Lok Sabha Elections Phase 3: As the voting commenced on 92 seats across 12 states and Union Territories in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, voters queued up to cast their vote amid tight security arrangements. Among the voters was a differently-abled voter, Rahul, who was brought to a polling booth in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj by his father to exercise his franchise.
After casting his vote, Rahul said, "I have voted earlier too (for earlier elections). It feels great".
The states where polling is underway include Assam (4 seats), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Goa (2), Gujarat (25), Karnataka (14), Madhya Pradesh (8), Maharashtra (11), Uttar Pradesh (10), West Bengal (4), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2). Some of the major names contesting in phase 3 voting of Lok Sabha elections 2024 include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Dimple Yadav, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Supriya Sule against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar.
The polling schedule for phase 3 is set to commence at 7 AM and conclude at 5 PM. However, the voting date for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir has been rescheduled to May 25 due to logistical and connectivity issues, with the vote count slated for June 4.
A total of 1,351 candidates from the aforementioned states and UTs are gearing up for the electoral battle in phase 3 of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. This figure encompasses eight candidates for the adjourned poll in the 29-Betul (ST) PC of Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, one candidate from the Surat parliamentary constituency had secured an uncontested victory.
The election process witnessed an intense phase of nominations, with 2,963 filed across 12 states and UTs. After scrutiny, 1,563 nominations were deemed valid, setting the stage for the upcoming electoral showdown.