Jharkhand Elections LIVE: BJP vs JMM as Second Phase Voting Underway Across 38 Constituencies

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay a three-day visit to Laos next week to attend a meeting of a grouping comprising 10-nation ASEAN and some of its dialogue partners that is expected to deliberate on evolving regional security situation.

Singh is likely to present India's position on dealing with major security challenges facing the region at the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), sources said.

The defence minister will visit Laos from November 20 to 22, they said.

ADMM-Plus is a platform comprising 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and its eight dialogue partners -- India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.

Polling began amid tight security at 7 am on Wednesday for bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab.Officials said polling would close at 6 pm. Bypolls to the Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala assembly segments were necessitated after the incumbent lawmakers were elected to the Lok Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged voters in Maharashtra to participate in the polls with full enthusiasm and enhance the splendour of the festival of democracy.

In a post on X, he appealed to the women and young voters to poll in large numbers.

He made a similar appeal to the voters in Jharkhand, urging them to create a polling record with their high participation.

On the polling day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post urged voters to vote in large numbers. He said, "Today is the second and last phase of the great festival of democracy in Jharkhand. I urge all voters to participate in it enthusiastically and create a new record of voting. On this occasion, I specially congratulate all my young friends who are going to vote for the first time. Your every vote is the strength of the state.
 

Voting for the second and final phase of the Jharkhand elections begins at 7 am and ends at 6 pm.

In Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) coalition seeks to retain power, while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is trying to seize control.