Voting ongoing: 88 seats across 13 states in second phase of LS polls

• Voting is ongoing in 88 seats across 13 states and union territories in the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections, ending at 6 pm
• Tripura recorded the highest voter turnout at 36.42%, while Maharashtra had the lowest at 18.83%
• Trinamool Congress alleged interference by central forces in Balurghat and Raiganj, with clashes reported between Bengal BJP President Sukant Majumdar and Trinamool workers in Balurghat

In the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections, people are casting their votes in 88 seats across 13 states and union territories. The voting will continue until 6 pm. Tripura saw the highest voter turnout at 36.42%, while Maharashtra had the lowest at 18.83%.

Trinamool Congress accused central forces of preventing women from voting in two Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, namely Balurghat and Raiganj. A clash occurred between Bengal BJP President Sukant Majumdar and Trinamool workers in Balurghat.

This phase features Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, 5 Union Ministers, 2 former CMs, and 3 film stars as candidates. Notable names include Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, and Hema Malini. Re-voting is happening in some parts of Outer Manipur today as per the Election Commission's announcement of elections for this seat in two phases.

In the 2019 elections, BJP secured 50 seats in this phase, while NDA allies won 8 seats and Congress won 21 seats. Other parties obtained 9 seats. There are a total of 1,198 candidates contesting in this phase, comprising 1,097 male candidates, 100 female candidates, and one candidate from the third gender.The first phase of voting took place on April 19 for 102 seats. After today's phase, voting will continue for five more phases until June 1, with the results set to be announced on June 4.