Today (April 17) marks the culmination of campaigning for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, with the first phase of voting scheduled to take place tomorrow on 102 seats across 21 states. In the fray are key political battlegrounds where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks to replicate its past successes. With voting spanning regions from Arunachal Pradesh to Maharashtra, including major constituencies like Tamil Nadu’s 39 setas and Uttar Pradesh's eight, political parties have been fervently canvassing for support across the country.
As the first phase of the much-awaited Lok Sabha elections draws to a close, political parties and leaders are making their final pitches to voters across various states.
BJP Star Campaigners Take Centre Stage
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Rajnath Singh are poised to intensify the campaigning efforts for the saffron party today.
PM Modi is scheduled to address gatherings in the northeastern states of Assam and Tripura.
As per his schedule, he will address a gathering at 11 AM in Assam’s Nalbari. And at around 2 PM he will be holding rallies in Tripura’s capital Agartala.
Rajnath is to hold rallies in Kerala today. Singh will address a rally at 11.20 AM in Kasargod, his next rally will be at 3:25 pm in Vadakara, and last for the day at 4:55 pm in Kannur.
Show Of Unity: Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav In UP Today
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav are set to hold a joint press conference in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad today. Contesting under the banner of I.N.D.I.A bloc, the two leaders will be seen campaigning for SP’s candidate Dolly Sharma. Ghaziabad Lok Sabha constituency has been given by SP to Congress. For the first phase, voting will be held on 8 seats on April 19. This includes important seats of Western UP – Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, and Sambhal. Notably, till now Congress has not held any major public meeting except the coordinators' meeting.
BSP To Campaign In Rajasthan Today
After winning two seats in the Rajasthan Assembly poll last year, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo is all in to make way for more votes. Mayawati will be holding public meetings in Rajasthan’s Alwar today.
It is to be noted that this time, BSP has strategically positioned itself in the Jalore-Sirohi, Nagaur, Alwar, Bharatpur, and Dholpur-Karauli Lok Sabha seats. The seat equation effectively addresses the caste dynamics and ostensibly makes an electorate contest triangular.
Kharge In Nagaland, Karnataka, Priyanka To Take Charge In UP Today
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will be holding public meetings in Nagaland and Karnataka today. He is all set to address a gathering at noon in Nagaland’s Dimapur. And
Another meeting is scheduled for 4 PM in Karnataka’s Kolar.
Priyanka Gandhi’s roadshow in Saharanpur, Western UP, is expected to inject momentum into the grand old party’s campaign. With the party eyeing gains in the region, Priyanka’s strategic itinerary includes visits to religious sites, culminating in a roadshow throughout the city.
Congress candidate Imran Masood is contesting against BJP's Raghav Lakhanpal and BSP's Majid Ali on this seat.
- As per her itinerary, Priyanka Gandhi Will reach Sarsawa airport at 10 AM.
- From there she will go by helicopter to visit Siddha Peeth Maa Shakambhari Devi.
- After that, after reaching Gol Kothi in Jain Bagh, she will go to Shri Jain Temple.
- After that, her roadshow will pass through the Ranghodo Bridge and end at the Gurudwara.
Electoral Preparations And Security Measures
Electoral officials across states have outlined preparations for the polling process.
Nikunja Dhal, Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, stressed the need for a streamlined nomination process when asked about preparations ahead of the first phase of polling.
In Uttarakhand, DSP Abhinav Kumar assured the public of heightened security measures across the polling stations.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi, security personnel held a flag march. Take a look here:
Lok Sabha 2024: Voting To Begin Tomorrow For Phase 1
The voting for the first phase of the elections is going to take place on April 19 (Thursday). 102 seats across 21 states and union territories will vote for the first phase of the elections tomorrow.
Several high-profile constituencies such as Chennai South, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Jamui, are under the spotlight. Notably, Soundrarajan, the former Telangana Governor who recently resigned has been nominated to contest from the Chennai south seat. Additionally, K Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu BJP chief, has been selected as the candidate for the Coimbatore constituency.