Campaigning for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections will end on Saturday evening. A total of 51 parliamentary seats spread over 7 states – Uttar Pradesh (15 seats), Rajasthan (12), 7 each in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, Bihar (5), Jharkhand (4) and one in Jammu and Kashmir, will go to polls in this phase on Monday. On the last day of campaigning, all the top leaders of two national parties BJP, Congress will make the last push to woo the votes. Also star campaigners of other regional political parties will leave no stone unturned to woo the voters.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold rallies in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh and Basti and Valmiki Nagar in Bihar, BJP president Amit Shah will hold a mega roadshow in Congress’ bastion Amethi from where Smriti Irani is election against Rahul Gandhi. Shah will also campaign in Fatehpur. Union Home minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh will campaign in Lucknow from where he is seeking re-election.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will hold a rally in UP’s Sultanpur whereas Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav will address public meetings in Bahraich and Gonda.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who is camping in Raebareli and Amethi for the last few days, the seats represented by her mother Sonia and brother Rahul, respectively, will hold a roadshow in Amethi to garner public support for the Congress president. Rahul is likely to join his sister when the roadshow begins. On Friday, Priyanka and her daughter Miraya had held a roadshow in Raebareli.
According to the Election Commission of India, as many as 674 candidates are in the fray for the fifth phase. Of them, 149 are from national parties, 31 from regional parties, 236 from parties from registered but smaller parties and 252 independents.
Also read: BJP is facing tough battle, Congress is winning all 7 seats in Delhi, says Ajay Maken
A total of 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh will vote in the fifth phase on Monday which includes Amethi, Raebareli where the direct contest is between the BJP and Congress. Rajnath is seeking re-election from Lucknow against Samajwadi Party candidate and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha’s wife Poonam Sinha.
World’s biggest democratic exercise is currently underway in India. Of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, voting has been completed in 373 seats (69% of the total seats) in the four of the seven phases. Polling in the fifth phase will cover 51 seats. The remaining 119 seats will see polling on May 12 and May 19. Results will be declared on May 23.