The fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections are underway on Saturday covering seven 
constituencies in four states where over half-a-crore voters will decide the fate of 74 candidates.
53.31 pc voting in Assam till 2.15 pm
A voter turnout of 53.31 percent was recorded till 2.15 pm for three Lok Sabha seats in Assam.
Karimganj (SC) recorded the highest of 40 percent polling, Silchar 35 percent and Autonomous District (ST) comprising Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts 36 percent, election office sources said.
Voting commenced at 7 AM and Karimganj( SC) recorded 25 percent polling, Silchar 20 percent and Autonomous District (ST) comprising Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao district 20 percent voting, said election office sources.
There were reports of EVM initially malfunctioning in Autonomous District(ST) and Karimganj constituencies. They were replaced and voting continued uninterrupted, the sources said.
Long queues of voters, including women and youth, were seen in front of the 3,698 polling booths of the three constituencies an hour before voting began amidst tight security.
The three seats are — Autonomous District (ST), comprising Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts, Karimganj (SC) and Silchar.
Elaborate security arrangement has been especially in the Karbi Anglong district under Autonomous District (ST) which till Friday witnessed a bandh called by the Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers.
As many as 17 companies of security forces have been deployed in the district. Helicopters have been pressed into service to keep a watch on the voting process.
An electorate of 29,26,762, including 15,26,082 males, 14,00,594 and 86 others, will exercise their franchise in 3,698 polling booths in the three constituencies.
Of the 37 candidates in the fray in the three seats, three each belong to the Congress and BJP, two each to AGP, AIUDF, AAP, SUCI (Communist) and Samajwadi Party, one each to CPI(M), CPI-ML(L), Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. The remaining 19 are independents.
In Karimganj (SC), out of 1504 polling stations, 197 have been identified as highly sensitive and 567 as sensitive while the rest are comparatively safe.
In Silchar constituency, out of the 1188 polling stations, 209 are highly sensitive and 611 are comparatively safe while the rest are comparatively safe.
Voting crosses 53.64 pc mark by noon in Goa
Around 53.64 percent voters cast their ballot in Goa till 2.15 pm on Saturday, though the crowd at the polling booths started thinning out due to excessive heat, officials said.
The voters responded with enthusiasm till 10 am, but the number started dwindling after that.
According to the Election Commission officials, the voting percentage in North Goa was 36.42 percent till 11 am, while in South Goa it was 34.11 percent.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrrikar was amongst the early voters when he exercised his franchise at a polling booth in Panaji.
In all, 10,60,777 voters will exercise their franchisee in North and South Goa constituencies. Women voters outnumber men in the state with 5,32,469 female and 5,28,308 male voters.
The Election Commission has identified 14 vulnerable and 30 critical polling stations in the state which have been given adequate security cover to avoid any untoward incident. Polling will conclude at 6 pm.
In North Goa, BJP’s Shripad Naik is pitted against Congress’ Ravi Naik, AAP’s Dattaram Desai and CPI’s Suhas Naik.
Congress’ Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco is fighting against BJP’s Narendra Sawaikar, AAP’s Swati Kerkar and CPI’s Raju Mangueshkar in South Goa constituency.
51.95 percent turnout in Sikkim till 2.15 pm
Nearly 51.95 percent turnout was recorded in the lone Lok Sabha and 32 Assembly seats in the Himalayan state of Sikkim till 2.15 pm on Saturday.
A force of 3,500 policemen and 15 companies of the West Bengal police have been assigned to maintain security during polling in this peaceful Himalayan state.
Election will be held in the lone Lok Sabha and 32 Assembly constituencies. In all 538 polling stations have been set up.
Tek Nath Dhakal of the newly-launched Sikkim Krantikari Morcha is pitted against sitting SDF MP Prem Das Rai in what is billed as a very tough fight.
Apart from the two home-grown parties, the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have also put up candidates.
There were 121 contestants for the 32 Assembly seats and six for the Lok Sabha seat. SKM leader Prem Singh Tamang, known as P S Golay, is a major contender for the chief minister.
Chamling would be contesting from two places – Namchi-Singhithang and Rangang-Yangang.
Other prominent candidates included SKM’s Bharati Sharma from Soreng-Chakung seat.
Out of the 32 Assembly seats, two are reserved for SC while 12 are meant for the Bhutia and Lepcha communities.
The Congress is contesting all the seats, while the BJP has put up candidates in 13 seats and Trinamool 7. Besides, there were five independents contesting the Assembly polls.
Brisk polling in Tripura, 56.35 percent votes cast till 2.15 pm
Brisk polling is on at Tripura East (ST) Lok Sabha constituency where over 56.35 percent voters exercised their franchise till 2.15 pm on Saturday, election department sources said.
Voters were seen standing in long queues in urban and rural polling stations of the constituency much before the voting started at 7 AM.
Voting began an hour and half late at a polling booth at Ambassa, the headquarter of Dhalai district as the EVMs there did not function properly and had to be changed, the sources said.
Tribals, who form the majority of the electorate in the constituency, were seen waiting to cast their votes donning colourful traditional dresses.
Women tribal voters outnumbered menfolk in the polling booths in rural and hilly areas of the state, which is witnessing the second phase of polling.
Additional 35 companies of security forces have been dispatched by the EC for deployment, along with the state police. The BSF has deployed additional forces along the 856- km-long Indo-Bangla international border.
There are 12 candidates in the fray including CPI(M)’s Jitendra Chowdhury, who is the state industries minister, Congress’ Sachitra Debbarma, a prominent educationist, BJP’s Parkshit Debbarma, an ex-armyman, and Trinamool Congress leader Bhriguram Reang.
The CPI(M) has won the seat 11 out of 15 times between 1952 and 2009 and did it consecutively since 1996.
An electorate of 11,38,765, including 580497 men, are eligible exercise their franchise in 1,490 polling stations, of which 18 have been identified as very vulnerable and more than 400 as vulnerable.
The Election Commission has set up nine all-women polling stations.
