The intense campaigning for the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections concluded on Thursday, marked by scorching heat and fervent political rhetoric and promises from the candidates. This phase is scheduled for May 25, with voting to occur in 58 constituencies across six states and two Union territories.
Key constituencies
In the sixth phase, polling will take place in all seven seats in Delhi, 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, all 10 seats in Haryana, 8 seats each in Bihar and West Bengal, 6 seats in Odisha, 4 seats in Jharkhand, and 1 seat in Jammu and Kashmir.
Prominent Candidates
The prominent candidates in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections include Dharmendra Pradhan (BJP) from Sambalpur (Odisha), Manoj Tiwari (BJP) and Kanhaiya Kumar (Congress) from North East Delhi, Maneka Gandhi (BJP) from Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) from Anantnag-Rajouri (Jammu & Kashmir), Abhijit Gangopadhyay (BJP) from Tamluk (West Bengal), and from Haryana, BJP’s Manohar Lal Khattar (Karnal), Naveen Jindal (Kurukshetra), and Rao Inderjit Singh (Gurgaon).
PM Modi‘s jibe at INDIA bloc
On the final day of campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallies in Punjab and Haryana, where he criticized the INDIA bloc, saying, “cow hasn’t given milk but the fight over ghee has started,” and accusing the alliance of “talking about having five PMs in five years.”
PM Modi emphasized that in this election, the Indian public is not only choosing a Prime Minister but also deciding on the “country’s future.” He asserted, “Till Modi is alive, no one can snatch the reservation for Dalits and tribals.”
The day before, during an election meeting, PM Modi remarked, “Just today, the Calcutta High Court has given a big slap to this INDI alliance. The court has cancelled all OBC certificates issued since 2010. Why? Because the West Bengal government issued unwarranted OBC certificates to Muslims just because of the vote bank.”
BJP’s campaign
In Delhi, the BJP’s election campaign included rallies by PM Modi and canvassing efforts by union ministers Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, and Piyush Goyal, along with chief ministers from BJP-ruled states such as Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand), and Pramod Sawant (Goa).
Congress’s campaign
The Congress’s campaign was led by its chief Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and Sachin Pilot, among others. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, released on interim bail until June 1, held roadshows supporting Congress candidates, while Pilot campaigned for AAP’s South Delhi candidate Sahi Ram Pahalwan.
AAP’s campaign
AAP’s campaign gained momentum with Kejriwal’s release from Tihar. During his time in jail, his wife Sunita Kejriwal held roadshows for party candidates, while senior party leaders engaged in various outreach activities under the ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se’ campaign. After his release, the AAP supremo, along with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, led roadshows in several constituencies, with Sunita also joining her husband for election meetings.
Campaign in Odisha
During the campaign in Odisha, BJP’s Puri candidate Sambit Patra stirred controversy by stating, “Lord Jagannath is a devotee of Modi,” before later expressing regret for his statement. The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) responded strongly, stating that Patra’s “offensive” remark deeply offended the sentiments of Odias globally. The party also lodged a complaint with the EC against Patra for featuring an image of the Jagannath temple in a local media advertisement issued by him.
Campaign in UP
While campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, PM Modi accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of prioritizing their vote bank over the Kumbh Mela. BSP chief Mayawati labeled both the Congress and the BJP as anti-Dalit and anti-backward, claiming their intentions and thoughts oppose reservation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in his rallies, stated that in the five rounds of polling till now, BJP has “crossed 310” and the Congress is “not even getting 40 seats.”
Addressing a rally in Sant Kabir Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah accused several opposition party leaders of nepotism, saying, “Lalu Prasad Yadav wants to make his son the chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray wants to make his son the chief minister, Sharad Pawar wants to make his daughter the chief minister, Stalin wants to make his son the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee wants to make her nephew the chief minister, and Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son Rahul Gandhi the prime minister.”
EC on campaigning
As the election campaign intensified, the Election Commission intervened on Wednesday, instructing BJP leaders to avoid making speeches with religious or communal undertones and warning the Congress against making potentially divisive remarks regarding the socioeconomic makeup of the armed forces.
With the completion of Phase 5, more than half of the general election polling was completed, covering 25 states and Union territories and 428 out of 543 constituencies. The final phase of voting is set for June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.