Phase three of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections began at 7 am today, and 117 parliamentary constituencies are voting across 13 states and 2 union territories. Coinciding with today's Lok Sabha elections are assembly elections in Odisha. Six Lok Sabha and 42 assembly seats in Odisha are going to polls. The counting of votes for the assembly elections in Odisha will be held simultaneously with that of the Lok Sabha or parliamentary elections on May 23, and the results will be declared the same day. Along with voting in all the 26 parliamentary constituencies in Gujarat, by-elections are also being held on four assembly seats -- Dhrangadhra, Manavadar, Unjha and Jamnagar (Rural) -- which fell vacant following the resignation of sitting Congress lawmakers who later joined the ruling BJP.
Polling for two Lok Sabha seats and bypoll for three state Assembly seats in Goa is also being held in a single phase today.
Here are the Highlights for Assembly Elections:
Key political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, party veteran L K Advani, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Congress leader Ahmed Patel and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani exercised their franchise at different places in the state.
The VVPAT of Polling Station No. 196 of 87-Badamba Assembly Constituency was changed after commencement of actual poll, due to some error. 134 votes had been polled in the machine by then. Concerned Sector Officer reached booth with replacement VVPAT