In Thamnapokpi, Bishnupur district, clashes erupted among troublemakers, leaving three people injured. Meanwhile, workers from the TMC and BJP clashed in different areas of the violence-prone Cooch Behar constituency.
During the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on April 19, voter turnout ranged from 16.33% to 34.54% in the initial hours of polling. This phase covered 102 constituencies across 17 States and four Union Territories. There were instances of violence in West Bengal and an IED blast in Chhattisgarh, which resulted in a CRPF commandant being injured.
There were a few small problems with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) at certain polling stations in Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Assam.
As of 11 a.m., voter turnout in West Bengal stood at 33.56%. Unfortunately, the ongoing polling in the Cooch Behar seat has been marred by violence. The TMC and BJP clashed, leading to both parties lodging complaints against each other. The TMC filed 80 complaints, while the BJP filed 39, citing incidents of poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents, according to sources from both parties.
In the troubled state of Manipur, about 28.19% of the more than 15.44 lakh voters cast their votes by 11 a.m. The incident took place in the Thongju Assembly constituency, located within the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, where there was a confrontation between local residents and unknown individuals.
In Bastar Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh, over 28% of eligible voters have already voted in the first four hours of polling. Unfortunately, during the voting process, an assistant commandant of the CRPF was injured by an improvised explosive device set off by Naxalites in Bijapur district.
Some of the important people involved in this situation are 8 Union Ministers: Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju, Sarbanada Sonowal, Jitendra Singh, and Bhupendra Yadav. Other key figures include Gaurav Gogoi from the Congress party, Kanimozhi from the DMK, and K. Annamalai, who is the chief of the Tamil Nadu BJP.
The BJP-led NDA, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm, aims to secure a more robust majority in the upcoming elections. On the other hand, the opposition parties within the INDIA bloc are looking to make a comeback following their setbacks in the 2014 and 2019 elections.
During the ongoing elections in Assam, some minor issues with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reported in various polling booths. These glitches, which occurred at polling booths in Bihpuria, Hojai, Kaliabor, Bokakhat, and Naharkatia, were identified during the mock polling phase conducted prior to the start of voting.
Officials promptly addressed and resolved these technical glitches before the actual voting began. As a result, voting commenced a bit later than scheduled at these locations but is now progressing smoothly without any further disruptions.