LS Polls: BJP candidate Rathin Chakraborty casts his vote in Howrah

Howrah (West Bengal) [India], May 20 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Howrah Rathin Chakraborty cast his vote at a polling station in his constituency on Monday.

Chakraborty got into a minor altercation with polling officials over an alleged delay in paperwork.

“The paperwork should have been done by 7 am. This is not the right time. It is 7:15,” he was heard speaking to poll officials.

The Trinamool has fielded its sitting MP Prasun Banerjee from Howrah.

Voting for the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Monday morning across 49 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs) amid tight security and arrangements.

The voting started at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with those in line by the closing time still allowed to vote.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), polling for 35 assembly constituencies of the Odisha legislative assembly is taking place simultaneously on Monday.

As per the ECI, over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, will decide the fate of 695 candidates in the fifth phase of voting.

The fifth phase is witnessing key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya are looking for electoral success.

Eight states/UTs polling in phase 5 are: Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.