New Delhi: All political parties have jostled to put their energies into wooing the voters as the Lok Sabha elections enter the penultimate phase on Saturday.
Over 11.13 crore voters will be exercising their franchise across 58 constituencies in six States and two Union Territories to decide the fate of 889 candidates including two former Chief Ministers – Manohar Lal Khattar contesting as the BJP candidate from Karnal and Mehbooba Mufti as the PDP nominee from Anantnag-Rajouri.
Some prominent candidates include Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi.
Bansuri Swaraj, Somnath Bharti, Manoj Tiwari, Kanhaiya Kumar, Dinesh Lal Yadav alias ‘Nirahua’, Dharmendra Yadav, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Agnimitra Paul, Naveen Jindal, Raj Babbar, Deepender Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Aparajita Sarangia are among other prominent candidates in the fray.
The voting will start at 7 am, and the closure timing of polls may differ constituency-wise, according to the Election Commission of India.
As per the ECI, polling for 42 assembly constituencies of Odisha legislative assembly will also go to polls simultaneously on Saturday.
Haryana and NCT of Delhi will head to polls in this phase. Bihar, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are the other States/UTs which will continue with their polls in this phase.
The sixth phase includes eight seats in Bihar, all 10 seats in Haryana, one seat in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Jharkhand, all seven seats in Delhi, six in Odisha, 14 in Uttar Pradesh and eight in West Bengal.
As per the ECI, over 11.13 crore voters, including 5.84 crore males, 5.29 crore females, and 5120 third-gender electors will decide the fate of 889 candidates tomorrow.
The ECI also said that there are over 8.93 lakh registered 85+ years old, 23,659 voters above 100 years and 9.58 lakh PwD voters for phase 6 who have been provided the option to vote from the comfort of their homes. Around 11.4 lakh Polling officials will welcome over 11.13 crore voters across 1.14 lakh polling stations.
Concerned CEOs and State machineries have been directed to take adequate measures to manage the adverse impact of hot weather or rainfall wherever predicted.
The ECI said that polling stations are ready to welcome the voters with ample shade, drinking water, ramps, toilets, and other basic facilities to ensure that polling takes place in a comfortable and secure environment. Polling parties have been dispatched along with machines and poll materials to their respective polling stations.
The Commission has called upon voters to turnout in greater numbers at polling stations and vote with responsibility and pride. Voters of PCs in urban centres like Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad are especially reminded about their right and duty to vote and break the trend of urban apathy.
A total of 2222 flying squads, 2295 static surveillance teams, 819 video surveillance teams and 569 video viewing teams are keeping surveillance round the clock to deal with any form of inducement of voters strictly and swiftly.
According to the ECI, a total of 257 international Border check posts and 927 inter-state border check posts are keeping strict vigil on any illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash and freebies. Strict surveillance has been kept at sea and air routes.
Stakes are high for BJP as also for Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and other constituents of INDIA bloc in this phase of election.
PM Modi said that the opposition INDIA bloc would fail to win even a single seat in UP, and pitched the election as an opportunity to elect a strong leader who could make the world know India’s strength.
“The 2024 elections are an opportunity to choose the Prime Minister of the country — such a Prime Minister who runs a strong government that cannot be dominated by the world but that makes the world aware of India’s strength,” the PM said.
Opposition parties has mocked the slogan of ‘400 paar pitched by the BJP, claiming the ruling party would fail to cross 140 seats.
“It seems that they (the BJP leaders) are raising the slogan of 400 paar because they want to change the Constitution given by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, but I can say with confidence that they will fail to cross 140 seats,” SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said in Bhadohi.
Some of the key seats in this phase include New Delhi, North-East Delhi, North-West Delhi and Chandni Chowk in the national capital and Sultanpur and Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri, West Bengal’s Tamluk, Medinipur, Haryana’s Karnal, Kurukshetra, Gurgaon, Rohtak and Odisha’s Bhubaneswar, Puri and Sambalpur are some of the other key seats.
Campaigning ended for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday. Stakes are high for the BJP as also for Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and other constituents of INDIA bloc in this phase of the election.
The last phase, that is seventh phase of polling will be on the 1st of June for remaining 57 parliamentary constituencies with the counting of votes scheduled on June 4. Polling for 25 States/UTs and 428 PCs was completed in a smooth and peaceful manner in the first five phases of the General Elections.
