Lok Sabha Polls Phase 7: Final Phase Of World’s Largest Polling Marathon Set To Conclude With Modi In Fray

Lok Sabha Polls Phase 7: The final phase will be held on June 1, covering 57 constituencies in eight states and union territories. Over 10.06 crore electors will participate in the last phase.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is poised to conclude the final phase of the world's largest polling exercise on June 1, 2024. This concluding phase, Phase-7, will see elections in 57 Lok Sabha constituencies across eight states and union territories, alongside 42 Assembly constituencies in Odisha. The ECI has stated that it has meticulously prepared for this final phase, covering approximately 10.06 crore electors and over 1.09 lakh polling stations across the states of Bihar, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4th.

A statement released by the ECI highlighted the comprehensive preparations in place. "Polling parties have been dispatched along with machines and poll materials to their respective polling stations," it read. "Polling stations are ready to welcome the voters with all basic facilities including ample shade, drinking water, ramps, and toilets to ensure that polling takes place in a comfortable and secure environment."

Despite challenging weather conditions, voter turnout has been robust throughout the previous phases, with female voter participation surpassing male turnout in the last two phases, the poll body stated. The ECI has urged voters to participate actively. "The Commission has called upon voters to turn out in greater numbers at polling stations and vote with responsibility and pride," the statement added.

Voting starts at 7 AM, with poll timings varying across constituencies. Approximately 10.9 lakh polling officials will facilitate the voting process. Electorate demographics include around 5.24 crore males, 4.82 crore females, and 3,574 third-gender electors.

Following is the full list of constituencies going to poll on June 1:

• Bihar: Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat, Jahanabad


• Himachal Pradesh: Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Shimla


• Jharkhand: Rajmahal, Dumka, Godda


• Odisha: Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur


• Punjab: Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Anandpur Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Firozpur, Bathinda, Sangrur, Patiala


• Uttar Pradesh: Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushi Nagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Robertsganj


• West Bengal: Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar


• Chandigarh: Chandigarh

Uttar Pradesh

Thirteen crucial Lok Sabha seats, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency of Varanasi, are set to go to the polls in the final and seventh phase of the general elections on Saturday. Uttar Pradesh, which contributes 80 members to the Lower House of Parliament, has undergone a phased polling process spanning all seven phases of the election.

Simultaneously, the bypoll for the Duddhi (ST) assembly constituency in Sonbhadra district will also take place. Six candidates are vying for the seat, which became vacant after BJP MLA Ram Dular was disqualified following his conviction in a rape case.

The parliamentary constituencies where polling will occur include Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, and Robertsganj (SC), covering 11 districts.

Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led NDA and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc coalition, consisting of the Samajwadi Party and Congress. Apart from Prime Minister Modi, who is seeking a third term from Varanasi, there are 143 other candidates in the fray.

Among the notable seats are Varanasi, Gorakhpur—represented five times by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath—Chandauli, Maharajganj, and Mirzapur. Union ministers Mahendra Nath Pandey, Pankaj Chaudhary, and Anupriya Patel are contesting from these seats, respectively. Additionally, Ghazipur sees Afzal Ansari, brother of the late Mukhtar Ansari, competing, while Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, is in the race from Ballia.

Of the 144 candidates in this phase, 134 are men and 10 are women, with 11 general category seats and two SC reserved seats.

Key allies of the BJP, such as the NISHAD Party and Om Prakash Rajbhar's SBSP, have fielded candidates in this phase. Anupriya Patel of the BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) is seeking re-election.

Mayawati's BSP has also fielded candidates, including in Varanasi and Gorakhpur.

State Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa stated there are 2,50,56,877 eligible voters in the 13 Lok Sabha seats for the seventh phase, including 1,33,10,897 men, 1,17,44,922 women, and 1,058 transgender individuals, news agency PTI reported. He confirmed that polling parties had departed for their respective centres on Friday.

Rinwa also mentioned that carrying mobile phones or wireless sets inside polling booths is prohibited on polling day, June 1. Given the heat, adequate supplies of ORS and medical kits will be available at polling stations, along with arrangements for cold water and proper shade.

West Bengal

South Bengal, a traditional stronghold of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), heads to the polls on Saturday. The region faces a significant electoral battle that tests the party's dominance amid an 'old versus new' power struggle. With national attention on Sandeshkhali in Basirhat due to allegations of atrocities against women and land grabs, the stakes are high.

The seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal will cover Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, and Kolkata Uttar. In the 2019 elections, the TMC secured victories in all these constituencies. The results in these nine seats will be crucial for the TMC's continued dominance in the region, as the party faces challenges from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left-Congress alliance.

A total of 1.63 crore voters—83.19 lakh men, 80.20 lakh women, and 538 belonging to the third gender—are eligible to vote in 17,470 polling stations on June 1. Among the 124 contestants in this phase, Kolkata Dakshin has the highest number with 17 candidates, followed by Jadavpur with 16, and 15 each in Basirhat and Kolkata Uttar.

Several high-stakes battles are set to unfold in this phase. Notably, TMC heavyweight Abhishek Banerjee, considered the party's de facto number two, is contesting from Diamond Harbour again. Banerjee's performance in this seat, which the TMC touts as a 'model constituency', will be closely watched as the opposition attempts to paint it as a 'laboratory of violence'. The two-time MP faces CPI(M)'s Pratikur Rahaman and BJP's Abhijit Das in a three-way contest.

The minority-dominated Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, and specifically the Sandeshkhali segment, has garnered national attention due to allegations of atrocities against women and land grabs by local TMC leaders. The BJP has capitalised on these issues by nominating Rekha Patra, a prominent local protestor, against TMC veteran Haji Nurul Islam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal call to Patra before her campaign has added momentum to her candidacy. The CPI(M) has fielded former MLA Nirapada Sardar, making this a three-cornered contest.

In Kolkata North, seasoned parliamentarian and three-term TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay faces a tough challenge from Tapas Roy, a four-time TMC MLA who switched allegiance to the BJP. This contest epitomises the internal struggle within the TMC, with Bandyopadhyay representing the old guard and Roy symbolising the new wave of leaders. The Left-Congress nominee Pradip Bhattacharya is also in the fray.

Similarly, in the Dum Dum Lok Sabha seat, sharp changes in the electoral landscape compared to five years ago may bolster incumbent TMC MP Saugata Roy's chances against a tougher BJP challenge. With CPI(M) fielding central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, a well-known figure in state politics, a triangular contest emerges, potentially benefiting Roy, while BJP's candidate Shilbhadra Dutta, a former Trinamool MLA, further intensifies the competition.

In Kolkata Dakshin, TMC veteran Mala Roy is up against BJP's former union minister Debasree Chaudhuri. The TMC has fielded Saayoni Ghosh, an actor and president of the party's youth wing, in Jadavpur, where she faces stiff competition from CPI(M)'s Srijan Bhattacharya and BJP's Anirban Ganguly. The Jadavpur seat is historically significant for the TMC, as it was from here that a young Mamata Banerjee first made her mark by defeating CPI(M) veteran Somnath Chatterjee in 1984.

The South Bengal region has traditionally been a TMC fortress, with the party winning 30 out of 31 seats in South 24 Parganas, 29 out of 33 in North 24 Parganas, and all 16 seats in Kolkata in the 2021 assembly elections. The BJP's campaign has focused on issues of corruption, women's safety, and resistance to political muscle-flexing, which they believe resonate strongly in constituencies like Basirhat. The TMC, on the other hand, is banking on its developmental work and the charisma of its leaders to retain its dominance. The Left-Congress combine, armed with veteran candidates such as Sujan Chakraborty and first-timers like Srijan Bhattacharya, aims at breaking the TMC-BJP binary and reclaiming its relevance in Bengal politics.

For this phase of polling, the Election Commission has decided to deploy 960 companies of central forces to ensure security and prevent any untoward incidents, PTI reported.

Punjab

Punjab is witnessing a multi-cornered contest in all 13 Lok Sabha seats. The I.N.D.I.A. bloc allies—the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)—are contesting the polls separately, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are fighting independently for the first time since 1996. The Sukhbir Badal-led SAD walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws.

Besides the Congress, AAP, SAD, and the BJP, two other parties, SAD (Amritsar) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), have also fielded their candidates. All six parties are contesting all 13 seats in Punjab on Saturday. The Union Territory of Chandigarh will also go to the polls on the same day.

Prominent leaders like former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, three-time MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and four-time MP Preneet Kaur.

Among the prominent faces, BJP nominee and four-time MP Preneet Kaur is seeking re-election from the Patiala constituency. In Bathinda, three-time MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal (SAD) and BJP’s Parampal Kaur Sidhu, a former IAS officer, are vying for votes. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi (Congress) and BJP nominee Sushil Rinku are contesting from the Jalandhar reserved constituency.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Congress) and BJP candidate Dinesh Babbu are fighting from Gurdaspur. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring is up against BJP’s Ravneet Singh Bittu in Ludhiana. Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who is currently in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act (NSA), is contesting from Khadoor Sahib. Former diplomat and BJP nominee Taranjit Singh Sandhu faces Congress candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla in Amritsar.

The AAP has fielded five cabinet ministers among its 13 candidates: Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (Amritsar), Laljit Singh Bhullar (Khadoor Sahib), Gurmeet Singh Khuddian (Bathinda), Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer (Sangrur), and Balbir Singh (Patiala).

Congress candidate Sukhpal Khaira is contesting from Sangrur, while AAP’s Karamjit Singh Anmol and BJP’s Hans Raj Hans are in the fray from Faridkot. SAD (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann is also contesting from Sangrur, and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, son of Beant Singh, one of the assassins of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is contesting from the Faridkot reserved constituency.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress won eight of the 13 seats. The SAD and the BJP, then allies, won two seats each, while the AAP secured only the Sangrur seat. Following the Sangrur and Jalandhar bypolls in 2022 and 2023, the Congress holds seven seats, the SAD and the BJP two each, and the AAP and the SAD (Amritsar) one each.

In Chandigarh, BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon is pitted against Congress nominee and former Union Minister Manish Tewari.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C stated on Friday highlighted that 328 candidates, including 26 women, are contesting in Punjab, while 19 candidates, including two women, are contesting in Chandigarh, PTI reported.

A total of 2,14,61,739 voters, including 1,01,74,240 women and 773 transgenders, are eligible to vote in Punjab. In Chandigarh, there are 6,59,805 eligible voters, including 3,18,226 women and 35 third-gender individuals. For the 13 Lok Sabha seats, 24,451 polling stations have been set up, with 16,517 in villages and 7,934 in cities.

Around 70,000 security personnel, including central forces, have been deployed. Additionally, 1.20 lakh polling staff have been assigned.

In light of the heat wave, provisions such as drinking water, shades, 'chabeel' (sweetened water), medical kits, and oral rehydration solutions have been arranged at polling stations. A voter queue information system has been introduced, allowing voters to check queue lengths at their polling booths. The target is to achieve more than 70 per cent voter turnout in Punjab, the CEO stated, as per PTI.

Himachal Pradesh

The political fate of 37 candidates for four Lok Sabha seats and 25 nominees in six Assembly bypolls in Himachal Pradesh will be sealed in voting machines on June 1. The four Lok Sabha constituencies in contention are Hamirpur, Mandi, Kangra, and Shimla.

Simultaneously, bypolls are being held in six Assembly segments: Sujanpur, Dharamshala, Lahaul and Spiti, Barsar, Gagret, and Kutlehar. The survival and stability of Congress party’s 17-month-old government also hinge on the outcome of the Assembly bypolls. 

BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi, Bollywood actor Kangna Ranaut, and Congress candidate and state Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh were at the forefront, engaging in a series of controversial exchanges.

Prominent figures such as Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, seeking his fifth term from Hamirpur, and former Union minister Anand Sharma, running from Kangra, face significant stakes. 

A total of 57,11,969 voters, including 29,13,075 men, 27,98,859 women, and 35 third-gender persons, will determine the fate of these 62 candidates. The political landscape of Himachal Pradesh is poised for significant change as the state heads to the polls.

Bihar

The final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar is set for Saturday, with over 1.6 crore voters poised to decide the fate of 134 candidates across eight parliamentary constituencies. The stakes are particularly high for the BJP, which aims to retain its hold on five of these seats that contributed significantly to its state-wide tally of 17 in the previous elections.

Among the high-profile constituencies is Patna Sahib, where veteran BJP parliamentarian Ravi Shankar Prasad seeks a second consecutive term. His main challenger is Congress spokesperson Anshul Avijit, whose political lineage includes former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram.

In the neighbouring Patliputra, RJD president Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter, Misa Bharti, is trying her luck for the third time against BJP's Ram Kripal Yadav, who aims for a hat-trick. The BJP hopes the presence of AIMIM candidate Mohd Farooq Raza, endorsed by party chief Asaduddin Owaisi, will divide the RJD's vote base.

Arrah is another battleground where Union Minister RK Singh aims for a third term. His main rival, CPI(ML) Liberation's Sudama Prasad, stands strengthened by the party's alliance with the RJD and Congress, which saw it secure a record 12 seats in the last assembly polls. The Arrah constituency also includes a by-election for the Agiaon assembly segment following the disqualification of CPI(ML) MLA Manoj Manzil.

In Nalanda, the home district of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, JD(U) sitting MP Kaushlendra Kumar seeks a fourth term. His principal adversary is Sandeep Saurav, a CPI(ML) MLA and former JNU students' union leader.

The multi-cornered contest in Karakat has drawn attention, especially with Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh contesting as an Independent. Singh’s entry, after declining a BJP ticket from Asansol in West Bengal, led to his expulsion from the party. Upendra Kushwaha, leader of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, hopes to reclaim the seat he lost in 2019 after rejoining the NDA.

In Sasaram, the BJP replaced two-term MP Chhedi Paswan with Shivesh Ram. The reserved seat, traditionally a Congress stronghold, is being contested by Congress's Manoj Kumar, a recent BSP defector.

Jehanabad sees JD(U)'s Chandeshwar Prasad Chandravanshi defending his seat against RJD's Surendra Prasad Yadav, while in Buxar, BJP has fielded Mithilesh Tiwari, a former MLA, over sitting Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey. Tiwari faces RJD’s Sudhakar Singh, and Independent Anand Mishra, a former Assam cadre IPS officer.

Polling will take place at 16,634 stations, with Patna Sahib having the largest electorate at 22.90 lakh.

Lok Sabha Elections, Phase 7: Home Voting, Assured Minimum Facilities

 Special provisions for home voting are available for electors aged 85+ and persons with disabilities (PwD). 13 special trains and 8 helicopter sorties in Himachal Pradesh have been deployed to transport polling and security personnel, as per the release. A robust surveillance system with 172 observers, 2,707 flying squads, 2,799 static surveillance teams, and additional units ensures strict vigilance against any malpractice.

Additionally, stringent measures are in place at 201 international and 906 inter-state border check posts to monitor and prevent the illicit movement of liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies.

Ensuring accessibility, polling stations are equipped with Assured Minimum Facilities such as water, sheds, toilets, ramps, volunteers, wheelchairs, and electricity, enabling every voter, including the elderly and PwD, to cast their votes with ease.

Voter Information Slips have been distributed to all registered voters, serving as a facilitation measure and an invitation from the Commission to come and vote, although they are not mandatory for voting.