“Last-Minute Polling Material Checks at Dispersal Center (Netaji Indoor Stadium) in Kolkata North District, West Bengal, Engage Polling Personnel” Pic Via -X- CEO -WB
New Delhi, May 31, 2024 – As many as 904 candidates, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are in the fray in the final phase of Lok Sabha elections. Polling will take place on Saturday across 57 seats in seven states and the Union territory of Chandigarh, including Varanasi, where PM Modi is seeking a third consecutive term.
The seventh and final phase includes all 13 seats of Punjab and four of Himachal Pradesh, along with 13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha, and three in Jharkhand, besides Chandigarh. Additionally, the remaining 42 assembly constituencies of Odisha and bypolls to six assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh will also see voting.
Prominent candidates among the 904 contestants include Union minister Anurag Thakur, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti, and actor Kangana Ranaut. Over 100.6 million citizens, including nearly 52.4 million men, 48.2 million women, and 3,574 third-gender electors, are eligible to vote in this phase.
This voting will conclude the marathon polling process that began on April 19 and has covered 486 Lok Sabha seats across 28 states and Union territories. The assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim also went to the polls. Counting of votes will commence on June 4. According to Election Commission guidelines, exit poll data and results can be broadcast on June 1 after 6:30 PM.
The Election Commission reported that polling parties, along with machines and poll materials, have been dispatched to their respective stations. At the 109,000 polling stations, basic facilities such as shade, drinking water, ramps, and toilets are provided to ensure a comfortable and secure voting environment. The poll panel has directed state CEOs and machinery to take measures to manage the adverse impact of hot weather or rainfall wherever predicted.
The commission urged voters to turn out in greater numbers and vote responsibly. The turnout in the first six phases was 66.14%, 66.71%, 65.68%, 69.16%, 62.2%, and 63.36%, respectively.
Campaigning for the last phase, which ended Thursday evening, saw BJP leaders led by Modi accusing the Congress and the INDIA alliance of corruption, anti-Hindu sentiments, and engaging in loot, appeasement, and dynastic politics. The opposition claims the BJP is anti-farmer, anti-youth, and would change and scrap the Constitution if they win.
Key Contestants and Constituencies
In Uttar Pradesh, prominent seats include Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, and Robertsganj (SC). Notable contestants include Union ministers Mahendra Nath Pandey, Pankaj Chaudhary, and Anupriya Patel. Ghazipur sees Afzal Ansari contesting, and Ballia features Neeraj Shekhar. In Varanasi, PM Modi faces Ajay Rai (Congress), Ather Jamal Lari (BSP), Kolisetty Shiva Kumar (Yuga Thulasi Party), Gagan Prakash Yadav (Apna Dal, Kameravadi), and independents Dinesh Kumar Yadav and Sanjay Kumar Tiwari.
West Bengal’s elections will test TMC’s dominance, particularly in South Bengal constituencies like Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, and Kolkata Uttar. TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee is a key candidate in Diamond Harbour, facing CPI(M)’s Pratikur Rahaman and BJP’s Abhijit Das.
In Punjab, key candidates include four-time MP Preneet Kaur, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, three-time MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and Ravneet Singh Bittu. This election marks the first time since 1996 that BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal are contesting separately. Congress and AAP are contesting as part of the INDIA bloc.
In Himachal Pradesh, stakes are high for Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, seeking a fifth term from Hamirpur, and Congress candidate Anand Sharma from Kangra. Prominent candidates in Mandi include actor Kangana Ranaut and Vikramaditya Singh.
In Bihar, Union minister RK Singh is aiming for a third term from Arrah, with his main challenger being CPI(ML)’s Sudama Prasad. In Patna Sahib, veteran BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad faces Congress spokesman Anshul Avijit. In Pataliputra, Misa Bharti seeks a third attempt against BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav. Karakat features Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh as an Independent, with a multi-cornered fight involving Upendra Kushwaha (BJP), Raja Ram Kushwaha (CPI-ML), and Priyanka Chaudhary (AIMIM).
The polling process will mark the end of a significant electoral exercise, with counting of votes on June 4 set to determine the political landscape of the country.
