Campaigning ends for 6th phase Lok Sabha polls in 58 seats

As the clock winds down towards the penultimate phase of the monumental Lok Sabha elections, the fervor of political campaigning reached its zenith on Thursday across several states and union territories of India. A total of 58 constituencies spanning six states and two Union territories, including all seven seats in the capital city of Delhi, gear up for polling on Saturday in the sixth round of this seven-phase electoral extravaganza.

Among the regions poised for electoral participation are 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the entire gamut of 10 seats in Haryana, eight seats each in Bihar and West Bengal, six seats in Odisha, four seats in Jharkhand, and one seat in the politically sensitive region of Jammu and Kashmir.

With this phase, the electoral map now encompasses 25 states and Union territories, incorporating 428 constituencies out of the total 543. The conclusive phase of polling is slated for June 1, with the much-anticipated counting of votes set for June 4.

Notable contestants in this phase include prominent figures such as Dharmendra Pradhan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contesting from Sambalpur in Odisha, Manoj Tiwari and Kanhaiya Kumar battling it out in North East Delhi under the banners of BJP and Congress respectively, and the formidable presence of Maneka Gandhi representing BJP in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Further, the electoral landscape witnesses the participation of Mehbooba Mufti from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Anantnag-Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir, and Abhijit Gangopadhyay from BJP in Tamluk, West Bengal, alongside BJP stalwarts Manohar Lal Khattar, Naveen Jindal, and Rao Inderjit Singh in various constituencies.

However, amidst the frenzied last-minute push by political parties, the Election Commission issued a stern directive on Wednesday, admonishing leaders from both the ruling BJP and opposition Congress to desist from making statements that could potentially stoke religious or communal sentiments, and cautioned against any rhetoric that might undermine the socio-economic fabric of the armed forces.

In the final moments of campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his presence felt with rallies held in Punjab and Haryana, while the Congress Party's campaign was spearheaded by its top brass including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Sachin Pilot, among others.