#Phase4: Voting begins in 72 seats across nine states

Seventy-two Lok Sabha seats across nine states are voting today in the fourth phase of the 2019 General Elections. More than 12 crore voters will decide the fate of 961 candidates in this phase, according to the Election Commission. Over 1 lakh 40 thousand polling booths are in place.

Three phases of voting have already taken place on April 11, April 18 and April 23 respectively and polling will take place in three more phases till May 19. The results will be declared on May 23.

In the fourth phase, parts of Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will vote. Elections for 42 Assembly seats in Odisha and by-polls for Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, Nighasan in Uttar Pradesh and Krishnaganj in West Bengal will also be held. Elections in Maharashtra and Odisha will conclude today.

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The Congress party has moved the Supreme Court against the apparent reluctance of the Election Commission of India to act against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah despite “frequent and habitual violations” of the Mode of Code of Conduct (MCC), Bar & Bench reported.

The Supreme Court will now hear the matter tomorrow.

According to Bar & Bench, the petition filed by Sushmita Dev, President of the All India Mahila Congress.

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After the first couple of hours of polling, the voter turnout is at 10.18 per cent, according to Election Commission.