Successful in conducting 1st phase of Lok Sabha polls in a free, fair and peaceful manner: EC

India votes for Phase 1 of Lok Sabha 2019 elections.

The much-awaited Phase I of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are here. It will be held in 91 parliamentary constituencies spread across 20 states and Union Territories. The 17th general election to choose the next Prime Minister will be held in seven phases till May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23 and the results will be announced on the same day, according to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. The 2019 general election will be the largest the world has seen. Click here for election schedule.

India votes as part of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019.

Phase I Lok Sabha Elections 2019

Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep will vote today.

A YSR Congress Party worker has been taken to a hospital after he was injured in a clash which broke out between YSRCP and TDP workers at a polling station in Jammalamadugu Mandal of Kadapa district today.

• Voter turnout in Telangana - 48.95 percent
• Voter turnout in Lakshadweep - 51.25 percent
• Voter turnout in Uttarakhand - 46.59 percent
• Voter turnout in Manipur - 68.90 percent
• Voter turnout in Nagaland - 68 percent
• Voter turnout in Meghalaya - 55 percent
• Voter turnout in Assam - 59.5 percent
• Voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh - 50.86 percent
• Voter turnout in Mizoram - 55.20 percent
• Voter turnout in Tripura - 68.65 percent
• Voter turnout in West Bengal - 69.94 percent

Phase 1 Lok Sabha elections 2019: BSF personnel opened fire shots in the air after some people tried to cast vote without voter ID at a polling station in Shamli. The District Magistrate said, "BSF personnel fired in air for security reasons after some people without voter ID tried to cast vote. Voting has resumed now."

Congress president Rahul Gandhi's visit to Amethi on Thursday led to a controversy with the party claiming that there was a failed assassination attempt. A green laser was spotted on Rahul Gandhi's forehead when he was addressing the media persons in the Lok Sabha constituency. Congress leaders - Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala - have filed a complaint about the issue with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. READ FULL REPORT

World's shortest living woman, Jyoti Amge, casts her vote at a polling station in Nagpur. The 25-year-old, 62.8 cm tall, had entered the Guinness World Records for being the shortest woman in December 2011. She uploaded three photos with the caption "Vote" on her Facebook post. She was seen holding her voter identity card and showing her inked finger.

All eyes will be on the outcome of these interesting constituencies where some known faces are in frey:

In Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad had sent former army chief and Union minister VK Singh last time with a 5.5 lakh votes but this time, the former general is facing tough ground-level resentment or anti-incumbency.

In Bihar, the decisive fate of Dalit vote will be decided this time in Gaya where former chief minister Jairam Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha from the opposition alliance is contesting.

In Uttarakhand, all eyes are on the Pauri Lok Sabha seat this year where Manish Khanduri, son of former BJP chief minister BC Khanduri, is in frey from the Congress ticket giving his BJP rival Tirath Singh Rawat a nightmare.

In Maharashtra, RSS home Nagpur will see BJP heavyweight Nitin Gadkari pitted against BJP rebel leader and now a Congress nominee Nana Patole, known as "giant killer" here.

READ FULL REPORT HERE

Phase 1 Lok Sabha elections 2019: Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrashekar Rao and his wife cast their vote at a polling booth in Siddipet district. Here are the visuals:

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the murder of party leader, identified as Sidda Bhaskar Reddy, by YSRCP at Tadipatri in Anantapur district on Thursday, while polling is in progress. He also condemned the attack on TDP leader and speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao at Sateenapalli in Guntur district. Andhra Pradesh is voting for its 175-seat assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the first phase of the elections today.

A clash broke out between YSR Congress Party and Telugu Desam Party workers in Puthalapattu Constituency of Andhra Pradesh. Following the incident, police resorted to lathi-charge. Watch the video below.

Phase 1 Lok Sabha elections 2019: Telugu star couple Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya were spotted at a polling station in Nanakramguda, Gachibowli to cast their vote for the first phase of Elections 2019.

After Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi perform 'havan' ahead of filing nomination from Raebareli for the Lok Sabha 2019 elections. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present. Raebareli will head for voting in the fifth phase on May 6.

Ahead of India's General Elections, the Pakistan authorities allowed the journalists to access the madrassa (Islamic school) grounds where the Indian Air Force (IAF) had conducted the Balakot airstrikes on February 26, 2019. The permission to visit the school area in Balakot at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state was granted to the international media along with defence personnel of various countries right after 43 days of the IAF airstrike on a terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

A second IED blast by Naxals has been reported in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra during the ongoing polling for the first phase of 2019 Elections. No injuries have been reported. Earlier, an IED blast was reported from Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. However, no one was in injured.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP and party president KCR's daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha casts her vote accompanied by her husband at a polling station in Pothangal in Nizamabad parliamentary constituency today.

A 100-year-old man came to cast his vote for the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Nagaland's Mokokchung district.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner saying, "Voters who returned may not come back for voting even if polling is resumed after replacement/repair of existing EVMs. Therefore repolling needed in all polling stations where polling had not commenced up to 9.30 am."

Meanwhile, Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani is performing a pooja at the BJP office before going to file her nomination papers in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior BJP leaders are likely to accompany her.

The Election Commission of India presents a video which will make you understand exactly what happens inside a polling booth. Taking to Twitter, ECI said, "Three polling officials inside the polling station shall facilitate you to exercise your franchise." India votes for the first phase of the 2019 general elections.

Jana Sena party candidate Madhusudhan Gupta smashed an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at a polling booth in Guntakal assembly constituency of Anantapur district. Gupta has been arrested by police. Voting is underway for 25 Lok Sabha seats.

Voter turnout in Telangana - 10.6 percent
Voter turnout in Arunachal Pradesh - 13.3 percent
Voter turnout in Andaman and Nicobar Islands - 5.83 percent
Voter turnout in Assam - 10.2 percent
Voter turnout in Lakshwadweep - 9.83 percent
Voter turnout in Nagaland - 21 percent

AIMIM Chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi casts his vote at a polling booth in the city. Asaduddin Owaisi is a three-time MP from the constituency.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat after casting his vote for the Nagpur parliamentary constituency for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 said, "Voting is our duty, everyone should vote."

Google marked the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 11 with its own doodle. The doodle shows a finger marked with indelible ink which is applied on voters' fingers after they cast their vote. The ink prevents the person from voting twice. The 2019 general elections will be the largest the world has ever seen.

Polling has begun for 91 constituencies spread across 20 states and union territories for the 1st phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, J&K, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, UP, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep will vote in Phase 1.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged India to vote in large numbers. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "I call upon all those whose constituencies are voting in the first phase today to turn out in record numbers and exercise their franchise."

Reports of an IED blast coming from Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. No casualty has been reported at the time of filing the report. Naxalites in the area had earlier called for boycott of the elections.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu voted along with his family in Amravati for the first phase of national elections.

Voters queue outside polling a booth in Pulivendula, ahead of voting for the first phase of General Elections. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana will be voting today in a single phase. The first phase of Lok Sabha 2019 elections will cover all 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana.

Voters arrive at polling booths in Dibrugarh ahead of the voting for the first phase of the general elections 20p19. Voting on 5 parliamentary constituencies in the state will be held today.

Voters standing outside a polling booth in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district. Voting on two parliamentary constituencies in the state for the first phase of elections will be held today.

The Lok Sabha elections 2019 begins on April 11 and will continue for over a month till May 19. Voting will be held in 91 Lok Sabha constituencies in as many as 20 states and Union territories. The general elections will be held in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on May 23 and results will likely be announced on the same day i.e. on May 23. Read full report HERE