The ongoing massive democratic process in India involves voters commencing their participation on Friday to select 543 Members of Parliament in a seven-phase election, remarkable for its scale and logistics, encompassing every voter across the vast and diverse country.
The first phase, occurring tomorrow, will cover 102 constituencies across 21 states and union territories. This year’s Lok Sabha election, taking place from April 19 to June 1, marks the second-longest polling period in India’s electoral history. The previous general elections in 2019 were also conducted in seven phases. The voting process will extend to April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, with the election results announced on June 4.
Additionally, new assemblies will be elected in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Various political parties have vigorously campaigned, with the BJP-led NDA aiming for a third consecutive term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, while the opposition INDIA bloc seeks to remove the BJP-led alliance from power. Rigorous security measures have been implemented by the Election Commission.
The first phase covers seats in multiple states and union territories, with Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh witnessing voting across all seven phases starting April 19. However, polling will occur in a single phase on April 19 in some regions such as Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Meghalaya, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The election schedule was announced by the Election Commission of India on March 16, which also includes bypolls to 26 assembly constituencies alongside the Lok Sabha and four state assembly polls. Bypolls will be held in the Ramnagar seat in Tripura and the Vilavancode seat in Tamil Nadu on April 19. The first phase boasts the highest number of parliamentary constituencies among all phases.
Approximately 8.4 crore male voters, 8.23 crore female voters, and 11,371 third-gender electors are eligible to vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, according to the Election Commission’s estimates.
Key contenders and constituencies in the Phase 1 of Lok Sabha elections:
In Uttar Pradesh, voting will take place in eight out of the total 80 parliamentary constituencies on April 19.
1. Pilibhit: Jitin Prasada (BJP) faces Bhagwant Saran Gangwar (SP) and Anis Ahmed Khan (BSP).
2. Saharanpur: Raghav Lakhanpal (BJP) is pitted against Majid Ali (BSP) and Imran Masood (Congress).
3. Kairana: Pradeep Kumar (BJP) faces Sripal Singh (BSP) and Iqra Hasan (SP).
4. Muzaffarnagar: Sanjeev Balyan (BJP) is contesting against Harindra Malik (SP) and Dara Singh Prajapati (BSP).
5. Rampur: Ghanshyam Lodhi (BJP) faces Zeeshan Khan (BSP).
6. Moradabad: Sarvesh Singh (BJP) versus Mohd. Irfan Saifi (BSP).
7. Bijnor: Chandan Chauhan (RLD) is contesting against Vijendra Singh (BSP) and Yashvir Singh (SP).
8. Nagina: Om Kumar (BJP) faces Surendra Pal Singh (BSP), Manoj Kumar (SP), and Chandra Shekhar Azad (Azad Samaj Party).
Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats and voting will take place in five constituencies tomorrow.
1. Nagpur: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari (BJP) is pitted against Congress leader Vikas Thakare.
2. Chandrapur: Sudhir Mungantiwar (BJP) is contesting against Pratibha Dhanorkar (Congress).
3. Bhandara-Gondia: Sitting MP Sunil Mendhe (BJP) faces Dr. Prashant Patole (Congress).
4. Gadchiroli-Chimur: Ashok Nete (BJP) is facing Namdev Kirsan (Congress) and Hitesh Pandurang Madavi (VBA).
West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha constituencies and voting will take place in three seats tomorrow.
1. Cooch Behar: Incumbent MP Nishith Pramanik (BJP) is pitted against Jagadish Chandra Burma Basunia (TMC) and Pia Roy Chowdhury (Congress).
2. Alipurduars: Manoj Tigga (BJP) is in the fray against Prakash Chik Baraik (TMC).
3. Jalpaiguri: Jayanta Kumar Roy (BJP) is contesting against Nirmal Chandra Roy (TMC) and Debraj Barman (CPI-M).
All 39 seats of Tamil Nadu and one seat of Puducherry will go in for polls tomorrow. Some of the key seats include
1. Coimbatore: State BJP chief K Annamalai is in fray against Ganapathy P Rajkumar (DMK) and Singai Ramachandran (AIADMK).
2. Thoothukudi: Kanimozhi (DMK) is contesting against R Sivasami Velumani (AIADMK).
3. Chennai South: BJP has fielded former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan. She is facing DMK leader and incumbent MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian. AIADMK has fielded Jayavardhan.
4. Krishnagiri: Vidhya Rani, the daughter of slain sandalwood smuggler Veerappan is contesting from Krishnagiri constituency. She has been fielded by Naam Tamilar Katchi and will face C Narasimhan (BJP) and K Gopinath (Congress).
5. Chennai Central: Dayanidhi Maran (DMK) is facing Vinoj P Selvam (BJP) and B Parthasarathy (DMDK).
6. Nilgiris: A Raja (DMK) is contesting against Union Minister and BJP leader L Murugan. AIADMK has given a ticket to Lokesh Tamilselvan.
7. Sivaganga: Devanathan Yadav (BJP) is in the fray against Congress sitting MP Karti Chidambaram and A Xavier (AIADMK).
In Assam, five out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats will undergo elections in the initial phase:
1. Dibrugarh: Sarbananda Sonowal (BJP) will compete against Lurinjyoti Gogoi (INDIA bloc).
2. Jorhat: Topon Kumar Gogoi (BJP) is challenging Gaurav Gogoi (Congress).
3. Kaziranga: Kamakhya Prasad Tasa (BJP) is facing Roselina Tirkey (Congress).
4. Lakhimpur: Pradan Baruah (BJP) is against Uday Shankar Hazarika (Congress).
5. Sonitpur: Ranjit Dutta (BJP) is contesting against Premlal Ganju.
In Bihar, four out of 40 Lok Sabha constituencies will go to the polls tomorrow:
1. Aurangabad: Sushil Kumar Singh (BJP) versus Abhay Kushwaha (RJD).
2. Gaya: Kumar Sarvjeet (RJD) versus Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM).
3. Jamui: Archana Kumari (RJD) versus Arun Bharti (LJP-Ram Vilas).
4. Nawada: Shrawan Kumar (RJD) versus Vivek Thakur (BJP).
In Madhya Pradesh, six out of the state’s 29 Lok Sabha seats will see polling tomorrow:
1. Chhindwara: Nakul Nath (Congress) versus Vivek Bunty Sahu (BJP).
2. Balaghat: Bharti Pardhi (BJP) versus Samrat Saraswat (Congress).
3. Jabalpur: Ashish Dubey (BJP) versus Dinesh Yadav (Congress).
4. Mandla: Faggan Singh Kulaste (BJP) versus Omkar Singh Markam (Congress).
5. Shahdol: Himadri Singh (BJP) versus Phunde Lal Singh Marko (Congress).
6. Sidhi: Rajesh Mishra (BJP) versus Kamaleshwar Patel (Congress).
In Uttarakhand, all five Lok Sabha seats will have polling tomorrow:
1. Haridwar: Virendra Rawat (Congress) versus Trivendra Singh Rawat (BJP).
2. Pauri Garhwal: Ganesh Godiyal (Congress) versus Anil Baluni (BJP).
3. Tehri Garhwal: Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah versus Jot Singh Gunsola (Congress).
4. Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar: Ajay Bhatt (BJP) versus Prakash Joshi (Congress).
5. Almora: Ajay Tamta versus Pradeep Tamta (Congress).
Voting in 12 out of the 25 constituencies of Rajasthan will occur in the first phase tomorrow. Key contests include:
1. Bikaner: Arjun Ram Meghwal (BJP) versus Madan Gopal Meghwal (Congress).
2. Churu: Devendra Jhajharia (BJP) versus Rahul Kaswan (Congress).
3. Nagaur: Jyoti Mirdha versus Hanuman Beniwal (RLP).
4. Sikar: Swami Sumedhanand versus Amra Ram (CPI(M)).
5. Jhunjhunu: Shubhkaran Choudhary versus Brijendra Singh Ola (Congress).
In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, incumbent MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma (Congress) faces Bishnu Pada Ray (BJP).
Arunachal Pradesh’s two constituencies will have polling in the first phase:
1. Arunachal Pradesh West: Nabam Tuki (Congress) versus Kiren Rijiju (BJP).
2. Arunachal Pradesh East: Bosiram Siram (Congress) versus Tapir Gao (BJP).
In Chhattisgarh, which has 11 Lok Sabha seats, voting will take place in the first phase in the Naxal-affected seat of Bastar where Kawasi Lakhma (Congress) is against Mahesh Kashyap (BJP).
In Manipur, elections will take place twice in one constituency. Voters in Outer Manipur will cast their votes over two days due to the special situation owing to ethnic violence witnessed by the state.
While voting will take place in Inner Manipur constituency on April 19 (phase 1), outer Manipur will vote on two dates – April 19 (phase 1) and April 26 (phase 2).
Of the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura, the constituency of Tripura (West), which includes the state capital of Agartala, will go to the polls tomorrow. BJP nominee Biplab Kumar Deb is contesting against state Congress chief Ashish Kumar Saha.