Campaigning for the final phase of Lok Sabha elections in 57 seats across seven states and the Union territory of Chandigarh concluded on Thursday evening. The polling, scheduled for June 1, includes all 13 seats of Punjab and four of Himachal Pradesh, 13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha, and three seats in Jharkhand, along with Chandigarh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is vying for a third consecutive term from Varanasi.
As campaigning ends, PM Modi arrived in Kanyakumari on Thursday to embark on a 45-hour-long meditation session at the famed Vivekananda Rock Memorial. He arrived from nearby Thiruvananthapuram and he offered worship at the Bhagavathi Amman temple. He will then reach Vivekananda Rock Memorial and perform meditation for nearly two days.
All arrangements, including heavy security, are in place for Modi’s 45-hour stay at the famed, mid-sea memorial, named after the revered Hindu saint.
Voting has already taken place in 486 seats across 28 states and Union territories. The voter turnout for the preceding six phases was as follows: 66.14%, 66.71%, 65.68%, 69.16%, 62.2%, and 63.36%, respectively. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4.
Modi, concluding his campaign with meditation in Kanyakumari until June 1, held 206 public outreach programs since the Election Commission announced the election schedule on March 16.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh criticized Modi for diminishing the dignity of public discourse during the campaign, while asserting the Congress’s commitment to safeguarding democracy and the Constitution.
