Lok Sabha, Assembly Bypolls Highlights: 40.37% voter turnout in Palghar; Maheshtala recorded 70.01% voting

The BJP will face a major litmus test ahead of 2019 general elections as bypolls in four Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly constituencies are being held across 10 states on Monday. Among the four Lok Sabha by-elections, the BJP is facing united Opposition in Uttar Pradesh's Kairana, while the saffron party is up against friends-turned-foe Shiv Sena in Maharashtra's Palghar.

The Assembly bypolls are being held in Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Ampati (Meghalaya), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Shahkot (Punjab) and Palus-Kadegaon (Maharashtra).

Polling is also underway in Bengaluru's RR Nagar where elections countermanded over fake voter ID cards issue. Stick with us for all the live updates.

Here are the highlights on Lok Sabha, Assembly Bypolls:

# 08:33 PM: Some VVPAT machines malfunctioned at the time of voting. It was due to scorching heat. We solved the problem by repairing most of them. The machines which could not repaired, were immediately replaced. News of re-polling is wrong: Abhimanya Kale, Bhandara DM.

# 06:05 PM: There was massive technical snag in the EVMs and total breakdown of systems. My supporters went back without voting as machines were not working. My party leaders have approached the EC regarding the matter: Mriganka Singh, BJP Candidate from Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls.

There was massive technical snag in the EVMs and total breakdown of systems. My supporters went back without voting as machines were not working. My party leaders have approached the EC regarding the matter: Mriganka Singh, BJP Candidate from Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls pic.twitter.com/EZP6KURv1T

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 28, 2018

# 05:50 PM: 40.37% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in Palghar bypoll in Maharashtra.

# 05:48 PM: BJP's Arun Singh says,'we told them that we received info that EVMs worked either late or with some issues or didn't work at all in 197 booths,demanded repolling at few stations'.

BJP delegation met EC officials in Delhi over reports of malfunctioning in EVMs during by-polls today.BJP's Arun Singh says,'we told them that we received info that EVMs worked either late or with some issues or didn't work at all in 197 booths,demanded repolling at few stations' pic.twitter.com/gpq1CaHSZ7

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

# 05:47 PM: BJP delegation met EC officials in Delhi over reports of malfunctioning in EVMs during by-polls on Monday.

# 05:43 PM: All the electors who are in the queue in the polling booth, at the time of close of voting, should be facilitated to cast their votes. This is given due publicity by the concerned district election machinery in the polling areas: Election Commission on Bypolls.

# 05:29 PM: 69% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in Shahkot assembly byelection in Punjab.

# 05:27 PM: 70.01% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in Maheshtala assembly bypoll in West Bengal.

# 05:26 PM: 57% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in #Noorpur assembly byelection.

# 04:40 PM: The issues were being faced in VVPAT machines & not EVMs. The problem has been solved now. Some machines have been replaced at some booths. The voting is now running smoothly: Vikram Singh, District Magisterate of Shamli on Kairana bypoll.

# 04:34 PM: We demanded from EC, re-polling in places where more than 1 and a half hours were wasted & extra time after 6 pm for voters in places where less time was wasted so that they can vote: RG Yadav, SP after multi-party delegation met Election Commission over by-polls in Kairana and Noorpur.

# 01:59 PM: 19.25% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in Palghar bypoll in Maharashtra.

19.25% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in #Palghar by-poll #Maharashtra

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

# 01:57 PM: Encountered problems and panic in the initial hours. Nothing has happened after 12 pm. The new machines are working properly. We are in consultation with Central Election Commission about extension of voting time, says Dr Prashant Narnaware, Returning Officer on Palghar bypoll.

Encountered problems & panic in the initial hours. Nothing has happened after 12 pm. The new machines are working properly. We are in consultation with Central Election Commission about extension of voting time: Dr Prashant Narnaware, Returning Officer on #Palghar by-poll pic.twitter.com/GKp9fcWOfR

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

# 01:43 PM: 34% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in #RRNagar assembly election.

#Karnataka: 34% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in #RRNagar assembly election

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

# 01:39 PM: EVMs malfunctioning in Bhandara-Gondiya poll. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav ji just called me up, he also said 300 EVMs not working in Kairana bypoll: Praful Patel, NCP.

EVMs malfunctioning in Bhandara-Gondiya poll. In many big European nations, election commissions have rejected the EVMs and gone back to ballot paper system. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav ji just called me up,he also said 300 EVMs not working in Kairana bypoll: Praful Patel,NCP pic.twitter.com/M8mOsOHNIt

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

# 01:28 PM: 44% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in Shahkot assembly by-election in Punjab.

44% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in Shahkot assembly by-election #Punjab

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

#11:15 AM: Tabassum Hasan, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate for Kairana Lok Sabha by-poll, writes to the Election Commission over faulty EVMs & VVPATs in around 175 polling booths across Shamli, Kairana and Noorpur.

Tabassum Hasan, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate for #Kairana Lok Sabha by-poll, writes to the Election Commission over faulty EVMs & VVPATs in around 175 polling booths across Shamli, #Kairana and #Noorpur pic.twitter.com/thY6WXGZD4

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 28, 2018

#11:00 AM: Meghalaya: Voting underway for Ampati assembly constituency.

#Meghalaya: Voting underway for Ampati assembly constituency. pic.twitter.com/kTr97WsGqC

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

#10:40 AM: Voting underway for Nagaland Lok Sabha by-poll, visuals from a polling station in Dimapur.

Voting under way for #Nagaland Lok Sabha by-poll, visuals from a polling station in #Dimapur. pic.twitter.com/bJMNRzPDYv

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

#08:35 AM: Voting for Kairana Lok Sabha by-poll underway; Visuals from a polling booth in Shamli

Voting for #Kairana Lok Sabha by-poll underway; Visuals from a polling booth in Shamli pic.twitter.com/llxd62paO0

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 28, 2018

# 08:00 AM: Voting underway at a polling station for Bhandara Lok Sabha by-poll seat.

#Maharashtra: Voting underway at a polling station for Bhandara Lok Sabha by-poll seat pic.twitter.com/mARHLU5Ypc

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

#07:30 AM: Kerala: People form a queue outside SNDP Lower Primary School, Kozhuvalloor village as voting for Chengannur assembly by-poll is underway.

Kerala: People form queue outside SNDP Lower Primary School, Kozhuvalloor village as voting for #Chengannur assembly by-poll begins. pic.twitter.com/45VoZlsql4

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

#07:10 AM: West Bengal: People form a queue outside Polling booth number 32 in South 24 Parganas' Maheshtala. Voting for Maheshtala assembly by-poll to begin shortly. 

West Bengal: People form queue outside Polling booth number 32 in South 24 Parganas' Maheshtala. Voting for Maheshtala assembly by-poll to begin shortly. pic.twitter.com/ga44Yq1MHw

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

#07:05 AM: Voting for #KairanaByPoll to begin at 7 am. Visuals from Shamli's Booth Number 29, Rashtriya Kisan Intercollege.

Voting for #KairanaByPoll to begin at 7 am. Visuals from Shamli's Booth Number 29, Rashtriya Kisan Inter college. pic.twitter.com/NAGlMdyBh5

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 28, 2018

#07:00 AM: Hello and Welcome to the News Nation Live Updates: Voting has begun for the bypolls in four Lok Sabha constituencies and nine Assemblies. Polling is also underway in Bengaluru's RR Nagar where elections countermanded over the fake voter ID cards issue. Stick with us for all the live updates.