Filed on April 12, 2019 | Last updated on April 12, 2019 at 06.38 am

Almost 900 million of India's 1.3 billion people are eligible to vote.

At least people were killed on the first day of polling in India's general elections, which are seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party.

A ruling Telugu Desam party worker and another belonging to the main opposition YSR Congress were killed in a poll-related group clash in Anantapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh, police said.



The clash occurred at Veerapuram village under Tadipatri Assembly constituency in the afternoon. The deceased have been identified as Pulla Reddy of YSR Congress party and Sidda Bhaskar Reddy of the TDP, according to police sources.

Violent clashes were also reported elsewhere in the state, where voters are casting ballots for 25 members of India's lower house of Parliament, the Lok Sabha, and 175 state assembly seats.

Outside of Andhra Pradesh, voting was taking place in 17 other Indian states and two Union Territories Thursday in the first of a seven-phase election staged over six weeks.

With 900 million of India's 1.3 people registered to vote, it is the world's largest democratic exercise. Over the course of the election, 543 Lok Sahba seats will be decided from about a million polling stations across India.

With Modi as their frontman, the BJP won a clear majority in 2014 elections. Under the leadership of political dynasty scion Rahul Gandhi, India's National Congress party, which ruled the country for about half a century since the 1947 independence, has struggled to coalesce India's many opposition parties into a coherent effort that could go head-to-head with the BJP.

Surveys show the ruling party projected to come out first again in this year's polls, though with a smaller mandate.

5:20pm

Sumitra Rai, a 107-year-old woman, on Thursday became Sikkim's oldest registered voter to exercise franchise in the Lok Sabha elections.

She came on a wheelchair to the Kamrang Government Secondary School polling booth in the Poklok Kamrang constituency to cast her vote. Her photographs were shared by the official Twitter account of the Sikkim office of Press Information Bureau (PIB), the publicity arm of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

3:40pm

Three injured in Arunachal Pradesh poll clashes: Three persons were injured when supporters of two rival political parties clashed in the Tali Assembly constituency of Arunachal Pradesh during polling on Thursday, an election official said.

The clash broke out outside a polling booth at Pipsorang, District Electoral Officer Santosh Kumar Rai said. Further details were awaited as telecommunication connectivity in the area was bad, the official said. Police officials said the injured were taken to hospital by a helicopter.

Arunachal Pradesh is undergoing simultaneous polls. For the two Lok Sabha seats 12 candidates are in the fray, and for the 57 Assembly seats 181 are in the race. Voter turnout in the state was 50.87 per cent till 3 pm.

3:18pm

Voter turnouts so far in the constituencies that went to polls on Thursday

Voter turnout till 3 pm in Andhra Pradesh was 55%, in Arunachal Pradesh was 50.87% and in Sikkim was 55%. #IndiaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/dkAYW8sS2N - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

Voter turnout till 3 pm in Maharashtra is 46.13%. #IndiaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/MelIt4PLZd - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

Voter turnout till 3 pm in Jammu and Kashmir is 46.17%. #IndiaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/v7a8giZkyE - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

2:00pm

Over 14 crore voters in first phase of LS polls: Over 14.21 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,279 candidates in 91 constituencies across India in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday.??The first phase is the third biggest in terms of a number of Lok Sabha seats among the seven phases in which the election will be conducted. More than 1.70 lakh polling booths set up across 20 states and Union Territories. ??According to official data, a total of 14,21,69,537 voters are eligible voters can cast their ballot. There are 7,22,17,733 male voters and 6,98,55931 female voters. There are an additional 7,764 third gender voters.

1:25pm

Andhra Pradesh CM demands repoll in 150 booths: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu demanded repoll in around 150 polling stations due to the non-functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Naidu identified more than 150 polling booths in Andhra Pradesh and said, "I demand conduct of repoll in all the above polling stations and such other polling stations where the polling has not commenced even at 9.30 a.m. due to the failure of EVMs."

Guntur: TDP leader Kodela Siva Prasada Rao attacked at a polling booth in Sattenapalli. More details awaited. #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/AOboPpQ3e4 - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

Earlier in the day, Naidu had expressed his unhappiness over EVMs not functioning in several polling booths, including the one where state Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi went to cast his vote. Polling was delayed at several places, Naidu told the media.

12:45pm

Two dead in Andhra Pradesh: According to media reports, two party members were killed and more than 10 others, including Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao, were injured as clashes between TDP and YSRCP at various places marked the polling on Thursday.

12:30pm

41% voter turnout recorded in six hours in Odisha: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar informed that as per the information received from booth level, approximately 41 per cent voting has been recorded by 1pm.

"Out of 28 Assembly constituencies, polling will be conducted till 4pm in 20 constituencies since these fall under Maoist affected areas. In the remaining eight constituencies, the polling will be held till 6pm.

However, 666 voters of Bhejipadar village in Bhawanipatna Assembly constituency boycotted the election protesting against the local administration for failing to provide quality roads to their village.

12:15pm

Despite his physical disability, Rakkappa turned up to vote for Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu today.

#Indianelections2019 Despite his physical disability, Rakkappa turned up to vote for Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu today. His grandson drove him on a bike to the polling booth. (Anu Cinubal/Khaleej Times). #VoteForIndia



LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/XcBI9BEJEe pic.twitter.com/juz92bSMG9 - Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 11, 2019

12:00pm

11:57am

25% polling recorded in Assam: Twenty-five per cent votes were cast in the first three hours of polling in Assam's five Lok Sabha constituencies, election officials said.

The average polling percentage stood at 25 per cent at 11am. Tezpur constituency recorded the highest at 28 per cent while Kaliabar came in second with 26 per cent followed by Jorhat (25 per cent), Dibrugarh (24 per cent) Lakhimpur (22 per cent).

A total of 41 candidates are in the fray in the five of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam in this first phase of parliamentary elections.

11:54am

Blast outside polling booth in Maharashtra: A blast took place outside a polling station in Maoist-infested Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Thursday afternoon, official sources said. No casualty was reported.

The explosion occurred outside the Vaghzari polling booth in the Etapalli sub-division where a few people were queued for exercising their franchise for the Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha seat. The blast was described as "minor" and despite the initial panic, voting continued peacefully.

11:46am

#Indianelections2019 Voters have been queuing up since 6.30 am to cast their vote in #AndraPradesh. Voting at this booth has been paused due to issues with the electronic voting machine (EVM). #VoteForIndia



LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/XcBI9BEJEe



(Anu Cinubal/Khaleej Times). pic.twitter.com/BraM1gmKjH - Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 11, 2019

11:30am

Clashes erupts in Andhra Pradesh

#WATCH: Clash broke out between YSRCP and TDP workers in Puthalapattu Constituency in Bandarlapalli, Andhra Pradesh. Police resorted to lathi-charge pic.twitter.com/q7vxRIR0R8 - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

11:01am

Over 22 per cent polling in Telangana: Over 22 per cent polling was recorded in all 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana in the first four hours till 11am, officials said. According to Chief Electoral Officer Rajath Kumar, 22.84 per cent voters had cast their votes since 7am.

Telangana: Khammam Congress candidate Renuka Choudhary casts her vote. Says 'I am hopeful that we will be able to win this race, I am very optimistic' #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/nVjAxbpr78 - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

The highest polling percentage of over 36 per cent was registered in Medak constituency while polling was dull at 12.20 per cent in Hyderabad.

Nearly 2.97 crore voters are eligible to decide the fortunes of 443 candidates including 25 women in the single-phase polling. The polling process will continue till 5 pm except in Nizamabad where it started an hour late and will end at 6pm due to presence of 185 candidates.

10:50am

Blast near polling booth in Maharashtra, no injuries reported.

Maharashtra: IED blast by naxals near a polling booth in Etapalli in Gadchiroli district, no injuries reported - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

10:40am

Latest updates from Odisha: Nearly 22 per cent of the 60.03 lakh voters cast their ballots in the first four hours of polling on Thursday for the four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly seats in Odisha in the first phase, an election officer said.

#LokSabhaElections2019: Voting underway at a polling station in Berhampur in Odisha pic.twitter.com/Vc6WExDuf6 - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

In the first phase, a total of 60,03,707 voters comprising 29,72,925 male voters, 30,30,222 female voters and 560 transgenders are eligible to cast their votes in 7,233 booths.?

10:38am

EVM glitches mar voting in Maharashtra: Glitches in VVPAT-EVMs marred voting in some polling stations, resulting in long queues of voters in the blistering heat.

The problems, were found in Booth No. 127 (Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency), booth No. 147 (Yavatmal-Washim), with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) functioning extremely slowly and delaying the voting process.

Maharashtra: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari cast his vote at polling booth number 220 in Nagpur parliamentary constituency #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/hSrlIySwUV - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

??"There are massive queues outside these polling stations. Since past one hour, barely four people have cast their votes. We have complained to the local Election Commission officials to make alternative EVMs available immediately," said a state Congress spokesperson.

??There are reports of similar EVM issues from a polling station in Bhandara-Gondiya, details of which are awaited, he added.

10:18am

Uttar Pradesh records 21% voter turnout in four hours: Polling is taking place in Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, Meerut, Noida, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur and Bijnore.

Technical problems in Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) at a booth in Shamli district's Hasanpur Luhari village delayed the start of voting. However, technical problems in at least 13 EVMs were reported in Meerut district.

10:18am

Latest updates from Andhra Pradesh: Voters can be seen casting vote at Kuppam Boys High school in Andhra Pradesh. Photos and video: Anu Cinubal/Khaleej Times

#Indianelections2019: Indians can be seen casting their vote amid tight security at Kuppam Boys High school in #AndhraPradesh on the first day of elections.



LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/XcBI9BEJEe



(Anu Cinubal/Khaleej Times) pic.twitter.com/eIN5BFMIBW - Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 11, 2019

#Indianelections2019: Voting began on Thursday across 91 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 20 states and Union Territories. Voters can be seen casting vote at Kuppam Boys High school in #AndhraPradesh.



LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/XcBI9BEJEe



(Anu Cinubal/Khaleej Times) pic.twitter.com/pZgUxqgI1t - Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 11, 2019

10:13am

World's smallest woman votes in Nagpur: ?Sporting a red-and-checks sleeveless dress, the 25-year-old woman at 2 feet, 1 inch, patiently stood in the queue and exercised her franchise.

??"I request all people to vote.Please vote first and then go to complete all your other works," Amge told the media as she displayed her marked finger.?

9:44am

Vote for soul of India, Rahul tells voters: Congress President Rahul Gandhi urged voters to vote for the soul of India and its future while slamming the Modi government for lying to the people in the past five years.

No 2 Crore JOBS.

No 15 Lakhs in Bank A/C.

No ACCHE DIN.



Instead:



No JOBS.

DEMONETISATION.

Farmers in Pain.

GABBAR SINGH TAX.

Suit Boot Sarkar.

RAFALE.

Lies. Lies. Lies.

Distrust. Violence. HATE. Fear.



You vote today for the soul of India. For her future.



Vote wisely. pic.twitter.com/wKNTBuGA7J - Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 11, 2019

He also denounced the Modi government over demonetization and Goods and Services Tax and also accused it of spreading distrust and hate.

9:30am

As the India elections begin today, Khaleej Times reports from Kuppam assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh, where Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is facing polls for the 7th time.

9:20am

Modi urges people to vote in record numbers: Indian PM Narendra Modi urged voters to turn out in record numbers as polling for the 91 seats in first phase of parliamentary elections began across 18 states and two union territories.

2019 Lok Sabha elections commence today.



I call upon all those whose constituencies are voting in the first phase today to turn out in record numbers and exercise their franchise.



I specially urge young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. - Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 11, 2019

8:40am

Over 140 million voters in first phase: Over 14.21 crore voters (140 million) will decide the fate of 1,279 candidates in 91 constituencies across India in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday.

Voter turnout recorded till 9 am in Telangana is 10.6%, 5.83% in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 10.2% in Assam and 13.3% in Arunachal Pradesh pic.twitter.com/NmNrFZ0ti7 - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

The first phase is third biggest in terms of number of Lok Sabha seats among the seven phases in which the election will be conducted.

Voter turnout till 9 am in Saharanpur- 8%, Kairana-10%, Muzaffarnagar-10%, Meerut- 10%, Bijnor - 11%, Baghpat - 11%, Ghaziabad - 12% and Gautam Budh Nagar-12% pic.twitter.com/2kIQkCzz5z - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2019

More than 1.70 lakh polling booths set up across 20 states and Union Territories.

According to official data, a total of 14,21,69,537 voters are eligible voters can cast their ballot. There are 7,22,17,733 male voters and 6,98,55931 female voters. There are an additional 7,764 third gender voters.

8:23am

Updates from Maharashtra: Of the total 1.30 crore electorate, the early voters included RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at a school in Nagpur.

Maharashtra: Voting underway at a polling booth in Allapalli village, in Gadchiroli #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/6kImZ8kwPl - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

Urging people to vote for national security and the country's unity, Bhagwat said: "Voting is our duty." Eminent social worker Vikas Amte and his family voted in Anandvan (Wardha) while former union Minister Praful Patel and his family voted in Bhandara-Gondiya.

To beat the heat, many voters had queued up early at polling stations in Nagpur, Chandrapur, Ramtek, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Gadchiroli-Chimur and Bhandara-Gondiya to vote at most of the 14,731 polling stations.

Maharashtra: A 92 year old voter DN Sanghani accompanied by his son and daughter in law after casting their votes at a polling booth in Gondia #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/niom1ttOOn - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

At polling stations in Aheri in the Maoist-infested Gadchiroli-Chimur, long queues of voters including many women and youth were seen even before the polling started.

8:20am

Vote to decide future of India, says Amit Shah: BJP President Amit Shah urged people to vote as the staggered Lok Sabha elections began, saying "your one vote will decide the future of this great nation".

"I request each and every voter to come out and vote," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. "The power of democracy lies in your single vote, your one vote will decide the future of this great nation."

7:45am

Union Minister Gen V.K. Singh casts his vote: Union Minster and the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Gen V.K. Singh from Ghaziabad cast his vote soon after polling began in Uttar Pradesh.

The Minister of State for External Affairs in the NDA government went to the polling station at Schiller Public School in Raj Nagar accompanied by party workers to exercise his franchise.

7:20am

Andhra CM, family members cast votes in Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu along with his family members cast his vote in the state capital region Amaravati.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his family after casting their vote for #LokSabhaElections2019 in Amravati. pic.twitter.com/QzlYYfNzjd - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

Naidu, his wife N. Bhuvaneswari, son N. Lokesh and daughter-in-law N. Brahmani exercised their franchise at a polling booth in Undavalli in Mangalagiri Assembly constituency in Guntur district.

"It is the duty of every citizen to participate in the democratic process by casting his vote," said Naidu.

7:10am

Maharashtra election voting latest updates: Voting started at 7 am for the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra amidst tight security, officials said.

Among the early bird voters were RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and General Secretary Suresh Bhaiayyaji Joshi at a school in Nagpur. To beat the heat, many voters had queued up early at polling stations in Nagpur, Chandrapur, Ramtek, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Bhandara-Gondiya seats to vote.

7:05am

Jana Sena candidate arrested: A Jana Sena Party candidate Madhusudan Gupta threw the EVM on the floor at a polling station in the Guntakal Assembly constituency of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, the police said. Gupta was angry with the polling staff over names of Assembly and Parliament constituencies not being displayed properly.

7:00am

10% polling in one hour in Uttarakhand: Nearly 10 per cent of 78.56 lakh voters cast their votes in the first hour as voting began on Thursday for five seats from Uttarakhand in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, a poll officer said.

6:50am

Voting begins in Jammu and Kashmir: Voters were seen lined up outside polling stations in Jammu's rural areas of R.S.Pura, Suchetgarh, Samba and Nowshera. In urban areas like Gandhinagar, Chinni, Satwari, voters came out in ones and twos in the morning as authorities said the turnout was likely to pick up as the day progresses.

Jammu & Kashmir: Voters queue up to cast their vote for the #LokSabhaElections2019 at polling booths 15 and 16 in Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. Voting on 2 parliamentary constituencies in the state is being held today. pic.twitter.com/GbFwRO6mrQ - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

6:30am

Uttarakhand: Voting underway at a booth in Haldwani

Uttarakhand: Voting underway at booth number 4 in Haldwani for the #LokSabhaElections2019 Voting on 2 parliamentary constituencies in the state is being held today. pic.twitter.com/7Deyq4I3zy - ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019

6:25am

Polling begins in Uttarakhand: A total of 78.56 lakh voters are expected to cast their franchise in the hill state where 52 candidates are trying their luck at the hustings.

6:20am

Polling underway in Andhra, Telangana: The polling process started amid tight security at 7 a.m. in all constituencies except Telangana's Nizamabad, where it will start at 8 a.m. due to the presence of record number of contestants.