New Delhi: The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections is being held today, many important constituencies that could tilt the balance for various political parties in this phase. A total of 102 seats will witness voters exercising their democratic rights to elect their representatives. The BJP aims for a third term, while the INDIA bloc seeks to secure victories where possible.
In Coimbatore, the Lok Sabha battleground is set for a high-stakes clash, with DMK leader Ganapathy P Rajkumar and AIADMK’s Singai Ramachandran confronting Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai. Annamalai’s candidacy is being watched by the political pundits who led the team BJP in this election fiercely. Will Annamalai’s efforts yield results? Need to be wait and watch.
Philibit, is the important constituency, as the BJP has replaced it’s two-time MP Varun Gandhi and fielded Jitin Prasada, a former Congress member who joined the BJP in 2021. He is facing competition from both BSP and SP party in the northern state.
BJP stalwart, Union Minister for Surface Transport, Highways, Nitin Gadkari is contesting from Maharashtra’s Nagpur constituency with an aim to enter the parliament for the third time. He faces competition from Congress candidate Vikas Thakre, who is also Nagpur West MLA.
It will be interesting to watch, whether BJP would be able to win Chhindwara seat in Madhya Pradesh, where former CM Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath once again contesting from Congress party. The BJP has fielded Vivek Bunty Sahu
Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is contesting from Gaya, In Gaya constituency 14 candidates vying for victory, while the BJP has allocated the Gaya (reserved) seat to its ally, the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S).
The Jorhat constituency in Assam emerges as a litmus test for Congress’s deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, seeking reelection. Despite being a BJP stronghold, Gogoi’s decision to contest from Jorhat instead of his family’s bastion raises interest.
Simultaneously, assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32 seats) are underway. Polling commences at 7 am and concludes at 6 pm, with over 18 lakh polling personnel deployed across 1.87 lakh polling stations to oversee the voting process. A staggering 16.63 crore eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots.
Today Lok Sabha elections are underway in all the 39 seats of Tamil Nadu, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, and Lakshadweep.
Polling is underwa in 12 seats in Rajasthan, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, 6 in Madhya Pradesh, 5 each in Assam and Maharashtra, 4 in Bihar, 3 in West Bengal, 2 in Manipur, and one each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh.
