New Delhi, 13 May

An approximate voter turnout of 24.87 per cent was recorded in the first four hours of polling on Monday in 96 constituencies spread over 10 states and Union Territories in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections amid complaints of EVM malfunctioning in West Bengal.

Voting is also progressing in all 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 28 legislative assembly seats of Odisha.

According to the Election Commission figures till 9am, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the lowest voting percentage till 9 am with 5.07 per cent voters exercising their franchise, while West Bengal recorded the highest with 15.24 per cent,.

Among other states, Andhra Pradesh recorded 9.05 per cent, Bihar 10.18, Jharkhand 11.78, Madhya Pradesh 14.97, Maharashtra 6.45, Odisha, 9.23, Telangana, 9.51 and Uttar Pradesh 11.67 per cent.

In West Bengal, both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have lodged complaints alleging EVM malfunctioning, agents being stopped from entering polling booths and voters being either threatened or stopped from going to cast their votes in different constituencies.

The TMC lodged around 139 complaints while the BJP over 35 till 9 AM, party sources said.

"We have received 350 complaints, of which 99 were disposed of. Our officials in the respective constituencies are looking into the others. They will be resolved quickly," an official said.

Congress Baharampur candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and his TMC rival former cricketer Yusuf Pathan said they were happy with the way polling is being conducted there.

TMC's Krishanagar candidate Mahua Moitra said the election is being conducted peacefully and she was moving to different polling stations to keep a tab on the polling there.

Prominent among the early voters were former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP chief in Telangana G Kishan Reddy, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, popular Telugu actors Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu.

"Several voters including some senior citizens cast their votes. People, in large numbers, are coming out to vote. I am requesting the people to come and exercise their franchise for democracy and the country's security," Kishan Reddy told reporters after casting his vote.

Owaisi said the country is bigger than any individual and people should vote for the country.

"The country is bigger than any individual. Don't vote for an individual and vote for the country and vote for a party," the AIMIM leader said.

Speaking to mediapersons after casting his vote, Jagan Mohan Reddy said the people have seen the best governance during the past five years.

"You have seen the governance and if you think you have benefited from this governance then vote for that governance which would lead to a brighter future," he told reporters.