Phase-II: Leaders cast their votes

The stage is set for polling in 95 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 11 states and the union territory of Puducherry in the second of seven-phased general elections to elect a new government at the Centre. Several key faces including Union ministers Sadananda Gowda and Pon Radhakrishnan, JDS chief HD Deve Gowda, BJP's Hema Malini and DMK's A Raja and Kanimozhi are in the fray in the second phase.

In the first hour of voting, several politicians and leaders cast their votes.

Among the early voters were Tamil star Rajinikanth in Chennai, Congress leaders P Chidambaram in Sivaganga and Sushil Kumar Shinde in Solapur. Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman voted in Jaynagar of Bangalore South constituency and actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan in Chennai.

"We have to preserve our independence, sovereignty, democracy and self-respect. We have to fight false belief and superstition. We believe all religions are equal and all people are equal" says P Chidambaram after casting his vote.

He also added after casting his vote, the senior Congress leader told reporters: "It is a good day. I have voted for a change of government at the centre and in Tamil Nadu."He then requested the people to vote alike.

CM HD Kumaraswamy, his wife Anitha Kumaraswamy and their son & JD(S) candidate from Mandya, Nikhil, cast their votes at a polling station in Ramanagara.

LT.Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy exercised their franchise in the Puducherry Lok Sabha Election.

Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, cast his vote in Edappadi, Selam in phase two of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.