The first phase of Lok Sabha elections will be held amid violence in Manipur and IED blasts in Chhattisgarh. BJP and Congress accuse each other of violating model code of conduct.
Voter turnout in the first phase of the April 19 Lok Sabha polls, which will decide the fate of candidates in 102 constituencies in 21 states, was 63.89% by 9pm. The election commission of India (ECI) said in a statement that the vote share is likely to increase once reports from all polling stations are available. The election board also praised the “high” turnout “despite the heatwave.”