New Delhi: As voting for the second phase of polling started on Thursday morning, Congress president Rahul Gandhi urged voters to "vote for Nyay" (justice).

Gandhi also appealed to voters to vote for justice to the unemployed youth, struggling farmers, small businessmen and those who were persecuted due to their religion or caste. He used the hashtag "VoteNyayVoteCongress" with his appeal.

"Nyay" is also the social welfare scheme announced by the Congress party in its election manifesto that promises to pay Rs 72,000 per annum to families living below the poverty line.

Voting will take place across 12 states and the Union Territory of Puducherry, including 38 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

A few constituencies of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal will vote in Phase 2.

In addition to these, 35 Assembly segments under five Lok Sabha constituencies of Odisha — Bolnagir, Aska, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Kandhamal — will also vote in the state polls. The Odisha Assembly election is being held in four phases simultaneously with the Lok Sabha election. Phase 1 saw polling in 28 Assembly constituencies.