Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: Mayawati\, Rajnath Singh\, Rajyavardhan Rathore\, Yashwant Sinha cast votes

Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: Mayawati, Rajnath Singh, Rajyavardhan Rathore, Yashwant Sinha cast votes

Lok Sabha Elections Phase 5: The states that are going to the polls today are Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 5: Voting in 7 states

Phase 5 of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 is underway today. Seven states are conducting polls across 51 constituencies. The states that are going to the polls today are: Uttar Pradesh (14 constituencies), Rajasthan (12), Madhya Pradesh (7), West Bengal (7), Bihar (5), Jharkhand (4) and Jammu and Kashmir (2). There are two more phases left before the general elections are concluded on May 19. The results will be announced on May 23.

About 8.75 crore people will decide the fate of 674 candidates in the fifth phase of the general elections. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up 94,000 polling stations and has made elaborate security arrangements. After this round of polling, elections will be over in 424 seats, leaving 118 more seats for the last two phases.

Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Rajyavardhan Rathore are some of the key candidates in Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

Follow the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 updates on the BusinessToday.In live blog:

8:35am: ECI urges people to vote in the Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

8:30am: Visuals from a polling booth in Khrew area of Pulwama.

8:29am: Visuals from polling stations.

8:20am: BSP chief Mayawati casts her vote in Lucknow.

8:10am: Largest human logo of ECI made at Lohagarh Stadium.

7:59am: Visuals from Pulwama.

7:55am: Here's how to find your registered polling booth:

  • Electors can call the helpline number '1950' after adding their respective STD codes to check their polling station.
  • Voters can visit National Voters' Service Portal's website and enter details like name, DOB, Father's/Husband's name, local consistency to find their polling booth.
  • Election Commission of India has also set up a voter helpline app for helping registered voters to check their polling station.
  • Voters can also send an SMS to 1950 in the format- ECIPS *space* EPIC No- for polling booth's location.

7:43am: Home Minister Rajnath Singh casts his vote in Lucknow.

7:45am: Voting yet to begin in booth numbers 289/ 291/292 in West Bengal's Howrah, after reported glitches in EVMs and VVPATs.

7:35am: First time voters can keep the following steps in mind when voting:

  • First polling official will check your name on the voter list and photo ID proof.
  • Second polling official will mark your finger with ink, give you a slip and take your signature on a register (Form 17A).
  • Deposit the slip with the third polling official and show your inked finger and head towards the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
  • Cast your vote by pressing the ballot button opposite the symbol of the candidate of your choice on the EVM; You will hear a beep sound after pressing the button.
  • Check the slip that appears in the transparent window of the VVPAT machine. The slip with the Candidate's name, serial number, and symbol shall be visible for almost 7 seconds before it falls in the sealed VVPAT box.
  • However, if you don't want to give your vote to any Candidate, you can press None of the Above (NOTA) button, which is always the last button on the EVM.

7:32am: Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore arrive at a polling station in Jaipur.

7:31am: Visuals from Jaipur.

7:30am: Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha and wife Nilima Sinha arrive at a polling booth in Hazaribagh.

7:28am: Visuals from Barrackpore.

7:27am: Visuals from Ayodhya.

7:25am: Visuals from Lucknow.

7:20am: Visuals from a model polling booth in Saran.

7:16am: Amethi is one of the constituencies that is going to the polls today. Congress President Rahul Gandhi and BJP's Smriti Irani will fight for the Congress' pocket borough seat.

7:15am: Residents of Garauli village held protests yesterday saying they would boycott the elections due to inaction on issue of water scarcity in the area.