Elections 2019 Phase 2: Here's all that transpired during LS polls

Pic/Twitter IANS

Over 95 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 12 states and Union Territories went in for voting as the second phase of the mega seven-phase electoral exercise kicked off. The voting process began at 7 am and saw dawn at 5 pm. Voting for electing MLAs in 35 of Odisha's 147 assembly seats also started along with polling for five of the state's 21 Lok Sabha constituencies. In these constituencies, electors were seen casting their votes twice to elect their representatives.

Also Read: Elections 2019 Phase 2: 61.12 pc total voter turnout; WB tops with 75.27 pc

The total voter turnout for 2nd phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections until 5 pm is 61.12 percent, reports ANI. According to the latest updates, West Bengal witnessed the highest number of voter turnouts at 75.27 percentage while Jammu and Kashmir saw the lowest at 43.37 percent. Besides these two states, Bihar (58.14), Chhattisgarh (68.70), Maharashtra (55.37), Karnataka (61.80), Manipur (74.69), Odisha (57.41), Puducherry (72.40), Tamil Nadu (61.52) and Uttar Pradesh (58.12) saw moderate voter turnout.

Here's what first-time voters who exercised their franchise in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections had to say about what do they expect from the new government? Watch the video to know more.

Sushilkumar Shinde

VIPs, candidates, celebs lead by example:

VIPs, including political leaders, celebrities and candidates were among the early voters who exercised their franchise for 95 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 12 states and Union Territories as the second phase of the mega seven-phase electoral exercise kicked off.

In Karnataka, Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy and PWD Minister H.D. Revanna, their wives Anitha and Bhavani, and his grandsons Prajwal and Nikhil cast their votes. Other political leaders including Defence Minister and Rajya Sabha member Nirmala Sitharaman, Actor turned politician Rajinikanth cast his vote at Stella Maris College in Chennai. While Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murthy and her son Rohan Murthy also voted in Karnataka.

Others prominent names include Congress leader P Chidambaram, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan, Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan, UP Congress chief Raj Babbar, DMK President MK Stalin and Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde among others.

The good, the bad and the ugly:

Voters, young and old, thronged to the polling booths to exercise their votes in order to elect their representatives. If it was the celebs, politicians, and candidates who led from the front, the general public wasn't behind. Long to medium sized queues were seen outside polling booths across 95 Lok Sabha that went to vote in phase 2 of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In Maharashtra's Solapur, a pregnant woman and her husband were seen taking a selfie post casting their votes for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. On the other hand, in Jammu and Kashmir, a newly married couple arrived at a polling station in Udhampur to cast their votes in their wedding attire.

If the young, married couples were ahead to cast their votes, the senior citizens left no stone unturned to take part in the electoral process and do their bit. Truly defying the term that age has no bar, two 90-year-old women, Urmila and Usha, cast their votes at polling booth number 39 in Bhagalpur during the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase II in Bihar.

Kabaibai Ganpati Kamble. Pic/Twitter ANI

While in Maharashtra, 105-year-old Kabaibai Ganpati Kamble reached a polling station to cast her vote in the Lok Sabha elections. Seated on a wheelchair, Kabaibai was accompanied by her grown-up children and other fourth-generation relatives to the polling station in Harangul New Colony in Latur. She was cheered by other voters who clapped for her, reports IANS.

On the other hand, in a shocking incident, a shoe was hurled at BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao during a press conference at BJP HQ. While in Fatehpur Sikhri, villagers of Mangoli Kala boycotted the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections over lack of adequate irrigation facilities in the village.

2019 Lok Sabha Elections: Guidelines to cast your vote!

Voting in the largest democracy in the world for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections began on April 11, 2019, in 543 constituencies. The polling for Lok Sabha seats is being held in seven phases. In Mumbai, the voting for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will take place on April 29, 2019. We have compiled important guidelines on the voting process.

Also, in order to cast vote in the Lok Sabha elections, it's mandatory for an Indian citizen to have an election ID card. But what if you don't have your Voter's ID card? Watch this video for the list of valid documents that can act as a substitute. Here's how to cast your vote without voter ID.

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