Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 4 Live Updates: With three phases of the 2019 elections over, India is almost half-way through the mammoth democratic process to elect the 17th Lok Sabha. A total of 72 seats in nine states went to polls today in the fourth phase of the seven-phase hustings.
The 72 seats include the Anantnag parliamentary constituency of Jammu & Kashmir, where polling has been scheduled in three phases. Today was the second phase as parts of Anantnag voted on April 18 and some other parts will go to polls on 6 May.
According to figures released by the Election Commission at 9.30 pm, an overall voter turnout of 63.16 per cent was recorded in the 72 constituencies.
Among the key seats in Phase 4 were Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh where Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s son Nakul is contesting, and Jodhpur where Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot is contesting against sitting MP and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of the BJP.
Other seats to watch out for include Begusarai and Asansol.
Firebrand student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was the CPI candidate from Begusarai while BJP minister and sitting MP Babul Supriyo took on Trinamool candidate Moon Moon Sen in Asansol, the West Bengal seat that witnessed violence on Monday. Supriyo’s car was vandalised in the morning while the minister was inside it. He, however, escaped unhurt.
Later in the day, an FIR was registered against Supriyo who had allegedly got into an argument with polling officials. West Bengal has seen violence in all previous three phases.
Mumbai’s six Lok Sabha seats are also voting today. Past trends have shown the party that wins Mumbai goes on to form government in Delhi.
Poonam Mahajan of the BJP will face Priya Dutt of the Congress in Mumbai North Central, while Urmila Matondkar (Congress) will take on Gopal Shetty (BJP) in Mumbai North. Gajanan Kirtikar of Shiv Sena is up against Sanjay Nirupam of the Congress, while Mumbai South will see a contest between Milind Deora (Congress) and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena).
READ | Lok Sabha elections 2019 Phase 4 | Key constituencies, candidates
Polling in all southern states and all Union Territories were completed with the third phase.
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