The campaigning for the seventh and final phase for the 2019 Lok Sabha election polls ended on Friday and the voters will now decide the fate of 918 candidates contesting from 59 seats spread across seven states and one union territory when the polling will take place on May 19. 


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Voting will be held in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies each in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, eight seats each in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, nine seats in West Bengal, four in Himachal Pradesh, three in Jharkhand and the lone seat in Chandigarh (Union Territory).


Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kedarnath temple while Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah went to Somnath Temple in Gujarat. 


It is to be noted that the Election Commission has set up more than 1.12 lakh polling stations for smooth conduction of polls.


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Thank you for joining us. Do come back again on Sunday (May 19) for live updates of Lok Sabha election 2019.


Here are the latest updates on Lok Sabha election on May 18 (Saturday):


* On the eve of bypoll elections in Bhatpara in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, two cars were burnt down and crude bombs were thrown. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) are blaming each other for the incident. The Rapid Action Force and West Bengal police are currently present in the area.


* CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) with the footage of his Kedarnath activities over the TV news channels.



* Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena has said that the results of the Lok Sabha polls in the state would be announced later than usual on May 23 due to the counting of slips from five EVM's with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail system, reports PTI.


* Special arrangements like a creche, breastfeeding room and first aid facilities have been set up at polling booth no 37, 38 and 40 in Patna for the seventh and final phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections on Sunday, reports ANI.  


* BJP has written to Lucknow's Chief Electoral Officer, stating that BSP chief Mayawati allegedly posted tweets to influence voters after campaigning hours ended for the 7th phase of Lok Sabha polls. 



* Mamata Banerjee indirectly slams Kolkata Police commissioner Dr. Rajesh Kumar for allowing BJP President Amit Shah to hold the roadshow in the area that falls under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.


* Mamata Banerjee's nephew and ​Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has sent a notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly making defamatory statements and insinuations against him during a rally at Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. 


* West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the Election Commission of India, seeking the completion of Lok Sabha polls peacefully, impartially and without any undue interference of the central government. 



* MLA and Leader of Opposition Nagaland TR Zeliang has confirmed that the Naga People’s Front (NPF) will withdraw their four MLAs from the BJP-led government in Manipur headed by N Biren Singh soon after the completion of Lok Sabha polls. 



* Polling parties have left for their respective polling stations after collecting EVMs & VVPATs in Dumka. Three parliamentary constituencies will go for polls in Jharkhand on Sunday, reports ANI. 



* Madhupur MLA Raj Paliwar will cast his vote in Deoghar, Jharkhand on Sunday. 


* All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has written to the Election Commission seeking directions to BJP leader Mukul Roy to leave constituencies of West Bengal which are set to go on the poll on May 19, reports ANI. 



* Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu will meet Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati in Lucknow at 5 pm on Saturday at Mayawati's residence to discuss the post-poll scenarios.


* 102-year-old Shyam Saran Negi from Kalpa, who cast the first vote during General Election in 1951, is all set to vote in the final phase of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, reports ANI.  



* Visuals from EVM and VVPAT distribution centre in Kolkata. Nine parliamentary constituencies of the state will go to polls in the 7th & last phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 tomorrow.



* YSR Congress has written to the Election Commission of India to deploy additional central forces on May 23 in Andhra Pradesh during the counting of votes and action against Chittoor district Collector and Rapthadu Returning Officer for allegedly supporting TDP during the poll process.


* Deploy additional forces in Andhra on May 23, YSRCP urges EC


* BJP worker Anoop Singh Chandan has registered a complaint with the police against Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party Chief OP Rajbhar (in file pic) for allegedly abusing BJP workers at a public meeting yesterday, in Ghazipur.


* Congress leader Sheila Dikshit reacts to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's comment alleging 'Muslim votes shifted to Congress in Delhi at last moment'. "Don't know what is he trying to say. Everyone has a right to vote whichever party he/she wants to vote. People of Delhi did not understand nor liked his governance model."


* Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu meets NCP chief Sharad Pawar in New Delhi to discuss post-poll scenarios.



* Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora issues statement on EC Ashok Lavasa's purported letter to him, says, 'an unsavory and avoidable controversy reported in sections of media today about internal functioning of ECI in respect of handling of Model Code of Conduct.



* CEC Sunil Arora: But the same largely remained within confines of ECI after demission of office unless appearing much later in a book written by the concerned ECs/CECs. I personally never shied away from a public debate whenever required but there is time for everything.


* CEC Sunil Arora issues statement on EC Ashok Lavasa's purported letter to him: The 3 members of EC are not expected to be template or clones of each other, there have been so many times in the past when there has been a vast diversion of views as it can, and should be.


* In a series of tweets, Mayawati further says, "This breach of promise and betrayal with Purvanchal has happened when PM and UP's CM represent this region. Yogi has been rejected by Gorakhpur, so in this situation, won't PM Modi's loss in Varanasi be more historic than his victory? Will Varanasi repeat 1977's Rae Bareli?"



* Mayawati targets PM Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, says they are responsible for spreading hatred in the country.



* Sheila Dikshit on Delhi CM's reported remark 'Muslim votes shifted to Congress in Delhi at last moment': Don't know what is he trying to say. Everyone has a right to vote whichever party he/she wants to vote. People of Delhi did not understand nor liked his governance model.



* Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu meets Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi


* BJP president Amit Shah offers prayers at Somnath Temple.



* Four injured in clashes between TMC-BJP workers in West Bengal.


* No policemen were present in Computer Baba's roadshow. EC closes the file of BJP's complaint.


* PM Modi offers prayers at Kedarnath Temple.



* Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda along with his family members, including Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy took darshan of Lord Venkateshwara on the occasion birthday of HD Deve Gowda. Speaking after the darshan, Kumaraswamy said Congress and JD(S) combine would get 18-19 Lok Sabha seats from Karnataka.



* Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Kedarnath, he will offer prayers at Kedarnath temple shortly.



* EC notice to BJP candidate Sunny Deol for violating poll code.


* BJP president Amit Shah will visit Somanth Temple today with his family members.


*Acharya Pramod Krishnam, Congress' Lucknow candidate: Rahul ji joined Shatrughan ji's roadshow as he was following 'Party dharm' but Shatrughan ji didn't follow 'Party dharm'. He's taking politics lightly. Politics is related to India's future, there should be sensibility.



*Uttarakhand Addl Chief Electoral Officer: After votes in EVMs have been counted, slips from 5 randomly selected VVPATs will be counted. In case there's difference b/w the 2 tallies, they'll be cross checked again&tally of VVPAT slips will be considered as the final tally.



* Dr V Shanmugam: If an election agent/candidate wants VVPAT slips of a booth recounted,he can submit written request before RO. RO passes a speaking order. If he allows recounting,slips from particular VVPAT will be counted before all counting agents & results shown to them