AGENCIES / WEB DESK
Campaigning is gaining momentum for the remaining two phases of Lok Sabha elections. Polling in the sixth phase will be held in 59 parliamentary constituencies spread across seven states on May 12. 14 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, 10 in Haryana, 8 each in Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, seven in Delhi and four in Jharkhand will go to polls in this phase.
Star campaigners of various political parties are addressing rallies at several places. BJP President Amit Shah and Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi are campaigning in West Bengal today.
Addressing an election rally at Ghatal in West Midnapore District, the BJP President reiterated that NRC will be launched through out the country to deal with illegal infiltrations. He claimed that Narendra Modi led Government at the Centre gave more than 4 lakh 34 thousand crore rupees to West Bengal in last 5 years as against UPA’s 1 lakh 32 thousand crore rupees. He also blamed West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee for stalling development activities in the State.
Refuting the charges, Mamata Banerjee said that the NDA Government has failed to fulfill its commitment to the people. Addressing an election rally at Ranibandh in Bankura District, She said, the State Government has done enormous work for the welfare of residence of Jangal Mahal besides turning it a Maoists free areas.
In Madhya Pradesh, star campaigners of various political parties are making whirlwind tours at different places in the state to garnering support for their candidates. Eight Lok Sabha seats of the state Bhopal, Gwalior, Guna, Vidisha, Sagar, Rajgadh, Bhind, and Morena will go to polls in the sixth phase on 12 May. A total of 138 candidates are in the fray in this phase. Some of the prominent candidates of this phase are Central Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, ,senior Congress leader Jyotiradity Scindia and Vivek Shejwalkar.Top leaders of various political parties are holding public meetings at various places across the state to woo voters.
In Uttar Pradesh, after completion of five phases of election in state, the poll machinery is heading towards sixth phase poll that will be held in 14 constituencies on May 12th,Sunday. In this phase all constituencies are spread in Eastern part of state. Out of 14, two constituencies are reserved for scheduled caste candidates. Constituencies where polling will be held are Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Phulpur , Allahabad , AmbedkarNagar ,Shravasti, Dumariyaganj, Basti , Sant kabir Nagar ,Lalganj , Azamgarh , Jaunpur, Machhalishahar and Bhadohi. The Key contestants In this phase are Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav , Union Minister Maneka Gandhi , BJP leader and minister in state government Rita Bahuguna Joshi , BJP’s Jagdambika Pal and Congress leader Dr Sanjay Singh.
In Haryana, 10 seats will go to polls on 12th of May. Contest is emerging between congress and BJP on Karnal, Ambala, Faidabad, Gurugram and Rohtak seats where as triangular contests among the BJP, Congress and Jannayak Janta Party-Aam Aadmi Party alliance have surfaced in Hisar, Sonipat and Bhiwani-Mahendergarh and between the BJP, Congress and Indian National Lok Dal in Sirsa and Kurukshetra. The JJP was formed after the split in Indian National Lok Dal.
The Loktantrik Suraksha Party and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance though contesting on all the seats but does not seem to be giving a direct fight so far.
In Haryana the tides turned for BJP in 2014, when riding on the Modi-wave, the BJP was able to win seven seats. At present Congress has only one constituency to its credit. Now when the main poll plank of BJP has become national security besides develoment and performance of state and central governments, Congress is banking on the roots of Bhupinder Singh Hooda and its other senior leaders.
In Haryana the constituencies of Karnal, Hisar, Rohtak, Faridbad, Sonipat and Kurukshetra are of special interest. Karnal, the crucial constituency, where main contest is between CM Manohar Lal’s pick Sanjay Bhatia and former speaker Kuldeep Sharma, is being seen as a battle of prestige for Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal, who represents the assembly segment here.
In Faridabad, direct fight is being seen between sitting MP Krishan Pal Gurjar and former MP Avtar Singh Bhadana. While the Aam Aadmi Party and JJP alliance candidate Naveen Jaihind, state convener of AAP may make the contest trianular here also.Congress politician, Bhadana had defected to the BJP in 2014 and returned to the parent party before polls.
Hisar is the constituency, which would see the most interesting contest, where JJP candidate Dushyant Chautala, grandson of Chaudhary Devi Lal, Congress nominee Bhavya Bishnoi grandson of Bhajan Lal and BJP candidate Brijendra Singh, grand grand son of Sir Chhotu Ram are in fray. Brijender Singh who resigned as IAS officer to contest the seat is son of Union Minister Birender Singh also has a distinguished political lineage whereas Dushyant Chautala is sitting MP here. What has made the contest more eye catching, is the MLA moms of all the three candidates are actively campaigning and seeking votes for their sons.
In Rohtak the contest is seen between sitting MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Arvind Sharma of BJP. Chief Minister has thrown its weight behind Arvind Sharma. The candidates are also making violence during reservation stir issue here. In Sonipat seat, former Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda is facing sitting BJP mp Ramesh Kaushik, JJP candidate Digvijay Chautala has made the contest triangular. In Kurukshetra also Arjun Chautala has made the contest triangular and giving fight to BJP candidate Nayab Singh Saini.
Three lakh electors are in the age group of 18-19 years in Haryana and 1 lakh 60 thousand electors among them have registered themselves during last three months, which shows tremendous craze among the youth for elections this time.
In the seventh and final phase of General elections, 59 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across eight states will go to polls on 19th May.