"Excited To Vote For 1st Time": Finance Commission Chief Arvind Panagariya

Sixteenth Finance Commission Chairman Arvind Panagariya on Friday said that he would be casting his vote for the first time when Delhi goes for poll on May 25.

Around 2,500 voters crossed fencing on the India-Bangladesh border to cast their votes in Tripura on April 19.

At the age of 118, Dharamveer of Palwal district is Haryana's oldest male voter while Balbir Kaur of Sirsa, aged 117 years, is the oldest female voter, Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal said on Friday.

The massive exercise to elect the 18th Lok Sabha started today with elections on 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories. By the end of Phase 1, around 60.03% people voted. Sporadic violence was reported from Manipur and Bengal.

Amid reports of violence from West Bengal on the first day of polling for Lok Sabha election, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul has said "Bengal has turned into Bihar" and alleged that the Trinamool Congress is trying to silence opponents

A voter turnout of 50.96 per cent was recorded till 1 pm in the three Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal where elections were underway in the first phase on Friday, officials said.