Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 2 Highlights: Total voter turnout over 63%; highest in Manipur at 77.32%

Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh has recorded a voter turnout of 24.35 percent till 11 am in the phase two of Lok Sabha election.

Film actor and producer Tovino Thomas on Friday cast his vote at a polling booth in Irinjalakuda, Thrissur. Tovino is the state brand ambassador for the Election Commission's SWEEP (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation) program.

According to the Election Commission data, a voter turnout of 23.19 percent has been recorded in Mathura by 11 am. BJP candidate Hema Malini is sitting MP from Mathura.

BJP candidate from Amravati Navnit Rana along with her husband Ravi Rana cast their vote in Lok Sabha polls, at a polling booth in Amravati.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje shows her inked finger after casting vote. 

Voting for the second phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024 is underway in 88 seats across 13 states and union territories on Friday. Let's take a look at five facts about the phase two of the polling.

1. As many as 1,202 candidates, including 1,098 males and 102 females are in the fray. 
2. According to the Election Commission of India, 34.8 lakh first-time voters are registered to cast their votes.
3. There are over 14.78 lakh registered 85 years old, 42,226 voters above 100 years and 14.7 lakh PwD voters.
4. Women, including security staff, will completely manage more than 4,100 polling stations, and over 640 polling stations by persons with disabilities (PwDs).
5. Polling stations in all states and UTs except Bihar and Kerala have less than 1000 average electors per polling station.

Senior Congress leader AK Antony cast his vote at a polling station in Thiruvananthapuram. His son, Anil Antony is contesting from Pathanamthitta as a BJP candidate.

List of poorest candidates in the phase 2 of voting in the Lok Sabha election:

Independent candidate Laxman Nagorao Patil

Independent candidate Rajeswari KR

Dalit Kranti Dal leader Shahnaz Bano

Independent candidate Pruthvisamrat Mukindrao Dipwansh

Member of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) VP Kochumon

List of wealthiest candidates in the phase 2 of voting in the Lok Sabha election

Congress leader Venkataramane Gowda

Karnataka Congress MP DK Suresh

BJP MP Hema Malini

Madhya Pradesh Congress candidate Sanjay Sharma 

Former Karnataka CM and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy

BJP MP Kanwar Singh Tanwar 

Congress leader Raksha Ramaiah

Former Congress spokesperson and academician MV Rajeev Gowda

Cricketer Rahul Dravid casts his vote in Karnataka's Bengaluru.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said, “The excitement within the country and the enthusiasm and optimism among the people for the work of PM Modi in 10 years - going by that we can say that people are blessing the works of the PM and we will receive help in fulfilling the 'Sankalp' of Modi Government within the country. The country wants to see work and PM Modi has given a new direction to the country. His 10-year regime is a golden era in independent India.”

“Today, India is established as a rapidly progressing economy...I believe that when the results come on 4th June, the BJP-NDA Government will be formed once again under the leadership of PM Modi,” he added, as quoted by ANI.

Kerala has recorded a total of 19.06 percent of voter turnout till 10:15 am. According to the data, the highest voter turnout has been recorded in Attingal so far of 20.55 percent, and the lowest has been recorded in Ponnani of 16.68 percent.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah shows his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling booth in Siddaramana Hundi village of Chamarajanagar.

Former cricketer Anil Kumble casts his vote in Karnataka.

BJP candidate from Pathanamthitta Anil Antony exudes confidence in making a “historic” mandate in Kerala in the Lok Sabha election. 

“This is not an election to choose a few MPs in Kerala. This is a national election...This is the first time in India's history where a two-time sitting PM is going for a third election with zero anti-incumbency, there is a pro-Modi wave across India...There is a lot of excitement for PM's vision for India. Kerala is no exception. So, we are sure that we will win more than 370 seats for our party and more than 400 seats for our coalition. Rest assured, a large number of them will be from Kerala...This time, we will create history...There is a large anti-incumbency wave against the Left government,” he said.

Voting for 13 assembly segments under Outer Manipur seat is being held in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election today. Four key candidates are contesting in this phase - Naga People's Front candidate K Timothy Zimik, Congress' Alfred Kanngam Arthur, and independents S Kho John and Alyson Abonmai. The BJP has not fielded any candidate and is backing its ally, the NPF.

Meanwhile, security measures have been significantly enhanced across all 13 assembly segments, with approximately 87 companies of central paramilitary forces and 4,000 state forces personnel deployed to ensure free and fair elections.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, seeking a hattrick of Thiruvananthapuram, votes at a polling station in the constituency.

Tharoor's principal challenger is Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP.

K Surendran, who is up against Rahul Gandhi, the Congress's sitting MP, and CPI's Annie Raja, casts his vote.

All 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state are voting in this second phase.

Tripura: 16.65%

West Bengal: 15.68%

Manipur: 15.49%

Chhattisgarh: 15.42%

Madhya Pradesh: 13.82%

Rajasthan: 11.77%

Uttar Pradesh: 11.67%

Kerala: 11.98%

Jammu and Kashmir: 10.39%

Bihar: 9.84%

Assam: 9.71%

Karnataka: 9.21%

Maharashtra: 7.45%

Voting is not just a right, but also a duty, because if we don't vote, we are not registering our voice, and contributing meaningfully to a democracy. Just like every year, more senior citizens are seen at the booths, they are coming out in big numbers to vote. I wish young people draw inspiration from senior citizens and also come out in big numbers and vote: Tejasvi Surya, BJP candidate from Karnataka's Bangaluru South seat

The trend is clear that people are voting to change the government. In this second phase of elections, we are confident that the people of Amroha will give me their blessings. People are troubled due to unemployment and inflation. There was a complaint of EVM malfunction which was fixed: Danish Ali, Congress

This is not a fight to save the constitution, the constitution is in good hands. They are just spreading lies. Social structure and social reservation will remain intact: Om Birla, BJP candidate from Rajasthan's Kota

A groom arrives at a polling booth in Maharashtra's Amaravati to cast his vote.

I am confident that the people of Alleppey will stand with me. After phase one of the Lok Sabha elections, the PM is panicking. I thank the PM for bringing the Congress manifesto into the public domain in a big way. In Kerala, UDF will sweep all 20 seats People of Wayanad, Kerala will show that they are with Rahul Gandhi: KC Venugopal