This phase will encompass 89 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura, UP, West Bengal, and J&K…reports Asian Lite News
The second round of voting for the 18th Lok Sabha elections is slated for April 26, subsequent to the initial phase held on April 19, which witnessed a participation rate of roughly 64 per cent.
This phase will encompass 89 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 13 states, comprising Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Bihar
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Campaigning ended on Wednesday for five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar where electors will decide the fate of 50 candidate in the second phase of polling on April 26.
Leading the NDA charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Purnea, a seat which is being contested by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed his first election meeting in Bihar at Bhagalpur, a seat the party is contesting after more than two decades.
The party has fielded MLA Ajeet Sharma against JD(U) MP Ajay Mandal from the seat.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed rallies in Kishanganj, the lone seat the party secured in Bihar in 2019, and at Katihar, where former Union minister Tariq Anwar is trying to wrest back his pocket borough from JD(U) MP Dulal Chandra Goswami.
The Congress is contesting nine of the state’s 40 Lok Sabha seats, and three of these are going to polls in the second phase.
Polls are also due, on April 26, in Banka, where JD(U) MP Giridhari Yadav’s bid to retain the seat faces a challenge from his predecessor Jai Prakash Yadav of RJD.
Assam
A high-pitched campaign for five parliamentary constituencies in Assam for the second phase of polls scheduled on April 26 ended on Wednesday.
A total of 61 candidates are in the fray.
Polling will be held for the two constituencies in Barak Valley – Silchar (SC) and Karimganj, one in the hill district – Diphu (ST) and two in the Brahmaputra Valley – Nagaon and Darrang-Udalguri.
Among the national leaders, Union Home Minister Amit Shah campaigned during the second phase by holding a roadshow in Silchar (SC) for the BJP candidate and Assam Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, while Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also campaigned in the second phase for the party’s Silchar (SC) candidate Radheshyam Biswas.
Chhattisgarh
The high-decibel campaign for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls covering three seats in Chhattisgarh, where voting will take place on Friday, ended on Wednesday evening, marked by acrimonious exchanges between the main rivals BJP and the Congress over issues like corruption, the Constitution and pre-poll promises.
The saffron party’s electioneering for the second phase saw rallies by prominent leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, while for the Congress, its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the campaigning. Three Lok Sabha seats — Rajanandgaon, where former CM Bhupesh Baghel of the Congress is in the fray, Kanker (ST) and Mahasamund — will go to polls on April 26 (Friday) in the second phase.
Kerala
The over month-long, high-octane public campaign for the April 26 Lok Sabha polls drew to a close in Kerala on Wednesday, with various political parties holding massive rallies and road shows across the state, marking its culmination. Candidates wrapped up their final outdoor campaigning by touring major centres of the constituency, reaching out to voters, and reassuring their votes.
Even the final day of election campaign was marked by the presence of various national leaders in the state, including Home Minister Amit Shah, AICC Chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who addressed public meetings in various constituencies.
Madhya Pradesh
Union minister Virendra Kumar and Madhya Pradesh BJP chief VD Sharma are among 80 candidates in the fray from six constituencies in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state, campaigning for which ended on Wednesday evening.
The upcoming contest is a straight fight between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, which had won just one of the 29 seats in MP in the 2019 general elections.
Uttar Pradesh
Campaigning for the second phase of polling slated for April 26 in eight Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh came to an end on Wednesday evening.
The eight constituencies where voting will be held on Friday are Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and Mathura.
The Congress’ Danish Ali from Amroha and the BJP’s Atul Garg from Ghaziabad and Mahesh Sharma from Gautam Buddha Nagar toured their constituencies seeking the people’s support.
Rajasthan
Electioneering ended Wednesday evening in Rajasthan for the 13 remaining seats, including two constituencies where former chief ministers campaigned for their sons.
Among the 152 candidates in the fray in this phase are two Union ministers, the BJP state president and a former Assembly Speaker.
Maharashtra
As many as 204 candidates will battle it out for eight Lok Sabha seats on Friday in Maharashtra where the high-voltage campaigning for the second phase of polling ended on Wednesday evening.
A total of 1,49,25,912 voters — 77, 21, 374 males, 72,04,106 females and 432 of the third gender — are eligible to exercise their franchise and decide the electoral fate of 204 candidates.
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