Arunachal CM Pema Khandu calls for record voter turnout as sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections begins

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu took to microblogging site X to encourage voters to turn out in large numbers for the penultimate sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Khandu urged the electorate to participate actively, emphasizing the importance of strengthening democracy through voter participation. He made a special appeal to women and young voters to exercise their franchise.

Polling for the sixth phase has begun across six states and two Union Territories, with over 110 million voters deciding the fate of 889 candidates competing for 58 seats. This crucial phase includes prominent political figures such as BJP’s Maneka Gandhi and Manoj Tiwari, Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party's Mehbooba Mufti, and Congress's Kanhaiya Kumar.

Voting is taking place in Haryana (10 seats), Bihar (8), Jharkhand (4), Odisha (6), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (8), Delhi (7), and Jammu and Kashmir (1). Alongside the Lok Sabha elections, polling for 42 Assembly constituencies in the Odisha State Legislative Assembly is also underway.

In Delhi, all seven Lok Sabha seats—North East Delhi, North West Delhi, Chandni Chowk, South Delhi, East Delhi, West Delhi, and New Delhi—are up for grabs. Notable candidates include BJP's Manoj Tiwari and Bansuri Swaraj, Congress's Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj, and Aam Aadmi Party's Somnath Bharti.

Haryana's 10 seats feature significant contenders such as former Chief Minister and BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar from Karnal, BJP's Rao Inderjit Singh from Gurugram, and Naveen Jindal from Kurukshetra.

In West Bengal, the tribal belt Jangal Mahal region is a focal point, with voting in five districts across eight seats. The BJP won five of these seats in 2019, with the TMC securing three. This time, Soumendu Adhikari, brother of senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, is contesting from Kanthi. In Tamluk, former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay is up against TMC’s Debangshu Bhattacharya, known for his "Khela Hobe" anthem.

Polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, originally scheduled for May 7, is also taking place today after being postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

In the 2019 elections, the Congress did not win any of the 58 seats contested in this phase. The BJP secured 40 seats, with its NDA allies winning five. The BJP-led NDA garnered 51.36% of the vote share, while the INDIA bloc parties managed 28.66%.