Campaigning for the second phase of Lok Sabha Elections ended this evening. The elections will be held in 88 Lok Sabha seats in 13 States and Union Territories including the remaining part of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency. The voting for this phase will be held on Friday. Polling for the Betul (ST) Parliamentary Constituency of Madhya Pradesh which was scheduled in the second phase will now be held in the third phase due to the demise of the BSP Candidate. A total of 1,198 candidates from 13 States and UTs along with four candidates from the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency are in the fray in this phase.
Top leaders of major political parties made last-ditch efforts to woo the voters by holding back-to-back rallies and road shows. Prime Minister and Senior BJP leader, Narendra Modi addressed a public meeting in Ambikapur city of Chhattisgarh and at Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh today. Senior BJP leader Amit Shah held a poll meeting at Alappuzha in Kerala this afternoon.
BJP President JP Nadda addressed a public meeting at Bhagalpur in Bihar. Grand Alliance leaders of RJD, Congress, Vikas Sheel Insaan Party and Left parties also campaigned in support of their candidates. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended an election rally in Amravati Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra today. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke at a Social Justice Conclave organised by the party in the national capital.
In Assam, Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma held a rally at Dalgaon for the party candidate. State Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah addressed a meeting at Nagaon constituency. AIUDF President Badruddin Ajmal, and Bodoland People’s Party chief Hagrama Mahilary also held election rallies today.
In Rajasthan, the election campaign for the second phase ends this evening. 13 Lok Sabha constituencies will go to poll on Friday. These include Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran. Today, on the last day of campaigning, BJP, Congress, BSP, other parties and independent candidates put their full might into the election campaign.
In Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party Chief, Akhilesh Yadav campaigned in Mainpuri and Etawah districts. The high-decibel poll cacophony fell silent as the hectic campaign for the second phase of elections on eight seats of Lok Sabha in Uttar Pradesh ended this evening. All parties have now intensified their campaigning for the next phase of elections in the State. The eight seats which will go for poll on the 26th of April are Amroha, Baghpat, Bulandshahar, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh Mathura and Meerut. Campaigning ended on the seats this evening while candidates and their supporters are engaging in interpersonal canvassing now. Many star campaigners of different political parties campaigned for their party candidates when elections were in the next phases. Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav campaigned in Mainpuri and Etawah districts and said the BJP wanted to change the constitution. Senior BJP leader and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath launched the media centre for the election at the party office in the State capital Lucknow today. He alleged that the Congress Party is eyeing the property of common people. On the other hand, Congress in charge of elections in Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pandey held a meeting with party functionaries in the Aonla constituency of Bareilly district.
In Kerala, the Intense campaign for Loksabha Polls reaches its climax as the State goes to polls on Friday. With just one day left for the electorate to cast their votes, the State is all prepared for election in all 20 constituencies. Tomorrow will be the day for silent campaigning by all the candidates. The three major fronts, BJP-led NDA, Congress-led UDF, and CPI( M) )-led LDF had left no stone unturned to ensure victory for their sides. The State witnessed frequent visits of national leaders, star campaigners, heated debates and social media campaigns. 194 candidates are in the fray for 20 Lok Sabha seats in the State. Over 2.77 crore voters will be exercising their voting rights in 25358 polling stations across the State.
Disclaimer: This press release is sourced from News On AIR, Prasar Bharti and Press Information Bureau India (PIB).