Lok Sabha Election 2024 highlights: AAP's Somnath Bharti says will go bald if Modi becomes PM again

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Overall voter turnout during Phase 7 of polling in the general election across 57 constituencies has been recorded at 26.03 per cent as of 11 am.

The highest voter turnout so far has been recorded in Himachal Pradesh with 31.92 per cent, where four constituencies are under voting, while the lowest has been recorded in Odisha with 22.64 per cent, where 13 constituencies are under voting.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu exercises his vote at a polling station in Hamirpur during the seventh phase of the general election.

In four parliamentary constituencies, including Mandi, where actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut is running as a BJP candidate against Congress's Vikramaditya Singh.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Congress candidate for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, Vikramaditya Singh, expresses, “We have received a highly positive response from the residents of Mandi. This victory will belong to the 14 lakh people of Mandi, not just to Vikramaditya Singh. I urge everyone to turn out in large numbers and cast their votes.”

BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut is running against Vikramaditya Singh in the Mandi constituency.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal cast her vote on Saturday during the final phase of voting.

She states, “I urge all voters to exercise their right to vote. We must oppose the entities attempting to undermine democracy and strive for a robust democracy in India... Our agenda has consistently focused on communal harmony, peace, and progress.”

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal casts his vote at a polling booth in Badal village within the Firozpur Lok Sabha constituency.

After exercising his franchise Sukhbir Singh Badal says “Today, the competition is between national parties and the party representing the people of Punjab. Therefore, the party representing the people will emerge victorious. I urge the people to come out and vote.”

SAD has nominated Nardev Singh Bobby Mann for this seat. BJP has put forward Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Congress has fielded Sher Singh Ghubaya, and AAP has nominated Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Odisha's BJD candidate Rajashree Mallick from Jagatsinghpur seat cast her vote on Saturday during the final voting phase.

“I participated today in the festival of democracy. It makes me happy to see how peacefully everything’s being done here. I appeal to everyone to come and vote,” says Rajashree Mallick after casting her vote.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee criticises PM Modi's three-day meditation in Kanyakumari, stating, "While meditation is a personal right, it can be practised indoors. Transforming it into a media spectacle is unbecoming of a prime minister's stature."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who commenced his meditation inside the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari on May 30, continued for the second consecutive day on Friday. Engaged in a 45-hour meditation, he is set to conclude on June 1 afternoon. Modi's meditation attire includes saffron clothes, holy ash, and vermillion on his forehead, as seen in the initial images released on Friday.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: In Punjab, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh and his family members display the indelible ink marks on their fingers after casting their votes at a polling booth in Amritsar.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Overall voter turnout during Phase 7 of polling in the general election across 57 constituencies has been recorded at 11.31 percent as of 9 am.

The highest voter turnout so far has been recorded in Himachal Pradesh with 14.35 per cent, where four constituencies are under voting, while the lowest has been recorded in Odisha with 7.69 per cent, where 13 constituencies are under voting.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: UP Congress chief and candidate for the Varanasi seat, Ajay Rai, showed his inked finger after casting his vote for the seventh phase of the general election.

In the face-off, he contends against Prime Minister and BJP candidate Narendra Modi, as well as BSP's Ather Jamal Lari.

Rai says "The public decides everything. The Prime Minister had lost earlier too, and 'Banaras ka laal' had defeated him. With the blessings of Baba Vishwanath and the people of Kashi, I will win. The love of Kashi is with me..."

He added, “It will be all about Vocal for Local. People will prioritise the local. Someone who doesn't know his lanes, his soil, a show-off son of Maa Ganga who is meditating by the seashore -- if you have to do it, do it on the banks of River Ganga...”

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: In Himachal Pradesh, BJP candidate for the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, Kangana Ranaut, exercises her franchise at a polling station in Mandi during the seventh and final phase of the general election.

“I have cast my vote right now. I want to appeal to the people to take part in the festival of democracy and exercise their right to vote. PM Modi's wave is there in Himachal Pradesh...I hope the people of Mandi will bless me and we will get all four state seats... Himachal Pradesh's 4 seats will contribute to ‘400 paar’,” she said.

Regarding the competition, Congress has nominated Vikramaditya Singh for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 7 Live: As voting is underway for the final phase of the general election, Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal says, “In this great festival of democracy, the country will vote in the last phase today. All of you are requested to exercise your right to vote in large numbers to protect democracy and the Constitution. Go to vote yourself and take your neighbours along with you. Dictatorship will lose, democracy will win.”

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Renowned Hindustani classical singer and Padma awardee Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, during the final phase of polling for the general elections on Saturday, urged the public to cast their vote ‘for the country’.

“I urge everyone to cast their vote...This is for the entire country...There is a difference between the Kashi which was there before and the Kashi which is there now. This has transformed, it is all due to PM Modi...More should be done for music. Music is the heritage of our country, the identity of Banaras,” he said.

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his wife, Gurpreet Kaur, cast their votes at a polling booth in the Sangrur constituency.

The seat is witnessing a competition between Congress' Sukhpal Singh Khaira, BJP's Arvind Khanna, AAP's Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, SAD's Iqbal Singh Jhundan, and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)'s Simranjit Singh Mann.

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Bharatiya Janata Party leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty cast his vote in the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.

He exercised his franchise at a polling booth in West Bengal's Belgachia.

Speaking to ANI, he said, “I am a BJP cadre, and I have fulfilled my duty. From tomorrow, I will resume discussions about films as I have to support my family as well.”

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: As the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency undergoes voting during the final phase, actor and BJP candidate Ravi Kishan appealed to voters to exercise their vote.

“Humble greetings, namaste, and pranaam to all the voters of Gorakhpur. Friends, you all will be aware that today voting is being held in Gorakhpur under the seventh phase of Lok Sabha general elections. On this occasion, I humbly request all of you, the God-like voters who are the destiny makers of Gorakhpur, to exercise your right to vote in this great festival of democracy by discharging your duty as aware voters. Each and every vote of yours is important and will decide the future of your Lok Sabha and the country. Therefore, I once again appeal to all of you to participate enthusiastically in this festival of democracy,” he wrote on X.

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya casts his vote for the final phase of the general election at a polling station in Ramnagar, Varanasi.

He said, “I am pleased to participate in this festival of democracy. I believe that voting is not only a right enshrined in the constitution but also a responsibility, and everyone should fulfil their duty and exercise this right...”

In this constituency, where PM Modi is the incumbent MP and BJP candidate, the Congress has nominated its state president, Ajay Rai.

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, and their daughter Rohini Acharya cast their votes at a polling booth set up at Veterinary College in Bihar capital Patna.

“I have dedicated my vote to the sisters of Manipur,” states RJD leader Rohini Acharya after casting her vote.

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: In Punjab, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, a Congress candidate from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, cast his vote for the general election during the final phase.

Randhawa says, “I trust voters. They don't see parties but who will work for them, who will fight their battle and who will raise the voice of Punjab in the parliament.”

The Gurdaspur constituency is witnessing a triangular contest between Congress' Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, BJP's Dinesh Singh, and AAP's Amansher Singh.

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Chandigarh BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon and his family cast their votes at a polling booth in Sector 18, Chandigarh, on Saturday during the final voting phase of the general elections.

BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon stated, "We tried to reach every area of the city, and we organised our programmes in many areas, but still, I feel that there must be many people I could not reach. I appeal to everyone to vote for the betterment of Chandigarh, vote for the democracy of the country, vote to take the country forward, vote to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again. And I assure you that the work that has not been done in the last 50 years, I will get it done in 5 years..."

Congress has nominated Manish Tewari as their candidate from Chandigarh.

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Former Indian cricketer and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh voted at a polling booth in Pubjab's Jalandhar.

“Today is a very important day for all of us, and I would appeal to everyone to come out and vote foand elect a government that can work for you,” he said.

Voting in all the 13 parliamentary constituencies of Punjab is underway today, during the final phase of the general elections.