Election Results 2019: Don't be disappointed with fake exit poll propaganda, Rahul to party workers

We r forgetting d fact tht elections are conducted by bureaucratic machinery. It's a disservice to officers to say EVMs in their custody gets hacked. Timeframe-prior,during,after polls till results,EVMs remain in officers custody. Can all officers all over country get compromised

D Roopa IPS (@D_Roopa_IPS) May 22, 2019

1:17pm: "Their failure and embarrassment on providing evidence against EVMs during the discussion was like 'Khoda Pahad Nikli Chuhiya' (much ado over nothing)," said BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. He added that since Opposition was unable to digest 'defeat of the dynasty', they want to discredit democracy.

1:14pm: All counting agents, polling agents and candidates to be frisked before entering the area.

Bhopal Collector S Khade: Three-tier security present at EVM Strong Room. All counting agents,polling agents & candidates to be frisked before entering the area. Movement of EVMs & counting to be done under police presence & CCTV surveillance. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/hDMmDjoR7L

ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2019

1:11pm: Supreme Court gives BJP candidate from Barrackpore, West Bengal, Arjun Singh, protection from arrest for five days. A Bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice MR Shah grants protection to Singh from arrest in cases registered against him by the West Bengal police.

1:00pm: Here's how counting of votes takes place:

• The counting will begin on May 23 at 8 am.
• The Returning Officer and the Assistant Returning Officer will take the oath to maintain the secrecy of voting and read it out aloud before the commencement of counting.
• EVMs will be inspected in the presence of Returning Officers before counting.
• Contesting candidates along with their counting agents or election agents are allowed to be present at the counting centres.
• Counting agents oversee the counting of votes.
• Once postal ballot papers are counted, the EVM counting will begin, under the supervision of the Returning Officer.
• In case of destruction or loss of ballot papers at the time of counting, the Returning Officer will immediately report the matter to the Election Commission.
• Depending on the situation, the ECI may allow completion of counting or declare it void and order repolling.
• If the counting ends without any complain, the Returning Officer declares the result on completion of counting.

12:45pm: Security outside Shivadi counting centre ahead of counting of votes.

Maharashtra: Security outside Shivadi counting centre ahead of counting of votes for #LokSabhaElections2019 tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/YjNB6raMeI

ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2019

12:39pm: Ahead of counting of votes for Lok Sabha polls, UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Wednesday claimed that May 23 will witness the "political funeral" of the anti-BJP alliance of opposition parties. The month of May, he said, will prove to be a "sad month" for SP, BSP and Congress, which are fighting for their political survival.

"May 23 will witness the political funeral (rajnitik antim sanskar) of the anti-BJP 'gathbandhan' of SP, BSP, RLD and Congress. These parties will level allegations and counter-allegations against each other," Sharma told PTI. The deputy chief minister also claimed that in the 'gathbandhan', the SP is contesting elections to decimate the BSP and vice versa.

Taking a jibe at the 'gathbandhan', he said, "With mercury rising everyday, the temperature of the 'gathbandhan' is also rising as they can easily see defeat approaching. It is for this very reason that they are making preposterous remarks.'

He said, "Transfer of votes among gathbandhan partners could not take place. Akhilesh knew this very well and in order to make Mayawati happy said the BSP chief should be made the prime minister. When Akhilesh's party is contesting on 37 seats, how can he think of making someone the prime minister? It seems Akhilesh is showing 'Mungeri Lal ke haseen sapne' (day dreaming)," Sharma remarked.

(PTI)

12:30pm: Congress leader Udit Raj on his tweet: When 22 parties went to SC asking for increase in number of VVPAT slips being counted, SC rejected it saying it'll cause a delay. Election process continues for 3 months hampering development work, so what is the big deal if it takes 1-2 days more? I'm not levelling allegations on Supreme Court, I'm only raising concerns.

12:18pm: Seventy-eight constituencies will see a tough fight as the vote share margin is of less than 3 per cent.

12:11pm: Jaydutt Kshirsagar, NCP leader and former Maharashtra Minister, has resigned from MLA post. He will join Shiv Sena later today.

11:59am: The Election Commission meeting is underway to discuss the Opposition parties' demands on VVPAT machines.

11:50am: "This is a resounding pro incumbency vote," said Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Why blame the EVMs.

I have all along said that it is for the first time that a govt has gone to the people on a positive agenda. It asked for votes for what it has done for the people. This is a resounding pro incumbency vote. #ModiAgain #300Paar@BJYM @ABVPVoice @BJP4India pic.twitter.com/JCE04CV4Gt

Chowkidar Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 22, 2019

11:40am: Counting of votes for the 21 Lok Sabha seats and 146 Assembly segments in Odisha will be held at 63 different centres across the state amidst tight security on Thursday, a senior election official has said.

Polling was held in 21 Lok Sabha seats and 146 Assembly segments in four different phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

The counting of votes will start from 8 am on Thursday and will be conducted in around 2,500 tables, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Kumar said on Tuesday.

11:30am: A day before the counting of the votes polled in the Lok Sabha election, the Congress on Wednesday termed as "constitutional travesty" the EC's rejection of Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa's demand that dissent notes should be recorded and alleged that the poll watchdog wanted to set a new precedent of "dark secrets" and "secluded chambers" in performing its duties.

"A Constitutional travesty! ECI wants to set a new precedent of 'dark secrets' & 'secluded chambers' in doing its constitutional duties. If CEC can't play fair in its functioning, can it play fair in ensuring a free & fair election?," Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala wrote on Twitter.

His comments came a day after the Election Commission (EC) decided not to record the dissents put forward by the members of the "full commission", overruling Lavasa.

11:15am: Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections, in which over 8,000 candidates were in the fray for 542 seats, will begin at 8.00 am Thursday and results are expected only by late evening due to tallying of voter verified paper audit trail slips with EVM count for the first time.

A total of 67.11 per cent of the 90.99 crore electors had cast their vote in the seven phase elections.This is the highest ever-voter turnout in Indian parliamentarian elections.

This is for the first time in a Lok Sabha election that results of voting machines will be matched with slips generated by paper trail machines.

The exercise will take place in five polling stations per assembly segment which effectively means that out of nearly 10.3 lakh polling stations, the EVM-VVPAT matching will take place in 20600 such stations.

(PTI)

11:05am: Rouse Avenue Court reserves order on a complaint seeking direction to police for registering an FIR against Congress President Rahul Gandhi under charges of sedition for accusing PM Modi of "hiding behind the blood of soldiers and doing dalali on their (soldiers') sacrifice".

10:45am: MP Udit Raj asks why does the Supreme Court not want VVPAT verification to be done, further asking what harm would come if it takes two-three more days after the elections were already conducted over a period of two months.

VVPAT - @priyankagandhi @INCDelhi @RahulGandhi @PTI_News

Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) May 22, 2019

10:40am: Polling underway at polling station number 200 in North Kolkata.

#WestBengal: Polling underway at polling station number 200 in North Kolkata parliamentary constituency. ECI had declared void the poll held on 19 May at the polling station. pic.twitter.com/w3C85wZ1eY

ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2019

10:30am: According to India Today-Axis My India exit poll, Congress is looking to increase its vote share to 30 per cent, while AAP is likely to crash with 17 per cent. BJP, on the other hand, is likely to maintain its 2014 vote share with 47 per cent. In 2014, BJP had got a similar vote share of 46.41 per cent while the Congress had garnered 15.1 per cent share and AAP had managed 32.9 per cent share.

10:14am: "To ensure free and fair poll, VVPats must be counted," said Kapil Sibal.

Controversy over EVM is not adversarial . It is not about Opposition versus NDA . Its about integrity of electoral process .

None :

Not Supreme Court
Not E C
Not Government

are approaching the issue in this light

To ensure free and fair poll VVPats must be counted

Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) May 22, 2019

10:11am: National Geographic has announced a documentary on Indian elections that will soon make its way to the small screen.

The documentary has been shot at 37 locations across the country. Several facets of the elections have been captured - from several booth level officers, political leaders to ground level party workers, from first-time voters to 100-year-old voters, said a statement from the channel.

10:09am: On being asked who will be the next Odisha CM, BJP's Jay Panda: I joined BJP after much soul searching. I'm happy to carry out whatever responsibility the party gives me. BJP has a lot of talent, whosoever takes which ever responsibility, we are going to cooperate with each other.

10:07am: With 167 votes, Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat saw highest turnout of transgenders. The count was below 10 in most constituencies. Bangalore North had the second highest turnout in "other" segment with 105 votes followed by 72 in Kalyan, 71 in Puducherry, 64 in Tiruchirapalli and 55 in Chennai Central, according to Voter Turnout app.

10:04am: BJP's Baijayant Jay Panda on being asked if BJD will support NDA: My party president has said that we are confident of getting more than 300 seats. We will form the govt with NDA allies. If other parties seeing the national mood want to also join in, I think, BJP will keep an open mind.

10:00am: Re-polling underway at booth No. 123 in Amritsar.

Punjab: Re-polling for #LokSabhaElections2019 underway at booth No. 123 in Amritsar. The voters are being given 'certificate of appreciation' by the Election Commission pic.twitter.com/eI1IUFIF8h

ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2019