The extensive and fervent campaign for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections concluded on Thursday evening. This phase, which includes 57 seats across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, is set for polling on June 1.
Final Polling Phase Details
Voters will cast their ballots in all 13 seats of Punjab and four in Himachal Pradesh, along with 13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha, and three seats in Jharkhand, besides Chandigarh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking his third consecutive term from Varanasi.
Gold Rate
Saturday 01 Feb. 2025
Turnout and Previous Phases
Voting has already been completed in 486 seats across 28 states and Union Territories. The voter turnout in the first six phases varied, with percentages recorded at 66.14, 66.71, 65.68, 69.16, 62.2, and 63.36 respectively. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.
Campaign Highlights and Key Issues
The campaign saw leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Modi accusing the Congress and the INDIA alliance of corruption, anti-Hindu sentiment, and dynastic politics. Conversely, opposition parties charged the BJP with being anti-farmer, anti-youth, and threatening to alter the Constitution.
At a rally in Odisha, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized BJP leaders for portraying Modi as the “eleventh avatar” of Lord Vishnu, a narrative he claimed the public would reject. On Thursday, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accused Modi of degrading the dignity of his office with divisive rhetoric.
Regional Campaign Efforts
In Punjab, where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress are competing separately in a multi-cornered contest, senior BJP leaders, including Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, JP Nadda, and BJP state chiefs, were heavily involved in campaigning. Congress leaders Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spearheaded their party’s efforts. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on interim bail in the excise policy case, campaigned vigorously for AAP alongside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Modi, addressing a rally in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, accused Congress of undermining the Constitution and highlighted issues of reservation, corruption, and the Ram Temple. He also criticized the opposition for politicizing the Agnipath scheme.
Campaigns in Other States
In Uttar Pradesh, BJP warned of potential Muslim reservations and threats to the Ayodhya temple if the INDIA bloc came to power, while the opposition urged voters to safeguard the Constitution. In West Bengal, Modi rallied in Kolkata for candidate Tapas Roy, while Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee held numerous rallies.
On Thursday, Banerjee led a 12 km march in Kolkata, with TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee also actively campaigning.
The BJP accused the Mamata government of involvement in various scams and failing to implement central welfare schemes. The TMC countered by blaming the Centre for withholding state funds.
With the conclusion of the longest election campaign in India’s history, all eyes now turn to the final phase of polling on June 1 and the subsequent vote counting on June 4, which will determine the country’s future political landscape.
