Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: BJP fixes signage calling 'Sheesh Mahal-Corruption Ka Adda' near CM Kejriwal's residence

Mock polling underway at Vattiyoorkavu polling station in Thiruvananthapuram ahead of the second phase of polling today. For the 18th Lok Sabha elections, polling is scheduled in 88 Constituencies across 13 States/UTs.

The polling booth in Kethaganahalli village, Ramnagar district decorated with balloons and pink banners ahead of the second phase of polling today. Booth number 236 comes under the Bangalore Rural Parliament constituency. Karnataka is set to witness the 18th Lok Sabha elections in two phases. The two phases of voting are set to occur in the second and third phases of the General Election, scheduled on April 26 and May 7 respectively.

As per the Election Commission, a total of 2633 nominations were filed for 88 parliamentary constituencies across 12 States and UTs going for polls in phase 2 for the Lok Sabha Elections. After the scrutiny of 2633 nominations filed, 1428 nominations were found to be valid.

Down in the south, two Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala -- Wayanad and Thiruvananthapuram -- are set to witness a high-stake battle. In a triangular contest in Wayanad, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will face BJP's K Surendran and its ally CPI's Annie Raja.

Polling time has been extended till 6 PM in many polling stations in Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria and Munger constituencies in Bihar to facilitate voters in hot weather conditions.

Lakhs of voters will have to bear the sweltering heat when they step out to vote in the second phase on Friday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday warned of heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh during the next five days.

Voters include 8.08 crore male, 7.8 crore female and 5,929 third gender electors. As many as 34.8 lakh first-time voters are registered to cast their votes. Additionally, there are 3.28 crore young voters in the age group of 20-29 years.

More than 16 lakh polling officials have been deployed across 1.67 lakh polling stations for over 15.88 crore voters, the Election Commission (EC) said.

At least three helicopters, four special trains and nearly 80,000 vehicles have been deployed to ferry poll and security personnel. The poll body has ensured minimum facilities like water, shed, toilets, ramps, volunteers, wheelchairs, and electricity for convienece for every voter, including elderly and persons with disabilities.

Voting for the second phase will begin from 7am and will continue till 6 in the evening. General elections are being held in seven phases and the votes will be counted on June 4. In the first phase of polling nearly 63 per cent votes were cast.

All 20 seats of Kerala will go to polls besides 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, 8 seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 7 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam and Bihar, 3 seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and 1 seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.

Setting a new trend to make party presidents accountable for alleged violation of the model code of conduct by their candidates and star campaigners, Election Commission on Thursday issued notices to the chiefs of BJP and Congress seeking their response to alleged violations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. EC sought their replies by Monday morning.

The polling was supposed to be held in 89 Lok Sabha constituencies, but voting in Madhya Pradesh's Betul was postponed to third phase after the death of Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) candidate.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday filed his nomination from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj Lok Sabha seat. after replacing Tej Pratap Yadav, Akhilesh's nephew and son-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, as its candidate.

The Chittorgarh constituency in Rajasthan is bracing for a high-stakes showdown as the polling for the Lok Sabha elections in this seat will be held on April 25. The seat will witness a fierce contest between the BJP's State President, Chandra Prakash Joshi, and Congress' Udai Lal Anjana, a former Rajasthan minister, who gained prominence in 1998 Lok Sabha polls when he defeated former Defence Minister Jaswant Singh from the seat.

The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading "lies" to divert attention from real issues in the Lok Sabha polls and challenged him to point out where in the party's manifesto is "redistribution of wealth" mentioned. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that PM Modi "symbolises Asatyamev Jayate'.

A total of 194 contestants in 20 Lok Sabha seats are seeking the blessings of the people as Kerala goes to the polls on Friday, after over a month-long fierce campaign by the CPI(M)-led LDF, Congress-headed UDF, and the BJP-led NDA. The Election Commission said there are over 2.75 crore voters in Kerala where polling will commence at 7 am on Friday.

The Election Commission of India on Thursday took cognizance of Model Code of Conduct violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi for allegedly inciting hatred and spreading false claims. The poll body has sought response by April 29, 11am. Both the parties had accused each other of inciting hatred and division based on religion, caste, community, or language. Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act has been invoked and EC has held party presidents accountable for reining in star campaigners.

In the political battleground of Bengaluru South, one of Karnataka's 28 Lok Sabha constituencies, the Indian National Congress (INC) gears up to challenge the stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Bangalore South has been a bastion for the BJP, the party has not been defeated from here since 1991. The late Ananth Kumar was elected to the Lok Sabha 6 times from this seat.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, and actor-turned-politician Arun Govil are among the key candidates in the fray for the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls with BJP's Hema Malini, Om Birla and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies. Staggered over seven stages, the first phase of the elections held last Friday for 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories saw a voter turnout of around 65.5 per cent.

In view of the soaring temperatures in Uttar Pradesh, medical kits to address health conditions such as heatstroke, will be provided to the polling personnel for the voting scheduled on April 26 across 8 constituencies in the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Directions have also been issued to ensure all necessary facilities for polling personnel and voters at polling stations.

In view of the second phase of the election slated for April 26, as many as 857 polling stations, 87 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 4000 state police have been deployed in outer Manipur. While speaking to ANI, Chief Electoral Officer Pradeep Kumar Jha said that the second phase of the election has a total of 857 polling stations including 9 special polling stations. 87 companies of centre paramilitary forces and more than 4000 state police forces have also been deployed to ensure free and fair elections.

Ahead of polling for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26, police along with paramilitary forces held a flag march in various parts of the Reasi town in Jammu and Kashmir. The flag march was organized on Wednesday evening to instil confidence among the residents regarding their safety and the law and order situation in the town.

A contingent of 85,000 personnel from the Rajasthan Police and more than a hundred companies of the CAPF have been deployed to maintain security for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, to be held in the state on Friday. Polling in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections -- the final one for Rajasthan -- will be held from 7 am on Friday. Voting took place on the other 12 seats on April 19.

Polling is scheduled in all 20 seats of Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, the remaining 13 seats in Rajasthan, 8 seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 7 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam and Bihar, 3 seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and 1 seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.

In the first phase on April 19, polling was completed in all seats of Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1).

Schools and colleges in Uttar Pradesh will be closed during Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in these eight (8) constituencies, on April 26, Friday. The list includes major cities and areas such as Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida): Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura.

Assam - Karimganj, Silchar, Mangaldoi, Nagaon, and KaliaborBihar - Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, and BhagalpurChhattisgarh- Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund, KankerKarnataka - Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere, ShimogaKerala - Kasargod, Kannur, Vadakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal, ThiruvananthapuramMadhya Pradesh - Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad, BetulMaharashtra - Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, ParbhaniManipur - Outer ManipurRajasthan - Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur,Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota, and Jhalawar-BaranTripura - Tripura EastUttar Pradesh - Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, MathurWest Bengal - Darjeeling, Raiganj, BalurghatJammu and Kashmir - Jammu