Polling kicks off for first phase of Lok Sabha elections
Polling for the first phase of the high-stakes Lok Sabha elections began at 7:00am on Friday. As many as 102 constituencies spread across 21 states are going to polls in the initial phase—voting for which will end at 6:00pm. The subsequent phases will be held on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. Around 96.9 crore people are eligible to vote in the seven-phase election—which will be conducted at over 1.2 million polling stations.
First phase of voting spans across 21 states
Here's the state-wise complete list of constituencies where polling is taking place on Friday. Assam (5 seats), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), Madhya Pradesh (6), Maharashtra (5), Manipur (2), Meghalaya (2) Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Rajasthan (12), Sikkim (1), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarakhand (5), West Bengal (3), Andaman & Nicobar (1), Jammu & Kashmir (1), Lakshadweep (1), Puducherry (1).
18 lakh polling personnel on ground
Per reports, 18 lakh polling personnel will work at 1.87 lakh polling stations to ensure smooth polling on Friday. In a video released on Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar appealed to voters to participate in the polls. Referring to the warning about heatwaves during the seven-phase elections, he had said, "There is talk about summer heat...it's true...We, should take all the precautions, but I know the spirit of the Indian voter will beat the summer heat."
8 Union ministers in fray
Among the contenders for the first phase of polls are nine Union ministers: Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), Kiren Rijiju (Arunachal West), Sarbanada Sonowal (Dibrugarh), Sanjeev Baliyan (Muzaffarnagar), Jitendra Singh (Udhampur), Bhupendra Yadav (Alwar), Arjun Ram Meghwal (Bikaner), L Murugan (Nilgiris), and Nisith Pramanik (Cooch Behar). Another prominent candidate is Tamilisai Soundararajan—who recently stepped down as Telangana governor and Puduchery Lieutenant Governor to re-enter politics. She is contesting from Chennai South Lok Sabha constituency.
Prominent Congress candidates
The prominent candidates in fray from largest party in opposition—the Congress—are Nakul Nath (Chhindwara), Imran Masood (Saharanpur), Gaurav Gogoi (Jorhat). Nakul is the son of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. Notably, Chhindwara was the only seat won by the Congress in the state in 2019. Gaurav is the son of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi. He won the general election twice from the Kaliabor constituency. After the delimitation exercise, he transitioned to the neighboring Jorhat constituency.
Phase 1 candidates analysis
According to a study by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 42 of the 102 constituencies have three or more candidates with criminal charges against them. Based on self-sworn affidavits of 1,618 candidates out of a total of 1,625 contesting in this phase, it was found that around 16% or 252 people have been implicated in criminal cases. Serious charges have been brought against approximately 10% or 161 candidates.
41% 'red alert' constituencies
Of the 102 seats going to polls in the first phase, 41% are deemed "red alert" constituencies, indicating that multiple candidates in these constituencies have criminal cases against them. Per the ADR study, seven candidates in fray in phase one elections are facing murder charges while nineteen are involved in attempted murder cases. Additionally, eighteen candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women, including one candidate facing a rape charge under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code.