1 week ago
15
NEW DELHI:
Campaigning
for the third phase of the
Lok Sabha elections
ended on Sunday evening and seems set to be the most crucial test for the BJP. A total of 92 seats across 11 states and Union Territories will be going to the polls on May 7.
This phase will see all 26 seats in Gujarat, and parts of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh up for grabs.
More than 1,300 candidates, including approximately 120 women, are contesting in this phase.
Key candidates and seats
Notable contenders include Union ministers like Amit Shah in Gandhinagar, Jyotiraditya Scindia in Guna, Mansukh Mandaviya in Porbandar, Parshottam Rupala in Rajkot, Pralhad Joshi in Dharwad, and SP Singh Baghel in Agra.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Vidisha and Digvijaya Singh in Rajgarh have also entered the electoral arena this time.
The outcomes of former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai in Haveri and Badruddin Ajmal in Dhubri will also be determined on May 7.
In this phase in Uttar Pradesh, several members of Mulayam Singh Yadav's family are also participating in the elections.
With the BJP winning Surat uncontested, 25 seats in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat will go to polls on May 7, along with 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 out of 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, eight in Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa.
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The Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will also hold elections in the third phase, while voting for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat has been postponed to the sixth phase due to logistical issues.
In Maharashtra, a notable contest is underway in Baramati between Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
In Gujarat, BJP's Mukesh Dalal has already secured victory in Surat uncontested due to issues with the nomination of
Congress
' Nilesh Kumbhani.
In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP aims for a clean sweep among its 29 Lok Sabha seats. At a rally in Morena, Modi claimed Rajiv Gandhi abolished the inheritance tax to safeguard his inheritance from Indira Gandhi's death.
Campaigning heats up
Campainging in the run up to the third phase saw the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA bloc locked in fierce exchanges on
reservations
, terroris, Article 370; and sexual harassment allegations against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, which has rocked Karnataka politics.
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
, leading the BJP's charge, challenged the Congress to provide written assurance that they won't allocate reservations for Muslims among the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
In response, the Congress and its allies accused the BJP of attempting to alter the Constitution and abolish reservation policies. The main opposition party, which has pledged to eliminate the 50% cap on reservations, also demanded clarity from the BJP regarding its stance on the matter.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, accompanied by party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, emphasized issues related to social justice, unemployment, perceived injustice towards farmers, and alleged preferential treatment towards certain businessmen.
On the other hand, BJP leaders criticised the Congress regarding wealth redistribution and inheritance tax matters, accusing them of practicing appeasement politics. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi reiterated the Congress' pledge to conduct a caste census and economic survey if they come into power.
The BJP also criticized the Congress for what they perceive as a failure to tackle "anti-national activities," instances of 'Love Jihad,' and what they term as 'appeasement politics'.
They repeatedly mentioned incidents like the bomb blast at a cafe on March 1, the murder of Neha Hiremath on a college campus in Hubballi on April 18, and the chanting of pro-Pakistan slogans in the corridors of Vidhana Soudha on February 27.
The last day of campaigning also saw Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, BJP state unit president CR Paatil, and minister Harsh Sanghavi participate in motorcycle rallies.
The BJP faced backlash from the Kshatriya community over a remark made by Rupala in Rajkot.
The Aam Aadmi Party, contesting in Bhavnagar and Bharuch, organized rallies with Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and a roadshow in Bharuch with Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Uttar Pradesh witnessed numerous roadshows and rallies in its 10 constituencies, with Mulayam Singh Yadav's family members contesting in Mainpuri, Firozabad, and Budaun.
During rallies, Amit Shah targeted Rahul Gandhi, suggesting the need for a 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra' after June 4. BJP leaders alleged that Congress and SP leaders did not attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya for fear of alienating their vote bank.
Samajwadi Party
president Akhilesh Yadav campaigned extensively, attacking the BJP over reservation and other issues.
Tejashwi Yadav campaigned extensively for the RJD in Bihar. Despite heavy rains in Assam, both ruling and opposition parties campaigned vigorously. The BJP highlighted development schemes, while opposition parties focused on citizenship, connectivity, and unemployment issues.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also criticized the BJP over accusations of sexual harassment against Prajwal Revanna, who is the MP for Hassan and a leader of the JD(S), which is an ally of the BJP.
In response, BJP leader Amit Shah and others have questioned why the Congress-led government in Karnataka didn't take action against Revanna sooner. The JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA coalition in September last year.
Prajwal Revanna, who is the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and was the JD(S)-BJP alliance candidate from the Hassan seat, faced elections on April 26. Prajwal's father, H.D. Revanna, was arrested by a Special Investigation Team on Saturday in connection with a kidnapping case linked to allegations of sexual abuse against Prajwal, following the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea by a court.
PM Modi visits Ram temple
During his visit to Uttar Pradesh on the last day of campaigning on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi addressed two rallies and later visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
He criticised the "dynastic politics" of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, stating that while the opposition alliance focuses on benefiting their own families, he and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath are working for the betterment of the nation's future generations.
Highlighting that he and Yogi Adityanath do not have children, he emphasized that they are working for the children of the nation.
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