Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) holds a canvas displaying a portrait of himself during his election rally in Chittorgarh, in the western state of Rajasthan, on April 21, 2019. / AFP / Himanshu Sharma
New Delhi: Campaigning came to an end yesterday in 117 constituencies spread over 15 States and Union Territories, which will go to the polls tomorrow in the third phase of the mega seven-phase electoral exercise.
Since poll timings vary in different seats, the campaigning period also ended at different times between 3pm and 6pm, 48 hours before the voting closure time at each constituency.
The 48-hour period preceding the conclusion of voting is called the “silence period” during which any kind of political campaigning is prohibited.
Earlier, 115 constituencies were to go to polls in the third phase, while polling will be held in one phase of Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag constituency. Polling to Tripura East, which was slated in the second phase, was deferred to the third phase on security concerns.
As the silence period began, the election rallies and street corner meetings ended in 26 seats of Gujarat, all 20 in Kerala, 14 seats each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in Chhattisgarh, six in Odisha, five each in Bihar and West Bengal, four in Assam, two in Goa, and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura, and the Union Territories of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The third phase of Lok Sabha elections scheduled tomorrow will see the maximum number of seats going to the polls in a single phase — 117 across 15 states and Union Territories. It will also be a test for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which will aim to defend the maximum number of seats at 62.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had won 62 of the 115 seats in the third phase, and its performance in this phase will be crucial in deciding its political fortunes.
The Congress had won 16 seats, while the remaining seats were divided between BJD (6), CPI-M (7), NCP (4), Samajwadi Party (3), Shiv Sena (2), RJD (2), AIUDF (2), IUML (2), LJP (1), PDP (1), RSP (1), Kerala Congress-M (1), CPI (1), Swabhimani Paksha (1) and Trinamool Congress (1). Three seats were won by Independent candidates.
This time the BJP will be tested in its bastion Gujarat — where polling will be held for all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state — apart from Karanataka, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, where the party had done well in 2014. In 2014, the BJP won all the 26 seats in Gujarat, 11 of 14 in Karnataka, 8 of 10 in Uttar Pradesh, 6 of 7 in Chhattisgarh, 6 of 14 in Maharashtra, both the seats in Goa and one seat each in Assam, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The Presidents of the two main political parties are in fray in the third phase with BJP chief Amit Shah making his Lok Sabha election debut from Gandhinagar and Congress President Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad. Gujarat being the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP would again look for clean sweep in the state. However, the Congress, which gave a tough fight to the BJP in the Assembly polls held in 2017, is hoping to win 10 to 15 seats this time. The three young Gujarat leaders — Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mewani — whose positions had helped the Congress build a narrative against the BJP during the Assembly elections, are not in the fray for the Lok Sabha polls.
Patidar agitation leader Patel, who joined the Congress last month, cannot contest due to his conviction in a rioting case, while Thakor quit the Congress earlier this month. In Karnataka, the BJP is considered to have strong footing in many of the 14 seats going to the polls tomorrow. However, the saffron party faces tough challenge from the Congress-JD-S combine.
AAP announces 3 candidates in Haryana
NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) yesterday announced its Lok Sabha candidates for three seats in Haryana which it will contest in alliance with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). Haryana AAP chief Naveen Jaihind will contest for Faridabad, former Director General of Police Prithvi Raj from Ambala and advocate Krishan Kumar Agarwal from Karnal — three of the 10 seats where the AAP will be contesting, AAP leader and Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said. The JJP, which is contesting on seven seats in Haryana that votes on May 12, on Thursday announced four names.
Priyanka ready to contest from Varanasi
WAYANAD: Congress General-Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said she will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi if asked by her brother and party President Rahul Gandhi. She said this just before departing from here on a helicopter after winding up her two-day trip to the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting, apart from his Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh. “I am ready to contest and will contest from Varanasi if Rahul Gandhi asks me,” said Priyanka Gandhi, just before departing from here.
