent of the electorate casting their votes till 3 pm, according to Election Commission.

As the NDA is fighting to retain power, the opposition Congress-led bloc is pushing to wrest power from the AINRC-led front in the union territory, centering its campaign on local autonomy and administrative friction.

From the moment voting began at 7 am, there was a steady rise in voter turnout in Puducherry and its enclaves of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. There are 9.5 lakh voters spread over 30 constituencies in the four regions.

Assam logs record 76 percent voter turnout till 3 pm

A voter turnout of nearly 76 per cent was recorded till 3 pm on Thursday in the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is looking to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.

Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 75.91 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters had exercised their right till 3 pm, defying overcast skies and rains in many parts of the state. The polling will continue till 5 pm.

In the 2021 assembly elections, held in three phases, voter turnout of around 82 per cent was recorded.

A total of 722 candidates are in the fray in this single-phase election, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.

Chamaria in Kamrup recorded the highest turnout of 84.43 per cent till 3 pm, while New Guwahati witnessed the lowest at 60.57 per cent, officials said.

FIR filed over video made inside polling station of Assam's Diphu constituency

A police complaint was lodged by Assam's Karbi Anglong district administration on Thursday regarding a video shared on social media purportedly showing the voting process inside a polling station, officials said.

The video was reportedly shot inside a polling station in Diphu constituency, and an inquiry was initiated into the incident, they said.

Mobiles are banned inside polling stations, with provisions made by the Election Commission for depositing the phones, bags and other such items by voters before entering.

“An incident has come to the notice of the Karbi Anglong district administration regarding circulation of a video on social media purportedly showing the election process inside a polling station,” an official said.

An FIR has been registered under various provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The official added that an inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the facts and identify those responsible.

Appropriate legal action will be taken against any violations of election laws, they added.

Kerala: Ernakulam sets up women and child-friendly green polling stations

Ernakulam sets up women and child-friendly green polling stations with creche facilities, toys, and waiting areas managed by Anganwadi workers.W

Kerala: Former health minister K K Shailaja casts vote in Kannur

Former health minister and LDF candidate from Peravoor, K K Shailaja Teacher, casts vote in Kannur.

Kerala: 'In any election, voters are king' says Catholicos Baselios

“In any election, voters are King, they will decide who to vote for; people know and understand about FCRA, they will keep it in mind while voting,” says Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews III after casting vote in Aranmula.

Kerala: Actors Dileep and Kavya Madhavan cast vote in Aluva

Actors Dileep and Kavya Madhavan cast vote at polling booth in Aluva.

Kerala: Congress MP Jose K Mani casts vote in Kottayam

Congress MP Jose K Mani casts vote in Kottayam.

Kerala: CPI(M) leader M Swaraj casts vote in Nilambur

CPI(M) leader M Swaraj casts vote at a polling booth in Nilambur.

Kerala Governor casts vote, urges citizens to perform their 'sacred duty'

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday cast his vote here and appealed to the public to exercise their franchise.

Arlekar voted at a polling booth in Jawahar Nagar in the Vattiyoorkavu constituency.

The governor said he felt fortunate to vote for the first time in a Kerala Assembly election.

“Hoping that good people get elected. The government we want will come, and there is no doubt about that,” he said.

He added that he was extremely happy to exercise his franchise.

“I request all the people in the state to come out in large numbers and perform their sacred duty,” he said.

Polling in all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala commenced at 7 am.

The crucial elections will decide whether the ruling LDF will secure a straight third term, whether the UDF will make a comeback, or whether the BJP will spring a surprise in an otherwise bipolar contest.

Kerala voter turnout nears 50 per cent till 1pm

Brisk voting was witnessed on Thursday to the elections to 140 Assembly segments in Kerala with 50 per cent of the voters casting their votes by 1 pm, the EC said.

The crucial elections will decide whether the ruling LDF will get a straight third term, or if the UDF makes a comeback, or if BJP springs a surprise in an otherwise bipolar battle.

According to Election Commission (EC) figures, by 1 pm, 49.70 per cent of the 2.71 crore voters had cast their vote.

The ruling LDF is fighting to retain power, banking on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's model of governance and welfare. The Congress-led UDF is vying to regain power, seeking to end a decade of Left rule in the state. Amidst this traditionally bipolar contest, the BJP-led NDA is looking to disrupt the duopoly of LDF and UDF and aims to translate its growing vote share into a decisive presence in the state assembly.

The turnout is witnessing a steady increase from 16.23 per cent at 9 am to 33.28 per cent at 11 am and 49.70 per cent at 1pm, according to EC figures.

If the trend continues, the turnout of 90 per cent plus that the EC is aiming for, might be achieved.

The figures also showed that Ernakulam district continued to lead with the highest polling percentage of 52.94 per cent and constituency-wise, Thripunithura topped with 58.09 per cent. The lowest turnout came in Ponnani with 44.52 per cent (all 1 pm data).

Polling in all the 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala commenced at 7 am.

The political leaders and prominent personalities who cast their votes in the morning included CM Vijayan, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan, Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, KPCC chief Sunny Joseph and actor Mohanlal.

Polling was carried out amidst tight security arrangements which included deployment of over 76,000 security personnel and live monitoring of the election process by an extensive webcasting system. 

Assam records nearly 60 per cent turnout till 1 pm

A voter turnout of 59.63 per cent was recorded till 1 pm on Thursday in the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is looking to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.

Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 59.63 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters had exercised their right in the first six hours, defying overcast skies and rains in many parts of the state.

A total of 722 candidates are in the fray for the elections, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.

Dudhnoi in Goalpara district recorded the highest turnout till 1 pm at 66.11 per cent, while Dibrugarh witnessed the lowest at 50.85 per cent, officials said.

This is the first assembly poll in the state after a delimitation exercise, held in 2023, redrew the state's electoral map Chief Minister Himanta, who is seeking re-election from Jalukbari, voted at the Garal Buniyadi LP school in Kamrup (Metro) district, along with his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, son Nandil and daughter Sukanya.

Prior to casting his vote, he and his family offered prayers at the Kamakhya Temple atop the Nilachal Hills and the Doul Govinda Temple in North Guwahati.

Accompanied by his mother, Dolly Gogoi, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi cast his vote at DCB LP School in Jorhat.

Other prominent candidates who have cast their votes so far include Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, Union minister Pabitra Margherita in Jorhat, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Khowang, and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi in Sibsagar.

State ministers who have exercised their votes so far are Ranoj Pegu in Dhemaji, Ajanta Neog in Golaghat, Ranjeet Kumar Das in Bhabanipur-Sorbhog, Bimal Bora in Tingkhong, Pshanta Phukan in Dibrugarh and Jayanta Malla Baruah in Nalbari.

Votes are being cast at 31,490 polling stations across the 35 districts of the state, with polling concluding at 5 pm.

Meanwhile, seven people were held in connection with election-related violence in the state, officials said.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Akhilesh Kumar Singh, told PTI that violence took place in Tamulpur and Sivasagar on Wednesday night, hours before polling began.

A number of minor clashes have erupted at several polling stations in Sribhumi, Golaghat and Nagaon districts, officials said.

"Most of the clashes took place due to heavy rush, with people fighting over breaking the queue," an official said.

At some polling booths in places like Patharkandi, Merapani and Raha, supporters of ruling and opposition parties clashed, he said.

"However, police were already present in those areas, and the situations were handled instantly. The polling is going on uninterrupted," he added.

The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The AIUDF has 30 candidates, while NDA constituents Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively.

In the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) 3 and APHLC 2. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), besides 258 Independents.

Algapur-Katlicherra and Karimganj South have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while nine constituencies -- Rangia, Jagiroad (SC), Hojai, Naduar, Jonai (ST), Doomdooma, Mahmora, Teok and Lakhipur -- have only two candidates each.

Kerala: Couple heads straight to polling station, casts their vote right after wedding

A newly-wed couple in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district made a special stop at the polling station on Thursday, heading straight from their wedding to cast their votes.

Their detour was a statement on the importance of democratic participation.

Joining them in the spirit of the day, another bride from northern Wayanad district also made sure to vote first before heading off to her own wedding ceremony.

Divyasree and Ashwant, who got married around 9 am, turned up to vote close to noon right from the wedding hall.

Speaking to reporters, the couple said it was a joint decision to turn up to vote.

Ashwant said the wedding date was fixed in January much before the polling date was announced and therefore, it was a coincidence that both fell on the same day.

He also said that he had missed many voting opportunities as he worked outside the state, but he used to vote whenever he was in Kerala.

His wife said that she always used to exercise her right to vote.

The couple said that their message to society is that everyone should vote.

They said that neither was politically active, but voting was a non-political act.

Just like them, Akhila Antony, a native of Meppadi in Wayanad district, arrived to vote in her wedding attire barely an hour before her marriage was scheduled at a church in Mananthavady at 10.30 am.

She decided to vote first as it would not have been possible after the wedding, Akhila told media.

On seeing her in the bridal attire, polling officials and locals made arrangements for her to vote quickly and after that she left for the wedding venue.

Nagaland's Koridang records over 59% vote till 1pm

Over 59 pc voter turnout recorded in Koridang seat till 1 pm

More than 59 per cent of 22,382 electors exercised their franchise in Nagaland's Koridang assembly bypoll till 1 pm on Thursday, officials said.

Kerala: Voter flies in from Dubai to fulfil his voting rights

Voter flies in from Dubai despite facing travel difficulties to cast vote in Majeshwar, Kasaragod, says it's a duty everyone must fulfil.

7 people have been arrested today in Assam election-related violence

Seven people were held in connection with election-related violence at two places in Assam, officials said on Thursday.

Besides, minor clashes also erupted at several polling booths after voting began in the morning, with people suffering minor injuries, they said.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Akhilesh Kumar Singh, told PTI that violence took place in Tamulpur and Sivasagar on Wednesday night, hours before polling began for the assembly elections at 7 am.

"We got reports of a clash between two groups at Tamulpur last night. Police reached the spot immediately and tried to control the crowd. When they did not listen, a few rounds were fired in the air to disperse the mob," he said, adding that four people were arrested from the site.

In another incident, two to three members of a political party were attacked in Sivasagar, the IG said.

"We have detained three persons there. The investigation is going on," he said.

Akhil Gogoi, who is seeking re-election from the Sibsagar seat, alleged that BJP nominee Kushal Dowari was behind the incident.

In a series of social media posts, Gogoi claimed two people were injured, and their vehicles were also damaged in the attack.

Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Executive Member Hagrama Mohilary said a detailed enquiry will reveal the cause of the clash in Tamulpur.

"The situation is normal now. We are monitoring it, and there is enough security presence to avoid any untoward incident," he said.

Polling is underway for the 126-member assembly to decide the electoral fate of 722 candidates. It will continue till 5 pm, with May 4 scheduled for the counting of votes.

A number of minor clashes have erupted at several polling stations in Sribhumi, Golaghat and Nagaon districts.

"Most of the clashes took place due to heavy rush, with people fighting over breaking the queue," an official said.

At some polling booths in places like Patharkandi, Merapani and Raha, supporters of ruling and opposition parties clashed, he said.

"However, police were already present in those areas, and the situations were handled instantly. The polling is going on uninterrupted," he added.

The BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power in these elections, while the Congress is looking to reclaim the state it lost a decade ago. 

Assam: Singer Papon casts vote in Guwahati

Singer Papon casts his vote in Guwahati.

He says, "I urge the youth to come out and cast their vote. The weather is great and wonderful arrangements have been made. We must vote because every vote counts."