Welcome to our live coverage of Phase 6 of the Lok Sabha elections, inching us closer to the finish line. Polling takes place today in 59 constituencies in six states and Delhi. Voting is being held in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 10 in Haryana, seven in Delhi, four in Jharkhand and eight each in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
5 pm
According to the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout app, the turnout at 5 pm is 52.40 per cent.
4.10 pm
According to the Press Information Bureau, here’s the voter turnout data at 3 pm.
4 pm
Newslaundry‘s Cherry Agarwal is in Dr Ambedkar Nagar in Delhi.
3.50 pm
Hindustan Times reports that the Election Commission has directed the police to register a complaint against BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh for “coming within 100 metres of booths with security men carrying arms”.
3.48 pm
Times of India reports that in Haryana, the chief electoral officer’s office has received 4,103 complaints. But only seven complaints are pending investigation, the report says.
3.30 pm
Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has hit back on PM Modi’s claims on bad weather aiding the Balakot strikes.
3 pm
India Today is in Purulia, West Bengal, showing us a dance by villagers. “We don’t have electricity and water,” a villager says. The caption says “Bengal’s famous Chhau dance”. The reporter tells us it’s to give us a sense of the “rich culture”, and “nothing depicts it better than these men, dressed so colourfully”.
2.40 pm
India Today is interrogating viewers about Dhoni for some reason. Rohit vs Dhoni, the ticker says. Will you vote for Modi? A woman says, “Modiji has a distinct personality, we feel safer because of him.” They then shout, “We like Chennai Super Kings!”
2.12 pm
Newslaundry‘s Meghnad noticed something … special going down on Times Now over the last hour. Check out his thread.
2.10 pm
The voter turnout at 2 pm stands at 39.74 per cent, according to the Election Commission’s Voter Turnut app. West Bengal leads with a turnout of 55.77 per cent. Delhi is still in last place at 33.65 per cent.
1.55 pm
While the election mayhem unfolds, PM Modi is addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh. “Those who want to know Modi’s caste … Modi has only one caste: poverty.”
1.49 pm
On Times Now, Nishant Verma says, “Narendra Modi is also elite because he has relationships with Ambani and Adani.” Shehzad Poonawala retorts by whipping out his phone and showing a photo of Modi’s mother. “This is elitism? His mom is not travelling in a black Range Rover like other people.”
1.47 pm
The BJP’s Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says there’s been “an attempt to stop BJP leaders and supporters” in West Bengal, and he’s “saddened” that the Election Commission hasn’t acted, News18 reports. He also said the Election Commission’s importance will be “lost” after May 23.
1.45 pm
Times Now started broadcasting a video showing people with guns as originating from Purulia in West Bengal. Twenty minutes later, Navika Kumar announces it’s a fake video from Jharkhand.
1.38 pm
On Times Now, Navika Kumar names her studio crew and says, “This is Times Now Parivar. This is not Navika Kumar’s Parivar. Just like Sangh Parivar, we are a part of Times Now Parivar.” Tehseen Poonawala tries to defend the Congress and says “non-Gandhi family members can become party presidents”.
1.15 pm
Shehzad Poonawala on Times Now challenges Rahul Gandhi to give an interview to Times Now‘s Navika Kumar. “Khan Market is a mentality, it’s not area specific,” he says about PM Modi’s Khan Market jibe.
1.12 pm
On a lighter note, the Press Information Bureau is trying its hand at memes to encourage citizens to exercise their franchise.
1.10 pm
West Bengal’s chief election commissioner has sought reports from the West Midnapore district magistrate about the alleged attack on BJP Ghatal candidate Bharati Ghosh, Scroll reports.
12.35 pm
Firstpost reports that Bhopal mayor Alok Sharma wore a badge showing the BJP’s symbol, a lotus, when casting his vote. The Congress plans to file a complaint against Sharma for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
12.15 pm
Republic is showing scenes of violence and protest from Midnapore in West Bengal, calling it “mayhem, madness, murder”. Two BJP workers were reportedly shot at in Midnapore. The anchor advises the female reporter at the scene to move to safety.
12.10 pm
Dipak Adhikari, the TMC candidate from Ghatal, says the BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh “intimidated” police officers. According to Hindustan Times, he said, “I want the polls to be fair and peaceful. But she (Bharati Ghosh) went around intimidating police officers, threatening that she would bring 1,000 youths from Uttar Pradesh and was also caught with cash.”
12.05 pm
So what’s the voter turnout at noon? The Election Commission’s Voter Turnout app sets it at 25.06 per cent. West Bengal is leading with a voter turnout of 38.08 per cent, closely followed by Jharkhand at 31.27 per cent. Delhi is doing the worst, at 19.5 per cent.
12 pm
Republic TV cut off coverage of violence in West Bengal to cover Narendra Modi’s speech. After a few minutes, they muted Modi and started showing Priyanka Gandhi giving a comment to reporters. Modi is still present on the screen though.
11.52 am
ABP News is showing extremely shaky images of Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra. Reporters can be heard screaming, “Voting sign, voting sign!”
The anchor says sadly, “Reporters are asking for voting sign and comments but she’s not giving it. She’s not saying anything. She’s just walking.”
11.50 am
ANI reports that a scuffle broke out in Booth No. 254 in Bankura, West Bengal, after the BJP alleged “rigging” by TMC workers.
Meanwhile, Rajdeep Sardesai says Priyanka Gandhi has a “regal air” and a “friendly communication with the cameras”. He goes a step further and calls her a “Pied Piper” when it comes to cameras.
11.40 am
A Republic reporter is reporting breathlessly from Ghatal, West Bengal: “Stones, Bottles, other harmful things and everything are being thrown by the mob at the RAF. People are waving TMC flags here.”
11.26 am
Poor Republic TV. A breathless reporter says, “Republic TV exclusively tried to speak to Sonia Gandhi but she did not speak anything.” Viewers had to settle for images of Sonia Gandhi leaving in a car.
11.22 am
India Today asks Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who’s contesting from Bhopal, if he’s casting his vote. Singh is currently in Bhopal and replies quite sheepishly that his polling booth is in Raghogarh “which is about three hours’ drive … So it is difficult. Let me see, if there’s a chance, I’ll go.”
11.15 am
Let’s take a look at the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout app. According to the data for 11 am, voter turnout stands at 20.06 per cent.
11.12 am
India Today has a show called “Active India Reports” where anchor Preeti Chowdhari rides an Activa and, well, reports. Anchors on this channel evidently like being on the move.
11.10 am
“Ma’am, how’s the josh?” a very excited India Today asks Sheila Dikshit, the Congress candidate for North East Delhi. “Very good,” she replies. “On top of the world.”
10.47 am
BJP leader Mukul Roy has submitted a letter to the EC alleging “inaction” by the office of the West Bengal chief election officer. Roy says “outsiders” belonging to the Trinamool Congress are trying to “intimidate and influence” voters, Times of India reports.
10.45 am
Strangely enough, an anchor on Aaj Tak is referring to Manoj Tiwari as “Chowkidar Manoj Tiwari”.
A reporter asks him, “You visited a temple, what did you ask for?” Tiwari responds, “Only prosperity for the country.”
10.37 am
Rahul Kanwal disapprovingly says the weather was pretty good when he woke up this morning, but Delhi still hasn’t turned out to vote. “Haven’t they received their bed tea this morning?” he asks.
10.35 am
On India Today, Raghav Awasthi tells Swati Chatuvedi that “people like her” want “Hindus to rot in jail”, in the context of a debate on Pragya Singh Thakur. Rahul Kanwal cautiously doesn’t get in the middle of it.
10.30 am
Congress president Rahul Gandhi says the election was fought on key issues including farmers issues, demonetisation, “Gabbar Singh Tax” and corruption in the Rafale Deal. “Narendra Modi used hatred in the campaign and we used love and I am confident love will win.”
10.20 am
Stones were reportedly thrown at the car of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bharati Ghosh outside a polling booth in Dogachia of Keshpur area of Ghatal constituency, West Bengal. Ghosh is the BJP candidate from Ghatal. NDTV reports that she was “in tears this morning after she was attacked, heckled and pushed to the ground” by women supporters of the Trinamool Congress.
10.11 am
The fun continues on ABP News. The anchor is now extensively discussing Rahul Gandhi’s walk. Adjectives like “man-mast chaal, confident left-right walk, bees kadam ka faasla, body language dekhiye” are being thrown about.
10.10 am
The ABP News anchor says Rahul Gandhi is doing “as good as a road show” as he accompanies Ajay Maken to the polling booth. “Look at them walking. Look at this mini-road show. Narendra Modi did a bigger road show. Rahul is doing a mini one. Isn’t it?”
10.05 am
According to the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout app, the overall turnout at 10 am is 10.79 per cent.
10 am
ABP News is back is with its shiny OTT news set!
9.51 a
The earlier caption of “Hungama” (commotion) has now turned into “Hinsa” (violence) on ABP News. All they’re showing is a bunch of ladies pointing and screaming. No sign of any real violence, just looks like an argument. The anchor is saying, “Women are screaming at the BJP candidate but the candidate is listening calmly. This is the same image we have seen in the last 5 phases coming from West Bengal. We’re seeing the same in Phase 6.”
9.47 am
ABP News has visuals of screaming voters in West Bengal. Unclear whether it’s turning violent or it’s just an argument breaking out. Some ladies are pointing in the distance and screaming while security forces watch on.
9.40 am
News Nation has an ultra-excited journalist who is asking people to show the “Loktantra ka Tilak”, or “holy mark of democracy, on their fingers. He tried to ask an old woman what issues she’s looking at and her only response was to exclaim, “Henh?” and smile at him.
9.18 am
India Today is interviewing Bhojpuri Star Dinesh Lal Yadav AKA Nirahua (BJP) was asked by a reporter, “What will you do about Muslim votes?” His response was that he has 15 per cent more Muslim fans than Hindus. Akhilesh Yadav is standing against Nirahua from Azamgarh constituency.
