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general elections

nal affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. reported from several places. The AAP’s national capital were eligible to vote in
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti the polls that will decide the fate of 164
Congress general secretary Priyanka alleged that EVMs at booths 116, 117 and candidates. The seventh and last phase
Gandhi Vadra and cricketer Virat Kohli 122 were not functioning. of elections will be held on May 19 and
also cast their votes. Polling began late at a few booths the counting of votes will take place on
After voting at a polling booth at because of glitches. The Delhi chief May 23.
Aurangzeb Lane, the Congress chief electoral officer said that until 3pm, the Polling was also held in the sixth
said “love will win” in the elections, poll watchdog replaced 61 ballot units, phase for 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh,
which have seen high-pitched cam- 35 control units, and 286 Voter Veri- all 10 in Haryana, eight seats each in
paigns fuelled by rhetoric, political fied Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units. Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Ben-
slugfests and personal attacks among The biggest number of glitches was gal and four in Jharkhand apart from
top leaders. reported in the South Delhi segment. Delhi’s seven seats. With the conclu-
Speaking at an election rally in In- Reports of EVM faults also came in sion of Sunday’s phase, votes have been
dore later, Prime Minister Narendra from Chandni Chowk and West Delhi. cast in nearly 89 per cent of the 543
Modi launched an attack on Gandhi, “One of the reasons [for the lower constituencies.
saying dynasty can take him to the top turnout] could be that this year, the Prominent among those contesting
position of a party, but it “doesn’t bring elections coincided with the summer in the sixth phase were former chief
vision and wisdom”. vacations. Many people might have ministers Akhilesh Yadav, Digvijaya
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejri- already left the city. This year, elections Singh, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and
wal appealed to the Delhi electorate to are being held during the peak summer Sheila Dikshit, and Union minister
vote for those who have done work and months. In 2014, elections were held Maneka Gandhi.
not for those spreading “hatred” and on April 10 when the weather was still At least 80 per cent polling was
“venom”. comfortable. Also, elections this time recorded in eight seats in West Bengal,
As Delhi residents voted on Sunday, in Delhi were held on a weekend,” the where the BJP’s Ghatal candidate and
complaints of malfunctioning elec- Delhi CEO said. former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh was
tronic voting machines (EVMs) were About 14.3 million people in the attacked twice by local people when she

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