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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Apr 15, 2015, 11:35 AM IST
Latest Updates:
* Over 50% voting till 5pm; up from 46.55% in 2009
Also Read: West Bengal poll violence a 'mockery and rape of democracy': Left
* Final Figures: 57% voting recorded in six Lok Sabha seats in Bihar
* Final Figures: 79% polling recorded in West Bengal
* Final Figures: 55.29% polling recorded in Uttar Pradesh
* Final Figures: 55.34% polling recorded in Varanasi
* Congress top brass to hold consultations on post poll strategy. Read More
Read Also: Congress expects to win 7-8 seats in Bihar
I congratulate the EC & the entire election & security staff for their continuous efforts during the entire Election.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 12, 2014
India has voted! Congratulations to the people of India on the successful completion of 2014 Lok Sabha elections http://t.co/uTexNQPMn1
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 12, 2014
* Turnout touches 53% by 5pm in Varanasi. Read More
I met the future PM today. The environment is in favour of Modiji/NDA : PA Sangma,National People's Party pic.twitter.com/rXpzxHMBO0
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2014
* Millions vote in West Bengal amid violence; 70% polling at 4pm. Read More
Read Also: Monks cancel prayers as monastery turns into polling booth
* Over 67% polling in West Bengal till 3pm amidst stray violence. Read More
* 47% polling in Bihar till 3pm, Read More
* 44.5% polling in Uttar Pradesh till 3pm. Read More
* Varanasi beats 2009 turnout with 44% voting till 3 pm. Read More
* Election Commission allows government to appoint new Army Chief
* Narendra Modi's video message: Congress asks Election Commission to take cognisance. Read More
* Congress core group to meet this evening after polling ends for Lok Sabha elections
* The Election Commission grants Rahul Gandhi 3 more days to respond to the notice on his alleged remarks against the BJP. The first deadline that was granted ended today.
* "I was not holding the party symbol, it is a routine to wear it on my clothes, did not flash it intentionally," says Ajay Rai
* 42.6% voter turnout till 2pm in Bihar
Read Also: Vote in large numbers and change India's future: Narendra Modi
* An impressive 35% voters exercised their franchise till 1pm in this high-profile constituency where BJP's Narendra Modi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal are in the fray even as Congress nominee Ajay Rai landed in trouble after he went to vote wearing his election symbol on his kurta. Read More
Kolkata : Saurav Ganguly after casting his vote #Elections2014 pic.twitter.com/yTfHv2fAMh
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2014
* Varanasi Police say an FIR has been lodged against Congress candidate Ajay Rai on Election Commission directive
* 38% voter turnout till 1 pm in Bihar
* Nearly 57% votes were cast till 1pm in West Bengal, where polling is underway in 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the fifth and final phase election in the state to decide the fate of 188 candidates. "On an average, 56.38% of the total 2,55,75,744 voters have cast their votes in the first six hours of polling in the 17 constituencies of Berhampore, Krishnagar, Ranaghat, Bongaon, Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata (South), Kolkata (North), Tamluk, Contai and Ghatal," state's Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said. Read More
* With just a few hours left for the exit polls to be released, Nifty touches 7,000. Read More
* About 41 % of polling was recorded in the first four hours of voting for 17 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. Polling is being held for Berhampore, Krishnagar, Ranaghat, Bongaon, Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata (South), Kolkata (North), Tamluk, Contai and Ghatal. Altogether 188 candidates are in the fray. Read More
* Voters today braved the scorching sun to cast their votes in six Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar which witnessed a voter turnout of about 31% till noon. Read More
* Varanasi voters protest alleging deletion of their names from the voters list
Varanasi: Voters protest alleging deletion of their names from the voters list pic.twitter.com/HPjQm67vux
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2014
* 20 injured in political clash in West Bengal during 9th phase of polling. Read More
* Crude bombs hurled at Kolkata ex-Deputy Mayor as well as at BJP leader Meena Devi Purohit's residence in Posta. The bombs, however, did not explode.
Read Also: Varanasi won't vote for outsiders: Ajay Rai
* Over 23.67% voters exercised their franchise in Uttar Pradesh till 11am, where polling is underway on 18 seats to decide the fate of 328 candidates including Narendra Modi, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal. Read More
* No discontent over vacating Varanasi seat for Narendra Modi: Murli Manohar Joshi. Read More
* 28% voting registered in Varanasi under high security. Read More
* EC directs Varanasi Returning Officer to file FIR under sections 126&130 of RP act against Congress candidate Ajay Rai for displaying party symbol at polling booth. Read More
Read Also: My fight in Varanasi is only against Narendra Modi, says Arvind Kejriwal
* Over 41% polling recorded in West Bengal till 11am. Read More
* Brisk voting in UP; row over Congress' Varanasi candidate Ajay Rai. Read More
* Election Commission to investigate (party sticker on laptop). About the issue, Congress' Satyavrat Chaturvedi said, "If there is attempt to influence voters then action must be taken."
Read Also: 5 must read stories on Nitish Kumar vs Narendra Modi in Bihar from dna archives
* Brisk polling in West Bengal, 21% till 9am. Read More
* 18% polling till 10am in Bihar. Read More
Women voters stand in a queue outside polling booth in Vaishali (Bihar) #Election2014 pic.twitter.com/vXwonUKv5f
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2014
* Long queues at Bihar poll booths. Read More
* Election Commission observer says the report on Ajay Rai showcasing his party symbol, has been sent to Delhi
* Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who is contesting from Varanasi, Monday requested the youth to go out and vote. Read More
My special request to the youth - go out & vote and take your family and friends along to the polling booth!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 12, 2014
* Election Commission seeks CCTV footage on complaints alleging that Congress candidate Ajay Rai was wearing party symbol while casting vote
* Over 10% voting in first two hours in Uttar Pradesh. Read More
* A laptop in a polling booth in Uttar Pradesh carries a Samajwadi Party promotional sticker featuring Mulayam and Akhilesh Yadav
Chandauli(UP) : Laptop with a sticker of Mulayam and Akhilesh Yadav inside a polling booth #Elections2014 pic.twitter.com/Sq4c5n0Frf
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2014
* Re-poll ordered at 11 Uttar Pradesh polling booths. Read More
* Congress candidate from Varanasi Ajay Rai defends his wearing of party symbol, "I wore the party symbol as part of the routine."
Also Watch: 20 sensational Narendra Modi speeches through the Lok Sabha Elections 2014
* 13 injured in CPI(M)-TMC clash in West Bengal. Read More
TMC's Moon Moon Sen arrives to vote with her daughters Riya and Raima Sen in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/7oFw9yjw1S
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2014
CPI(M)'s Mohammad Salim after casting his vote in Kolkata #Elections2014 pic.twitter.com/be5LyNuozy
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2014
You know our stance, we have got nothing to do with him(Modi)-Derek O' Brien,TMC #Elections2014 pic.twitter.com/egW2YgqkAU
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2014
Read Also: How Arvind Kejriwal is giving Narendra Modi a tough time in Varanasi
* Congress candidate Ajay Rai displays party symbol on his kurta. BJP has lodged a complaint to the Election Commission. Ajay Rai a Congress candidate contesting from Varanasi wore a badge on his shirt showing the Congress party symbol while coming to cast his vote. As per the rules of the Election commission, capaigning or flashing party symbols within 200 meters of area around the polling both is strictly prohibited. The BJP and AAP have complained to the Election Commission regarding this. Earlier it was BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi who had called for trouble by doing the same mistake of flashing his party symbol around the polling booth while coming to vote. Read More
* Polling began this morning on a peaceful note for 18 seats in the crucial last phase of Lok Sabha polls in eastern Uttar Pradesh, to decide the fate of 328 candidates, including BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Read More
Read Also: Have caste lines blurred in Varanasi poll before Lok Sabha Elections?
* Voting began this morning in 17 constituencies in the last of the 5-phase Lok Sabha election in West Bengal to decide the fate of 188 candidates. While the ruling Trinamool Congress would strive to retain all 14 of the 17 seats it had won in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, the Left Front's efforts would be to wrest some among the 17 which it had lost last time. An electorate of 2,55,75,744 is eligible to vote in the crucial round. Read More
Read Also: Arvind Kejriwal says his fight is with Narendra Modi; Ajay Rai dismisses claims
* Voting began this morning in six constituencies in the last of the six-phase Lok Sabha election in Bihar in which 90 candidates are contesting. Among the candidates are film-maker Prakash Jha and former Union minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh. Read More
Lok sabha elections that started on 7th April have taken place peacefully and completed eight phases spanning April and May. The battle betwe en India's political parties Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and others has intensified with debates, war of words and allegations against the Election Commission.
Besides this, the Election Commission also has categorically allowed airing of Exit polls after polling ends on Monday.
Performing a somersault of sorts, the Election Commission first said on Friday that exit polls are banned until May 16, the day of counting, but when the news went viral, it clarified within an hour that exit polls are prohibited till half an hour after closing of polls on May 12, the ninth and final phase of polling for the 2014 general election.
Election commissioner HS Brahma categorically said that exit polls are banned till May 16 as they can affect and impact polling during possible re-polls after the last phase on May 12. On being asked again and again, Brahma remained steadfast on the date and even said that if need be, the Election Commission will issue a fresh notification on Saturday.
Read: Election Commission does a U-turn, allows exit polls from May 12
While some big battles such as the battle for Amethi between Gandhi scion Rahul, BJP's Smriti Irani and AAP's Kumar Vishwas attracted media glare with accusations of poll rigging, attack on EC for bias and Smriti Irani's tiff with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's secretary over her presence at a polling booth.
Read: Smriti Irani questions the presence of Priyanka Gandhi's PA in Amethi around polling booths
It is interesting to note Election Commission's role in these Lok Sabha elections as a mediator (tried to mediate and sort allegations against it), curtailer (of misleading information and wrong acts to influence voters and finally the governing body that tried to hold free and impartial elections in the World's largest democracy.
Read: Election Commission justifies denial of permission for Narendra Modi rally
This again brings to the forefront the most debated topics during these elections:
Here's a run-down of some of the most crucial topics debated during these elections
#1 Narendra Modi's Gujarat model of development
#2 Battle of words between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi
#3 The rise and rise of Arvind Kejriwal
#4 Battle of words after PM Manmohan Singh's brother joins BJP
#5 Robert Vadra's growth model in focus by Wall Street Journal
#The war of words and personal remarks by Lalu Prasad, Mamata Banerjee on Narendra Modi
#4 The controversy over, 'Yeh Dil Maange more' statement by Narendra Modi
With just four days to counting and a new Prime Minister for India, many writers and critics have been outlining what the next top leader has to achieve in terms of GDP, law and order and harmonious outlook for society without communalisation.
Read some letters HERE
The ground report from Varanasi:
With nearly 17 lakh voters as per figures of the local administration, Varanasi has a dominant Hindu population.
According to an official in the district magistrate's office, of these, there are nearly three lakh Muslims, and nearly an equal number of three lakh Brahmins.
The Brahmin vote is traditionally expected to go to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears to have made a dent.
"It is not necessary that Brahmins vote for the BJP. We are tired of corruption, and the AAP has been reaching out to us," said Buddhiram Shastry, a resident of Rohaniya, a semi-rural area on the outskirts of Varanasi.
The AAP has been making its presence felt significantly in the rural areas.
Most of the locals feel the real battle is between Bharatiya Janata Party's Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal.
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