Maha Political Dynamics, BJP's South Push In Focus As Curtains Go Up On Phase 2 In 88 Seats Today

Lok Sabha elections: Congress's Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor and BJP's Hema Malini and Rajeev Chandrasekhar are among the key candidates in fray for the second phase of polling.

Rahul Gandhi, Hemala Malini, Shashi Tharoor and Rajeev Chandrasekhar are among the key candidates in fray.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: As 88 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states and 1 Union Territory head to the polls on Friday, all eyes are on a slew of senior BJP and Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor from the Congress, as well as Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Kailash Choudhary, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who are contesting in what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested battle, particularly in BJP strongholds.

With the first phase polls already done and dusted in 102 seats on April 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has intensified his attack on the Congress, alleging its intentions to extend nationwide reservation to Muslims within the quotas designated for Other Backward Classes.

Kerala, much like Tamil Nadu in the first phase, presents a crucial test for the BJP's ambitious expansion plans. Meanwhile, Maharashtra and, to a lesser extent, Karnataka are being watched keenly due to the emergence of new political dynamics since 2019.

Former BJP ally Uddhav Thackeray now leads the I.N.D.I.A bloc in Maharashtra, while the Shiv Sena, once under his leadership, is now allied with the BJP under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Additionally, the Nationalist Congress Party, a significant regional player, has split, with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's faction aligning with the BJP.

In Karnataka, where the Congress is currently in power, its former ally JD(S) has switched camps to join the BJP. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance holds sway in 27 of the state's 28 seats, with the I.N.D.I.A bloc hoping to make inroads with its welfare initiatives.

In Kerala, where the BJP has never secured a seat, the party is banking on candidates like actor Suresh Gopi, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Anil Antony, son of veteran Congress leader A K Antony, to make electoral gains. Chandrasekhar has been pitted against three-time Congress MP Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram, while Rahul Gandhi seeks re-election from Wayanad, his current Lok Sabha constituency.

Lok Sabha Elections Phase 2: Details

State/ UT	Constituencies
Assam	Kaliabor, Karimganj, Mangaldoi, Nawgong, and Silchar
Bihar	Banka, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Kishanganj, and Purnia
Chhattisgarh	Kanker, Mahasamund, and Rajnandgaon
Karnataka	Bangalore Central, Bangalore North, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore South, Chamarajanagar, Chikballapur, Chitradurga, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kolar, Mandya, Mysore, Tumkur, and Udupi-Chikmagalur
Kerala	Alappuzha, Alathur, Attingal, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Mavelikkara, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Ponnani, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Vadakara, and Wayanad
Jammu and Kashmir	Jammu
Madhya Pradesh	Akola, Amravati (SC), Buldhana, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Wardha, and Yavatmal-Washim
Maharashtra	Akola, Amravati, Bhagalpur, Buldhana, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Yavatmal-Washim
Manipur	Outer Manipur (13 assembly segments)
Rajasthan	Ajmer, Banswara, Barmer, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Jalore, Jhalawar-Baran, Jodhpur, Kota, Pali, Rajsamand, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Udaipur
Tripura	Tripura East
Uttar Pradesh	Aligarh, Amroha, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Meerut
West Bengal	Darjeeling, Raiganj, Balurghat

 

 

Lok Sabha Polls Phase-2: Key Constituencies

The Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 2 polls will see crucial battles among heavyweight candidates. Among the key candidates in the fray are:

Congress Candidate	Constituency
Rahul Gandhi	Wayanad
Shashi Tharoor	Thiruvananthapuram
Pradyut Bordoloi	Nowgong
Bhupesh Baghel	Rajnandangaon
DK Suresh	Bangalore Rural
M Lakshman	Mysore
K Muraleedharan	Thrissur
Vaibhav Gehlot	Jalore
Sowmya Reddy	Bangalore South
Vasantrao Chavan	Nanded

 

BJP Candidate	Constituency
Hema Malini	Mathura
Arun Govil	Meerut
Atul Garg	Ghaziabad
Parimal Suklabaidya	Silchar
Suresh Bora	Nowgong
Shobha Karandlaje	Bangalore North
PC Mohan	Bangalore Central
Tejasvi Surya	Bangalore South
Yaduveer Wadiyar	Mysore
K Surendran	Wayanad
Rajeev Chandrasekhar	Thiruvananthapuram
Anil Antony	Pathanamthitta
Raju Bista	Darjeeling
Sukanta Majumdar	Balurghat
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat	Jodhpur
Om Birla	Kota
Navneet Rana	Amravati