Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE: PM Modi Casts His Vote in Ahmedabad, Equates it With Holy Dip in Kumbh

The Election Commission has ordered removal of presiding officer in Ratua in Malda district of West Bengal after unknown persons were seen assisting voters at the polling booth.

Confident of his son Raghavendra's victory from the Shimoga Lok Sabha seat, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa has said that he will win by a margin of at least 1.5 lakh votes. "Even though Kumarswamy , Deve Gowda and Revanna came here themselves spent crores of rupees and also crores of rupees were seized, people will support Raghavendra,"  the BJP leader said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cast his vote in Ahmedabad. Earlier he met his mother at her residence and took her blessings. He was welcomed by BJP chief Amit Shah at the polling booth in Ranip. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the polling booth in Ahmedabad's Ranip to cast his vote. He was welcomed by BJP chief Amit Shah. 

#ElectionsWithNews18: @narendramodi arrives to cast his vote, and is welcomed by @BJP4India chief, @AmitShah.@payalmehta100 reports.

Follow #LokSabhaElections2019 live: https://t.co/ayZVJODrQj pic.twitter.com/TzGluck6iV

— News18.com (@news18dotcom) April 23, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on way to Ranip in Ahmedabad where he will be casting his vote. BJP chief Amit Shah will be welcoming him there. 

Voting Begins on Dull Note in Anantnag | Amid high security, voting has begun in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency of J&K, on a dull note. Residents in most parts of the district in restive south Kashmir have stayed indoors so far.  The voting will be conducted in three phases here. While polling is underway in Anantnag district, voting in Kulgam district will be held on April 29, while Pulwama and Shopian districts will go to polls on May 6.The Election Commission has curtailed the polling duration for Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency by two hours following a request from the state police to this effect. The voting will be held in south Kashmir areas from 7 am to 4 pm. 

Polling has been halted across 500 polling booths in Kerala due to EVM glitches. The glitches have been reported from Bareilly and Sambhal constituencies of Uttar Pradesh. 

The third phase of Lok Sabha elections will see all the seats in Gujarat, Kerala, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu go to polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking blessings from his mother in Ahmedabad. He will be casting his vote in a while. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Ahmedabad where he is meeting his mother. He is scheduled to meet BJP chief Amit Shah after which he will be casting his vote. 

BJP chief Amit Shah, fielded from Gandhinagar, meets voters while waiting for PM Modi. The PM has arrived in Ahmedabad, where he will be casting his vote after meeting his mother.  

#ElectionsWithNews18: @AmitShah meets voters while waiting for @narendramodi's arrival.@payalmehta100 reports.https://t.co/ayZVJODrQj pic.twitter.com/VMIo5tlWu2

— News18.com (@news18dotcom) April 23, 2019

The Sabarimala temple issue is a major poll plank of BJP as it sought to attack the LDF government.

PM Modi has arrived at his mother's home in Gujarat where he will casting his vote. Gujarat has been a BJP bastion since 1999 and had swept all 26 seats in the 2014 general elections. 

As the polling for third phase of Lok Sabha elections is underway, BSP supremo Mayawati has asked the people to cast their vote in record numbers to elect a government of their choice. "It is your constitutional right to vote," she said in a tweet this morning. 

आज 17वीं लोकसभा चुनने के लिए तीसरे चरण का मतदान जारी है। समस्त मतदाताओं से अपील है कि वे मतदान में बढ़-चढ़ कर हिस्सा लें। वोट आपका अमूल्य संवैधानिक अधिकार है जिसके बल पर आप अपनी पसन्द व अपने हितों की सरकार बनाकर अपनी जिन्दगी खुश व खुशहाल बना सकते हैं।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) April 23, 2019

Ahmedabad is geared up to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be casting his vote here today. 

#ElectionsWithNews18: Dhols play near the school to welcome @narendramodi when he comes to vote in Ranip constituency.@payalmehta100 reports from Ahmedabad.#ElectionsWithNews18 pic.twitter.com/TpRO5Mknuk

— News18.com (@news18dotcom) April 23, 2019

The malfunctioning of a Electronic Voting Machine from Assam's Guahati has been reported. The EVM glitches marred the polling at several polling booths in the first two phases. 

People queued up outside a polling booth in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit. BJP has fielded Varun Gandhi from this Lok Sabha seat. 

BJP chief Amit Shah urged the people to vote, saying that each vote would contribute to the nation's security, pride and respect. "In the last five years we have seen how a  strong government helps achieve the goal of development," Shah said in a tweet. He is among the top politcians in fray today. 

गत 5 वर्षों में हमने देखा कि देश में जब एक मजबूत और निर्णायक सरकार होती है तो किस तरह भारत का तिरंगा विकास के नये मापदंड स्थापित कर पूरे विश्व में लहराता है।

तीसरे चरण के मतदाताओं से अपील करता हूँ कि मतदान अवश्य करें। आपका एक वोट देश की सुरक्षा, गौरव और सम्मान का आधार है।

— Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 23, 2019

Polling will take place across Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura and Union Territories Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, with nearly 18.5 crore voters queuing up to cast their vote. 

Prime Minister urged the citizens to vote in record numbers in the third phase of elections. "Your vote is precious and will shape the direction our nation takes in the years to come. I’ll be voting in Ahmedabad in a short while from now." 

Urging all those voting in today’s Third Phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to do so in record numbers. Your vote is precious and will shape the direction our nation takes in the years to come.

I’ll be voting in Ahmedabad in a short while from now.

— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 23, 2019

Sabarimala Temple Row | The Sabarimala temple issue is a major poll plank of BJP as the party sought to attack the CPI-M led LDF government. The state witnessed massive protests after the LDF government decided to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all age groups to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine, setting aside the traditional ban.

Voting across Kerala will be held today in single phase after a high decibel 40-day-long campaign. It is a do-or-die battle for both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and opposition Congress-headed UDF in most of the 20 Lok Sabha seats this time in the state, known for its decades-long bipolar politics.

The polling for the third phase of the Lok Sabha election will be held across 116 constituencies today. The star candidates whose fortunes will be sealed today include Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Congress's sitting MP Shashi Tharoor.