LS Election: Phase 6 Logs Approx 59% Turnout; Violence Mars Polls in Bengal; Record Voting in J&K | As It Happened

Polling for 58 seats was held across eight states/UTs today (May 25). The 58 included all 10 seats in Haryana and seven in Delhi NCT. There were 889 candidates in the fray in this phase including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, former Calcutta High Court Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Stay on this page for all the updates from this phase.

Polling for the sixth and penultimate phase of the Lok Sabha polls was held for 58 seats across eight states and UTs today (May 25). They included all 10 seats from Haryana and 7 from NCT of Delhi. Bihar, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal were the other states/UTs where voting was held in this phase. The third phase of simultaneous Assembly elections to 42 assembly segments in Odisha was held today.

Among the seats where voting took place, 49 are reserved for the General category, 2 for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and 7 for Scheduled Caste (SC). Over 11 crore voters were registered to decide the fate of 889 candidates contesting in this penultimate phase. Polling for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir was also held in this phase. The election there was postponed from phase 3 to 6 due to "logistical issues owing to adverse weather conditions".

The last phase of polling will be on the June 1 for remaining 57 parliamentary constituencies with counting of votes scheduled on June 4. Till phase 5, polling has been completed in 428 Lok Sabha constituencies across 25 States/UTs.

---ALL UPDATES---

• 7.52 PM - Watch this report on how violence marred polls in Bengal today (May 25)
• 7.30 PM - Approximate Turnout of 58.98% Recorded in Phase 6
  Phase 6 has recorded an approximate turnout of 58.98%, according to the Election Commission's data updated till 7.30 pm on Saturday. West Bengal recorded the highest 78.19% polling. The Commission should release the final numbers in the next 24 hours. The blog will be updated when the ECI shares the final data.
  

  Phase 6 Approx. Voter Turnout (ETV Bharat)
• 7.15 PM - BJP Unleashing Terror, TMC Worker Killed: Mamata
  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the opposition BJP of unleashing a reign of terror in Purba Medinipur district, the stronghold of her principal adversary Suvendu Adhikari, and killing a TMC worker. The TMC supremo made the allegations while addressing an election rally in Haroa under the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, on the day of the sixth-phase election. "Even yesterday, they (BJP) killed an active member of our party at Mahisadal in Purba Medinipur district. Sensing defeat in the polls, they are resorting to killing and attacking people and TMC workers. But we will resist their bid," Banerjee said. A number of houses and shops had been set ablaze at Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district after a BJP woman member was killed and her son was seriously injured, an active SC/ST Morcha leader of the party in the area, two days ago. Nandigram's BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari had alleged that TMC goons were involved in the attack, but TMC leaders maintained it was a fallout of an internal feud within the BJP.
• 6.25 PM - Voting in Penultimate Phase Concludes
  President Droupadi Murmu, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar were among the voters who exercised their franchise on Saturday. The voting kicked off at 7 am and ended at 6 pm. Till 5 pm, 57.70 per cent voter turnout was recorded, with Delhi seeing 53.73 per cent polling. West Bengal recorded the highest voter turnout at 77.99 per cent however polling in the state was once again marred by incidents of violence. Meanwhile, the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat made history today as it recorded the highest turnout since 1984.
• 6.05 PM - BJP Candidate Attacked During Booth Visit in Bengal
  BJP candidate from Jhargram Lok Sabha seat, Pranat Tudu was attacked allegedly by miscreants when he was visiting booth number 200 in Monglapota in the parliamentary constituency today. Tudu was left with injuries and had to treated for them. Speaking to the media later, Tudu said, "We got information yesterday that BJP voters in Monglapota are not being allowed to vote. Due to this, we came to this area to check what was the problem. Here around 200 people attacked us with lathis, stones and some weapons. We could have been murdered if Central forces would not have been there...We did not get any protection from the local police...Didi doesn't want to impose CAA."
• 6.00 PM - 'CJI Chandrachud Votes, Says 'Fulfilled My Duty As A Citizen'
  The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Saturday cast his vote for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 at a polling station here in Delhi. He reached the polling centre with his wife, Kalpana Das, to cast the vote. After casting vote, he said, "Today by voting I have fulfilled my duties as a citizen of the country and this is a major duty of every citizen of the country".
• 5.40 PM - At 5 pm, the overall turnout in 8 states/UTs is 57.70%, while Odisha has recorded 59.60% polling in Assembly elections. Bengal records the highest (77.99%) polling till 5 pm while J&K has logged the lowest (51.35%).
  

  Voter turnout till 5 pm (ETV Bharat)
• 5.10 PM - EC Releases LS Seat-wise Data on Number of Votes Cast in First 5 Phases
  The Election Commission on Saturday came out with Lok Sabha constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the elections and asserted that there is a pattern in creating false narratives and mischievous design to vitiate the electoral process. It said that any alteration in the number of votes polled is not possible. The poll panel came out with the absolute number of voters on its own a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to it on an NGO's plea for uploading polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website. Read More...
• 4.52 PM - Amit Shah Slams Rahul Gandhi for 'Misleading' People on Agniveer
  Home Minister Amit Shah who was in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra on Saturday, slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on 'misleading' the masses on Agniveer scheme. "The politics of this country has changed after Rahul Gandhi came into politics. Earlier, political parties used to twist actual issues in front of the people, but they never made falsehood an issue. Rahul Gandhi has started a new tradition that only a false thing should be made an issue. The best example of this is the Agniveer scheme," he said. Rahul Gandhi in his recent election speeches has openly criticised the scheme and said it will be "thrown into the dustbin" if the INDIA bloc comes to power in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
• 4.40 PM - Kashmiri Pandit Says He Was Able to Cast His Vote in Valley After 32 Years
  As voting is on in Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary Constituency in Kashmir, a Kashmiri Pandit Veer Saraf Saturday said he cast his vote in the valley after more than three decades. "I have cast my vote in Kashmir after 32 years. I belong to the minority community which usually doesn't come here often, but the way the situation has changed in the last 10 years has enabled us to come and vote in Kashmir... Some of my friends came with me to cast their vote," Saraf told the media.
• 3.40 PM - At 3 pm, the overall turnout in 8 states/UTs is 49.20%, while Odisha has recorded 48.44% polling in Assembly elections. Bengal records the highest 70.19% polling till 3 pm while Uttar Pradesh has the lowest 43.95%.
  

  Voter turnout till 3 pm (ETV Bharat)
• 3.00 PM - Shehzadas' Shutters about to fall: PM Modi
  Addressing a huge public gathering in Bihar's Buxar on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "Five phases of polling have been completed and what is seen in the sixth phase today, clearly shows that now the shutters of all the 'Shehzadas' are about to fall...."
• 2.45 PM - 'Voting Pace has Picked Up, BJP Will Witness A Lot of Damage': Kapil Sibal
  Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal says voting pace has picked up in the 5th and 6th phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha election, and BJP will see a lot of "damage" due to it. "The information that I am receiving is that in the 5th, 6th and 7th phases, there have been a lot of changes. The pace that is in the 5th and 6th phases was not there in the earlier phases. People are not talking about the Ram Temple but inflation, unemployment and other issues that have an impact on local levels and BJP will see a lot of damage in these phases... If the equation of Muslim, OBC, SC, ST and Yadavas is made, this will hurt them (BJP). Don't take it seriously (BJP's 400 paar slogan). They have made a joke," Sibal said.
• 2.30 PM - At 71, Finance Commission Chairman is a First-Time Voter
  Arvind Panagariya, 71, the Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission voted for the first time in his life today. Speaking to media after casting his vote in Delhi, Panagariya said he had left India at the age of 21 to pursue education abroad, and no elections happened around the time he used to visit India. "Today, I got the opportunity to vote along with other first-time voters," he said. Panagariya is Professor of Economics and the Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy at Columbia University. From January 2015 to August 2017, he served as the first Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog in the rank of a Cabinet Minister. During these years, he also served as India’s G20 Sherpa and led the Indian teams that negotiated the G20 Communiqués during presidencies of Turkey (2015), China (2016) and Germany (2017). Professor Panagariya is a former Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank and was on the faculty of the Department of Economics at the University of Maryland at College Park from 1978 to 2003. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University. Read More...
• 2.10 PM - Only 1 voter from 3 villages in Jharkhand
  In three villages of Jharkhand, there was only 1 person who voted on Saturday, while the rest stayed away from polling stations to registered their protest against lack of infrastructure. Of the 1069 registered voters in Chhaudiya, Dhodasai and Chhabisa villages of Kanas panchayat under Dhalbhumgarh block of Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district, only Kartik Singh Sardar cast his vote at booth number 154 till 1 pm. The block-level officials are trying to convince villagers to exercise their franchise. Read More...
• 1.45 PM - At 1 pm, the overall turnout in 8 states/UTs is 39.13%, while Odisha has recorded 35.69% polling in Assembly elections. Here are the state-wise LS numbers:
  

  Voter turnout till 1 pm (ETV Bharat)
• 1.35 PM - EC Receives Nearly 1,000 Complaints in Violence-marred Polling in Bengal
  Scattered incidents of violence were reported from some areas in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal, where polling is underway for the sixth phase on Saturday. The Election Commission has received 954 complaints until 11 am from different political parties, alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths. The poll panel, however, claimed that voting has been peaceful so far. Clashes reportedly broke out between supporters of the ruling TMC and BJP in the Ghatal constituency over stopping polling agents from entering the booths. Read More...
• 1.30 PM - Polling agents not allowed inside booths, says Agnimitra Paul
  Agnimitra Paul, BJP candidate from Medinipur Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, alleges that the party's polling agents are not being allowed inside polling booths in Keshiary as voting is underway in the parliamentary constituency. “Are you not seeing that our party polling agent has been sent out of here? Why are you letting West Bengal Police come inside the polling booth?..." she tells the Central forces personnel present there. "Our polling agents are not being allowed to sit inside the polling booth. Last night, the police picked up many of our party workers and polling agents. At Keshiary, our polling agent was taken away. West Bengal was conducting voting in favour of TMC here," she said.
• 1.25 PM - Modi's 'Mujra' Jibe at INDIA bloc
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to thwart alleged attempts to rob Dalits and backward classes of reservations by the INDIA bloc which he accused of enslavement and performing "mujra" for Muslim vote bank. The PM launched the blistering attack at a rally in the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency, about 40 km from Patna, where he also blamed parties like RJD and Congress for SCs, STs and OBCs "being deprived of quotas" in minority institutions. Read More...
• 1.00 PM - Take Care of Your Country: Arvind Kejriwal's Salvo to Pak Politician's Post
  Arvind Kejriwal reacted sharply to former Pakistan Minister Fawad Hussain Chaudhry who had retweeted Delhi CM's voting day photo. The former Pakistan minister had shared Kejriwal's post on he and his family casting vote, and him appealing people to vote against dictatorship. "May peace and harmony defeat forces of hate and extremism," the Pak politician reacted to Kejriwal's post. The Delhi CM responded sharply asking Chaudhry to not interfere in India internal matter and asked him to take care of his own country. "The elections taking place in India are our internal matter. India will not tolerate interference from the biggest sponsors of terrorism," Kejriwal posted in Hindi on X. In another reply, Kejriwal wrote: "Chaudhary Sahib, I and the people of my country are fully capable of handling our issues. Your tweet is not needed. The situation in Pakistan is very bad right now. You take care of your country." Read More...
• 12.30 PM - Some miscreants trying to indulge in 'snatching', have not been successful: BJP Rohtak candidate Arvind Sharma
  BJP candidate from Rohtak Lok Sabha seat Dr Arvind Sharma says he is getting complaints of "snatching" from some polling booths "Some are trying to indulge in snatching but the administration is alert and doing their work. I am hopeful that Lotus will bloom on all 10 seats in Haryana…ECI has said that at a time only one voter can enter the booth. But in some places, people tag along with the voter inside the voting booth. Administration is strict and alert…There are no complaints about booth capturing. But some people are trying hard but they have not been successful," Sharma said.
• 12.15 PM - Vote Against 'Dictatorial Thinking': Arvind Kejriwal
  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who cast his vote along with his family including his ailing father, appealed people to vote against "dictatorship and unemployment". "I voted today with my father, wife and children. My mother is very ill. She could not go. I voted against dictatorship, unemployment and inflation. You too must go and vote," he said. Before he cast his vote, the Delhi CM urged voters to come out and support his party which he said was standing against "dictatorial thinking". "I appeal to all my voting brothers and sisters to definitely come and cast their vote. Ask your family, relatives and friends to also vote. In this great festival of democracy, each of your votes will be against dictatorial thinking and strengthen the Indian democracy and constitution. Go to the polling booth and show with your vote that there is democracy in India and democracy will remain," he said. Earlier, AAP leaders like Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Kailash Gehlot also cast their votes.
• 11.40 AM - At 11 am, the overall turnout in 8 states/UTs is 25.76%, while Odisha has recorded 21.32% in Assembly polls. Here are the state-wise LS numbers:
  

  Voter turnout till 11 am (ETV Bharat)
• 11.30 AM - Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba Vote in Delhi
  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his family, including his wife and two children cast their vote in the national capital on Saturday. They were seen showing to the media their inked fingers after casting their votes. Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba also cast his vote at a polling booth in Delhi. In Bengal, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari cast his vote at a polling station in Nandigram.
• 11 AM - CEC Rajiv Kumar Votes in Delhi, Says 'People Being Misled'
  Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar cast his vote at a polling booth in Delhi. Speaking to the media after casting his vote, the CEC said he was accompanied by his family including his elderly father. "When I voted for the first time, I had gone with my father and today he is 95 years old, he voted along with me today...This is a matter of great pride for me and every voter must cast their vote...Very good voting is taking place in the entire country. You see in Jammu and Kashmir, how good voting is taking place there," the CEC said.
  Asked about the Supreme Court dismissing plea to publish voter turnout data, the CEC said he will soon explain how doubt is being deliberately created in the minds of the voters. "An attempt is being made to create an atmosphere of doubt, one day we will tell everyone about it and will reveal how people are misled. Due to this, our voting is also affected because doubts arise in the minds of people about whether EVMs are correct or not, voting list is fine or not. Yesterday the Supreme Court answered all these but we will also answer one day. Earlier in the day, former CEC Sushil Chandra, along with his wife Neelu Chandra, also cast their votes at their designated polling booth in the capital city.
• 10.45 AM - Police Stop BJP MP's Convoy in West Bengal
  Police in West Bengal stop the convoy of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Medinipur, Agnimitra Paul at Kismat Angua in Bonpura village. "They are trying to slow down my movement. Bengal police are doing this. I have shown the permission that I have to the police but he is asking me why don't you have the hard copy," Paul told the media.
• 10.38 AM - Vote Against Politics Of Hatred: Mallikarjun Kharge To People
  Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urges people to vote against the politics of hatred, rhetoric and distraction. Kharge said that in the last five phases, the "dictatorial forces" were "deeply shaken". Read More...
• 10.15 AM - 'Mujhe Iss Baat Par Garv Hai': Priyanka Gandhi
  Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi also cast her vote in New Delhi on Saturday. Asked by the media about Rahul Gandhi voting for AAP and Arvind Kejriwal voting for Congress, Priyanka said: "We are keeping aside our grievances and casting votes for our Constitution and democracy...'Mujhe iss baat par garv hai'" (I am proud of it).
• 10.10 AM - Kapil Dev Votes, Asks People to 'Pick the Right People for Your Constituency'
  Former Indian Cricketer and World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev cast his vote in Delhi. Speaking to the media, he said: "I feel very happy that we are under democracy. The important thing is to pick the right people for your constituency...What we can do is more important than what the govt can do..." Read More...
• 10.10 AM - Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Votes, Says 'BJD Will Win Both State, LS Polls'
  Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik cast his vote at a polling station in Bhubaneswar. Speaking to the media later, he said he was confident of a BJD win in both Lok Sabha and state polls. "I request all voters especially young voters to come out and vote. I expect BJD to have a great victory both in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. We will form a very stable government in the state..." Read More...
• 9.55 AM - Sonia Gandhi, Son Rahul Cast Vote in Delhi
  Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party MP Rahul Gandhi cast their vote in Delhi. The two were seen clicking a selfie as they left from the polling station.
• 9.50 AM - 'Vote for Change': Dushyant Chautala
  Former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala along with his parents Ajay Singh Chautala and Naina Singh Chautala cast vote at a polling booth in Sirsa on Saturday. Speaking to media, Dushyant asked people to 'vote for change'. "I appeal to people to come out and exercise their right to vote and vote for change. This festival of democracy is very important. Every vote of yours will play a role in bringing change. Don't be deterred by the heat. Get out and exercise the strength of your vote," the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader said while speaking to ANI. JJP candidate from Hisar, Naina, also appealed to people to exercise their franchise. "Please come out of your houses and vote. Voting is our strength. We can bring about change through your vote," she said. Read More...
• 9.45 AM - At 9 am, the overall turnout in 8 states/UTs is 10.82%, while Odisha has recorded 7.57% in Assembly polls. Here are the state-wise LS numbers:
  

  Voter turnout till 9 am (ETV Bharat)
• 9.30 AM - Swati Maliwal Votes, Steers Clear of Questions on 'Assault' Case
  Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal cast her vote at a polling booth in Delhi. "It is a very big day for the democracy. I want to appeal to everyone, especially women to come out and cast their votes. In India, women's participation in politics is very important," she said, steering clear of a barrage of questions from the media over the case of her alleged physical assault by Delhi CM's Arvind Kejriwal's personal secretary Bibhav Kumar.
• 9.25 AM - Priyanka Gandhi's Children Vote in Delhi
  Raihan Rajiv Vadra and Miraya Vadra, children of Robert Vadra and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cast their votesin Delhi. Speaking to the media afterwards, Raihan said it was a very important election. "I encourage all the youth to vote to save our Constitution and to vote in a way that brings positive change," he said.
• 9.20 AM - EVMs not working: BJP leader Sambit Patra in Puri
  BJP candidate for the Puri Lok Sabha seat, Sambit Patra claims voiced malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at multiple polling stations in Puri and urges the Election Commission to take immediate action. Polls are underway in six Lok Sabha seats and forty-two assembly constituencies in Odisha in the sixth Phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Patra highlighted that voters, including senior citizens, were facing significant delays, with some waiting for up to two hours to cast their ballots. "For 2 hours people are waiting here to cast their vote, they are going back. Up till now, the EVM machine is not working. The Election Commission should definitely take action on this and give an extension of time," Patra stated. Read More...
• 9.13 AM - President, Vice President Cast Vote in Delhi
  President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar along with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar cast their vote in Delhi on Saturday. The President had received her new voter ID card from Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer P Krishnamurthy at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in November 2023. Murmu, who hails from Odisha, was sworn in as the 15th President of India on July 25 2022. Speaking to media after casting his vote, Vice President Dhankhar said, "Voting is both a responsibility and a power. India is the world's most vibrant, active and effective democracy." Read More...
• 9.00 AM - Mehbooba on Sit-in Protest; Claims PDP Workers Detained, Outgoing Calls on Her Phone Suspended
  PDP chief and former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, along with her party leaders, are on a sit-in protest in Anantnag against the alleged detention of their party workers. She alleges that the police have detained PDP polling agents and workers without any reason. Mehbooba also claims that outgoing calls on her mobile number have been suspended without any explanation. "I am not able to make any calls since morning. There is no explanation for this sudden suspension of services on the day of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency," Mehbooba told PTI. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, where voting is currently underway.
• 8.45 AM - 'Delhi Police Instructed to Slow Down Voting in INDIA Stronghold': Atishi
  Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi cast her vote on Saturday morning. Speaking to the media, she alleged that Delhi Police officials were instructed by L-G to create obstruction in voting in those areas which are INDIA bloc stronghold. "We have received official information that last evening, L-G had called a meeting of Delhi Police officials and instructions were given to Delhi Police that all the areas which are stronghold of INDIA alliance, voting should be slowed down in those areas. If this happens then it will be a violation of free and fair elections. So we hope that the Election Commission will take cognizance of this," she said. Read More...
• 8.35 AM - West Bengal: TMC Worker Killed, Another Critically Injured Hours Before Polling
  Hours before the polling began in 8 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, a former TMC Gram Panchayat member was killed and another injured in separate incidents of violence in the state. At Mahishadal in East Midnapore, TMC leader and former member of Betkundu Gram Panchayat Sheikh Moibul was attacked with a sharp weapon on his way home after he dropped his party worker on his motorcycle. Trinamool Congress pointed its fingers at the BJP for Moibul's death. The BJP, however, denied the allegation. In another incident from East Midnapore, there was a fierce clash between Trinamool Congress and BJP workers in Bakcha area on Friday night. A Trinamool Congress worker identified as Anant was seriously injured in the clash. TMC alleged that the victim was beaten with iron rods. He was rushed to the nearby health centre, from there he was referred to Tamluk District Hospital for specialised treatment. The youth's condition is stated to be critical. Read More...
• 8.22 AM - Gambhir Votes in Delhi, J&K BJP chief in Rajouri
  BJP East Delhi MP and former India Cricketer Gautam Gambhir cast his vote in the national capital on Saturday. Speaking to media later, he asked people to come out and vote in large numbers. "This is our power, this is our democracy. The Govt has worked for development in the last 10 years," he said. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Ravinder Raina cast his vote in Rajouri. Speaking to the media later, he said: "The festival of Indian democracy, the Lok Sabha elections are taking place, there is an atmosphere of enthusiasm in the entire Jammu and Kashmir. The excitement for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is going on like a festival in Jammu and Kashmir. In Srinagar parliamentary seat, 40 per cent of voting took place, while in Baramulla in North Kashmir, 60 per cent of voting took place and today in Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat also there has been a long turnout since morning. This is the victory of our democracy..."
• 7.50 AM - 'We are Winning 10 Out of 10 With Huge Margin': Haryana CM
  Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini who cast his vote at a polling booth in his native village in Mirzapur, Narayangarh, claims BJP will win all 10 seats in the state. "In these last 10 years, Narendra Modi ji has worked to provide relief to the common man. This is the first time that the country has changed at such a speed...We are winning 10 out of 10 seats with huge margin," he said while speaking to media after casting his vote. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP had won all 10 seats from the state.
• 7.40 AM - 'Decisive Moment For The Country': Jaishankar After Casting His Vote
  External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar cast his vote at a polling booth in Delhi. He was accompanied by his wife Kyoko Jaishankar. Speaking to the media afterwards, Jaishankar said, "We have just cast our vote and I was the first male voter in this booth. We want people to come out and cast their votes as this is a decisive moment for the country..."
• 7.30 AM - BJP's Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Among Early Voters
  Former Haryana CM and BJP candidate from Karnal Lok Sabha seat, Manohar Lal Khattar cast his vote at a polling booth in Karnal. He appealed to the people to participate in the festival of democracy and also asked them to vote for the BJP. "The Congress candidate is not a challenge for me," he said. Congress has fielded Divyanshu Budhiraja from this seat. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan cast his vote in Ranchi, while Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and his wife Lakshmi Puri cast their votes at a polling booth in Delhi. BJP candidate from East Delhi Lok Sabha seat, Harsh Malhotra cast his vote at a polling booth in Delhi. AAP has fielded Kuldeep Kumar from East Delhi Lok Sabha seat. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini also was among the early voters as he cast his vote at a polling booth in his native village in Mirzapur, Narayangarh. Saini is BJP's candidate for Karnal Assembly by-polls.
• 7.18 AM - 'Democracy Thrives When...': PM Modi's Appeal To Women and Young Voters
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi asks people, especially women and young voters, to come out in large numbers and exercise their democratic right today. "I urge all those who are voting in the 6th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to vote in large numbers. Every vote counts, make yours count too! Democracy thrives when its people are engaged and active in the electoral process. I specially urge women voters and youth voters to vote in large numbers," Modi wrote in a post on X.
• 7.08 AM - Party Workers, Polling Agents Asked To Report To Police Stations: Mehbooba Mufti
  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti who is in the fray from Anantnag-Rajouri seat today alleged on Friday that the polling agents and workers of her party were being asked to report to police stations a day ahead of the voting. "PDP polling agents and workers both are being asked to report to local police stations. Why are the people of South Kashmir being punished for showing their faith in democracy? @ECISVEEP @manojsinha_ @JmuKmrPolice" the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said in a post on X. Read More...
• 7.00 AM - Voting Begins in Over 1 Lakh Polling Stations
  Voting has begun in over 1 lakh polling stations across the 8 states/UTs in 6th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Around 8.93 lakh polling officials are deputed to carry out the exercise and welcome over 11.3 crore voters. Polling also begins for 42 seats in Odisha's third round of assembly elections.
• 6.47 AM - Voters Begin to Queue Up
  People have begun to line-up to cast their votes in the 6th and penultimate phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Voting begins at 7 am across 58 seats in 8 states/UTs.
• 6.35 AM - Appeal People to Vote in Large Numbers: Bhupinder Singh Hooda
  Former Haryana CM and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda appeals to people of Haryana to exercise their right to vote and vote in large numbers. His son Deepender Hooda is contesting from Rohtak as a Congress candidate against sitting BJP MP Dr Arvind Kumar Sharma.
• 6.25 AM - Bansuri Swaraj Offers Prayers in Delhi; Cong's Hooda Confident of Win in Haryana
  BJP Lok Sabha candidate from New Delhi, Bansuri Swaraj offerred prayers at Jhandewalan temple in the national capital early Saturday morning. AAP has fielded Somnath Bharti from here. Voting begins at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm. Meanwhile in Haryana, Congress candidate from Rohtak Lok Sabha seat, Deepender Singh Hooda says he has "full confidence that not just Rohtak but Congress and its alliance will win all the 10 seats in Haryana".
• 6.15 AM - Mock Polls Underway across 8 states/UTs
  Hello and welcome to ETV Bharat's live blog of Phase 6 of Lok Sabha elections. Mock polling is underway in over 1 lakh polling stations across eight states/UTS going to polls today. The voting is set to begin 7 am. Over 11.13 crore voters include 5.84 crore Male, 5.29 crore Female and 5120 third gender electors are set to exercise their franchise today.

Seats Going to Polls in 6th Phase

Bihar: As many as 8 seats are going to polls on Saturday in the state and they are Valmiki Nagar, Paschim Champaram, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Siwan and Maharajganj.

Haryana: All the 10 seats in Haryana are going to polls on Saturday and the seats are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Hisar, Karnal, Sonipat, Rohtak, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, Gurgaon and Faridabad.

Jharkhand: Four seats in Jharkhand are going to polls on Saturday and they are Giridh, Dhanbad, Ranchi and Jamshedpur.

Odisha: Six seats in Odisha are going to polls on Saturday and they are Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar.

Uttar Pradesh: As many as 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh are going to polls on Saturday where the fate of the candidates will be decided. The seats are Sultanpur, Phulpur, Allahabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Shrawasti, Domriyaganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Lalganj, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Machhlishahr, Bhadohi and Pratapgarh

West Bengal: Eight seats in West Bengal - Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur - are going to polls on Saturday.

Delhi: All the seven seats in Delhi are going to polls on Saturday. The seats are Chandni Chowk, North East Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi and South Delhi.

Jammu and Kashmir: Voting will be held on the lone seat of Anantnag-Rajouri in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Voting was to be held in the third phase but due to adverse weather conditions, it was shifted to the sixth phase. With 20 candidates vying for the seat, over 18.36 lakh voters will determine the outcome.

Key Candidates:

Among the key candidates is former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting the polls from the Annatnag-Rajouri constituency. She is pitted against National Conference's Mian Altaf, Apni Party's Zafar Iqbal Khan Manhas, and 10 independent candidates, including Mohammad Saleem Paray.

Another key candidate is former judge of Calcutta High Court Abhijit Gangopadhyay who is contesting the polls on a BJP ticket from Tamluk seat. Gangopadhyay is pitted against TMC's Debangshu Bhattacharya, known for composing the 'Khela Hobe' song for the party in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.

Congress's Yashaswini Sahay, daughter of former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, is contesting against the BJP's sitting MP Sanjay Seth in Ranchi. Dhanbad is heading for a direct fight between BJP's Baghmara MLA Dulu Mahato and Congress's Anupama Singh, wife of the party's Bermo legislator Kumar Jaimangal. BJP's sitting MP Bidyut Baran Mahato and JMM's Baharagora MLA Samir Mohanty are pitted against each other in Jamshedpur, while in Giridih, AJSU Party's Chandra Prakash Chaudhary is pitted against JMM's Tundi MLA Mathura Mahato.

The BJP has fielded Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi Lok Sabha seats. Her fate will be sealed by the voters on Saturday. Bansuri is the daughter of late BJP leader and former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The other key candidates include Congress leaders Deepender Singh Hooda, Raj Babbar and Kanhaiya Kumar, whose fate will also be sealed on Saturday. Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting the polls from the North East Delhi seat. Hooda is contesting the polls from Rohtak in Haryana while Raj Babbar, a well-known actor, is contesting the polls from Gurgaon. Babbar is pitted against Rao Inderjit Singh. Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is also one of the key candidates and he has been fielded by the BJP from Karnal in Haryana.

Another prominent candidate whose fate will be sealed is senior BJP leader Maneka Gandhi, who is contesting the polls from Sultanpur Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. Maneka Gandhi is seeking her ninth entry into the Lok Sabha. The former Union minister is up against the Samajwadi Party's Ram Bhual Nishad and the Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Uday Raj Verma.

In Uttar Pradesh, another key contest is taking place in Jaunpur. Former Maharashtra minister Kripashankar Singh has been fielded by the BJP and he is pitted against Samajwadi Party candidate Babu Singh Khushwaha and the incumbent MP Shyam Singh Yadav of BSP. In Odisha, all eyes will be on Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has been fielded by the BJP from Sambalpur.