71.62 percent voter turnout in Tamil Nadu bypolls. Odisha recorded a voting percentage of 64 percent.
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Assembly Elections And Bypolls 2019 Phase 2 Live News Updates: 71.62 Percent Voting in Tamil Nadu, 64 Percent Recorded in Odisha
Polling for 35 Assembly seats in Odisha and by-elections to 18 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry is held today.
18 Apr, 17:00 (IST)
55.97 percent polling was recorded in the 18 Assembly seats till 3 pm where by-elections were being held, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said.
18 Apr, 16:57 (IST)
Over 50 percent polling was registered in the five Lok Sabha and 35 Assembly constituencies in Odisha till 3 pm, according to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar.
18 Apr, 12:48 (IST)
According to the Election Commission, 26.29 per cent voting was recorded for the Thattanchavady Assembly by-election till 12 noon.
18 Apr, 11:46 (IST)
30 percent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am in Tamil Nadu where polling is underway in 38 Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly constituencies.
18 Apr, 11:26 (IST)
Voting in some polling booths in Odisha got delayed following technical glitches in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Technical glitches were reported in the EVMs in several booths in Talsara Assembly constituency. Polling was also delayed in six booths in Bonai Assembly constituency.
18 Apr, 10:22 (IST)
Polling for the by-election to Thattanchavady Assembly seat in Puducherry was brisk. 5.12 percent voting was recorded in Thattanchavady Assembly constituency till 9 AM.
18 Apr, 10:15 (IST)
13.48 percent voting was recorded till 9 am in Tamil Nadu where polling is underway in 38 Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly constituencies.
18 Apr, 09:35 (IST)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy and DMK President MK Stalin have cast their votes. Polling is held in 38 Lok Sabha seats for by-elections to 18 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu.
18 Apr, 09:15 (IST)
Voting in some polling booths in Tamil Nadu was delayed owing to technical problems with the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).
18 Apr, 08:07 (IST)
Popular actor and Tamil Nadu-based Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan and his daughter Shruti exercised their democratic right in Tamil Nadu.
18 Apr, 07:52 (IST)
Karti Chidambaram, who is Congress candidate from Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat, along with his wife Srinidi Rangarajan cast their vote in the second phase of general elections. Apart from by-elections to 18 Assembly seats, polling is also held for 38 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
18 Apr, 07:45 (IST)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet, appealed citizens to exercise their franchise. The second phase polling for the Lok Sabha elections, Assembly elections in Odisha and by-polls in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry began at 7 am. "Dear Citizens of India, Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha polls start today. I am sure all those whose seats are polling today will strengthen our democracy by exercising their franchise. I hope more youngsters head to the polling booths and vote!" PM Modi tweeted.
18 Apr, 07:22 (IST)
Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth was among voters who turned up early in the morning to exercise their franchise in Tamil Nadu. Rajinikanth cast his vote in Chennai. Apart from 38 Lok Sabha seats, polling is also held for by-elections to 18 Assembly seats.
18 Apr, 07:18 (IST)
Stakes are high for Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's Biju Jandal Dal (BJD) which had won 117 out of total 147 seats in the 2014 Assembly polls. The BJD is facing a tough challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which left no stone unturned to make inroads in Odisha.
18 Apr, 07:11 (IST)
Polling has begun in Odisha's 35 Assembly constituencies and 18 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu where bypolls are being held. Voting has also begun in Thattanchavady Assembly seat of Puducherry.
New Delhi, April 18: Polling for 35 Assembly seats in Odisha and by-elections to 18 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry began at 7 am today in the second phase of elections. Stakes are high for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJP) in Odisha where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried hard to make inroads. In Tamil Nadu, the by-poll result would decide the fate of the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government, which is ruling with a wafer-thin majority in the House whose strength has been reduced from 234 to 213. Check Full Schedule of Lok Sabha Polls 2019.
A total of 76.93 lakh voters are eligible to cast their franchise in Odisha. 244 candidates are contesting for the 35 Assembly seats, of which 219 are male and 25 female. Naveen Patnaik is contesting from two Assembly seats -- Hinjili and Bijepur. Senior Congress leader and opposition leader Narasingha Mishra is fighting from Bolangir Assembly seat, while BJP legislature party leader K V Singhdeo is contesting from Patnagarh Assembly seat.
Re-polling will also be held in two polling stations located in Malkangiri and Berhampur Assembly constituencies today following reports of glitches in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the first phase of polling. 28 Assembly constituencies went to polls in the first phase.
In Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission is holding by-elections for 18-Assembly constituencies today while the remaining four seats will go to polls on May 19. A total of 269 candidates are in the fray for the by-elections. The 18 constituencies that are going to by-poll today had fallen vacant following the disqualification of dissident AIADMK MLAs. 17 of the 18 constituencies (except Thiruvarur) where by-election would is held were won by the AIADMK in May 2016.
In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the ruling AIADMK has 114 members (including the Speaker), the DMK 88, the Congress 8, and the IUML and Independents one each. To attain a simple majority, the AIADMK has to win just four seats in the by-elections. Factoring in the switching of camps by some of the lawmakers, the AIADMK has to win seven or eight seats in order to be safe.
On the other hand, the DMK has to win all the 22 seats to take the tally, along with its allies - the Congress and the IUML - to 119, just one number more than the simple majority.
In Puducherry, the Thattanchavady Assembly segment fell vacant following disqualification of sitting legislator Ashok Anand (AINRC) on November 8 after he was convicted by a CBI court in a disproportionate assets case. Eight candidates are in the fray. The results would be declared on May 23.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2019 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).