Voting for the high-stakes by-elections to 15 Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies across 11 states of India are underway.
Voting for the high-stakes by-elections to 15 Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies across 11 states of India are underway.
The Lok Sabha seats for which voting is underway are: Palghar and Bhanara-Gondiya in Maharashtra; Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, and Nagaland parliamentary constituency.
While the assembly bypolls are taking place in Gomia and Silli constituencies of Jharkhand; Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh; Shahkot in Punjab; Jokihat in Bihar; Chengannur in Kerala; Palus Kadegaon in Maharashtra; Ampati in Meghalaya; Tharali in Uttarakhand and Maheshtala in West Bengal.
Meanwhile, there have been several reports of EVM Malfunctioning in Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Kairana.
Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader and former MP Prakash Ambedkar said around 450 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioned.
Besides, around 15,000 voters from Mali Ali, Mavanda, Navale and Nandanvan villages in Palghar's Vasai tehsil boycotted polling, citing lack of developmental works in their area.
SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said 140 EVMs were tampered with in Noorpur and that similar reports have come in from Kairana.
RLD spokesman Anil Dubey echoed the Samajwadi Party's claims.
He said there were reports of EVM malfunctioning in both the constituencies, especially areas dominated by the RLD-SP combine.
The elections in four Lok Sabha seats are being seen with keen interest as their result on May 31 could be a trendsetter for the 2019 general elections.
Latest updates:
► 03:15: A multiparty delegation comprising Shri RPN Singh, Prof Ramgopal Yadav, Shri Ajit Singh and others to meet CEC in Nirvachan Sadan today afternoon to register complaints regarding reports of widespread EVM malfunctioning from various Parliamentary and Assembly by-elections taking place today.
► 02:30 Opposition leaders to knock Elections door
► 01:40 EVMs malfunctioning in Bhandara-Gondiya poll. In many big European nations, election commissions have rejected the EVMs and gone back to ballot paper system. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav ji just called me up,he also said 300 EVMs not working in Kairana bypoll: Praful Patel,NCP
► 01:00: Technical problems in EVMs and VVPATs clearly indicate failure of EC. If this is the situation in by-polls, think about the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. "We have said it again and again. Other parties have also agreed that elections should be conducted using ballot papers," Anil Desai, Shiv Sena.
► 12:30: Around 33% voting was recorded in the Maheshtala Assembly bypoll till 11 am, an Election Commission official said.
► 12:30: Over 21% polling was recorded till 11 am in Kairana parliamentary constituency while 22 per cent votes were polled in Noorpur Assembly constituency where bypolls are underway today.
► 12:00: Voting temporarily suspended for now at 35 polling booths in Bhandara–Gondiya due to faulty Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), says Abhimanyu Kale, District Magistrate.
► 11:30: I have been continuously receiving complaints. They didn't expect so many people to come out to vote in Ramzan. The initial strategy was to hold elections in Ramzan so that people won't vote - Tabassum Hasan, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate
► 11:00: Despite rains heavy polling in early hours at Chengannur
Braving heavy rains, people turned out in large numbers to cast their franchise in the Chengannur Assembly constituency began.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala state assembly, Ramesh Chennithala was among the early voters in the constituency, which had witnessed a fierce contest between all the three fronts in the run-up to the polls.
► 10:45: Machines are being tampered everywhere, says Tabassum Hasan
► 10:40: There are reports that in Noorpur 140 EVMs are faulty, which is because they've tampered, there are similar reports from Kairana. They (BJP) want to avenge defeat in Phulpur & Gorakhpur, which is why they want to defeat us at any cost : Rajendra Chaudhary, Samajwadi Party
► 10:25: In Palghar, instead of index fingers, middle fingers of some voters are being inked by officials to differentiate between them, as Panchayat elections were held in some parts of Palghar yesterday.
► 10:15: 6% voting recorded till 9 am in Noorpur assembly by-election
► 10:00: 10.20% voting recorded till 9 am in Kairana
► 9: 50: 11 faulty EVMs reported across polling booths in Gondiya & Bhandara Lok Sabha constituencies
► 9:40: Voting has not started at polling booth number 170 in Arjun-Morgaon area of Gondiya, due to faulty EVM
► 9:30: Polling agents of all political parties demand a new Electronic Voting Machines (EVM ) after mock poll at a polling booth in Sarpani was stalled due to faulty EVM.
► 8:30: Voting stalled at Public Inter College, Kairana due to faulty VVPAT
Lok Sabha polls:
Palghar (Maharashtra): The bypoll was necessitated following the death of BJP's Chintaman Wanaga. The BJP's bickering ally Shiv Sena has fielded the late MP's son Srinivas in a bid to garner the sympathy vote. The BJP has put up former Congress minister Rajendra Gavit. The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) led by Vasai-Virar strongman Hitendra Thakur is also in the fray with the nomination of its ex-MP Baliram Jadhav.
Bhandara-Gondiya (Maharashtra): The bye-election on this seat was necessitated when BJP's sitting MP Nana Patole quit the party to join the Congress in December last year.
Kairana (Uttar Pradesh): The Kairana bypoll was necessitated following the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh in February. The BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, daughter of Singh, from this seat.
With nearly 17 lakh voters, the Kairana has a significant number of Muslims, Jats and Dalit voters, and thus would be a test case of whether the united opposition there can consolidate their votes like they did in Gorakhpur and Phulpur.
Nagaland (Nagaland): Neiphiu Rio of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party was the representative of the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Nagaland. Rio, who represented this constituency, quit in February to contest in the assembly election. Rio is the chief minister of Nagaland.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "evm-voting")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}