Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the importance of voting in the ongoing polling across 88 parliamentary constituencies in 13 states and Union Territories during the second phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, taking place today, April 26. Stressing that a robust voter turnout bolsters democracy, he particularly called upon young and female voters to participate enthusiastically.
Congress leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi have also issued calls for voting, emphasizing that this election is crucial for safeguarding the Constitution.
Voting began at 7 am and is set to finish at 5 pm. The Election Commission has allotted an additional hour as a buffer period for voters already in the queue at the closing time.
According to the Election Commission of India, by 1 pm, the overall voter turnout for the 88 seats stood at 39.1%. Specific states recorded the following turnout percentages: Karnataka at 38.2%, Tripura at 54.98%, Kerala at 38.01%, Bihar at 35.73%, and Uttar Pradesh at 35.75%.
A total of 15.88 crore voters are eligible to participate in this phase, comprising 8.08 crore men, 7.8 crore women, and 5,929 third-gender electors. Additionally, there are 3.28 crore young voters aged between 20 and 29 years, with 34.8 lakh first-time voters registered to cast their ballots in this phase.
In Phase 1 on April 19, a total of 109 seats underwent polling, with a recorded voter turnout of approximately 62%. The counting of votes for all seven phases of the Lok Sabha Elections is scheduled for June 4.
The constituencies up for polling on April 26 encompass all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, 8 each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh,7 in Madhya Pradesh, 5 each in Assam and Bihar, 3 each in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, and 1 each in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, and Tripura.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, BJP youth icon Tejasvi Surya, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, actor-turned-politicians Hema Malini and Arun Govil, and the outgoing Lok Sabha speaker, Om Birla, are among the 1,210 candidates running in Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections.
In this phase, more than 16 lakh polling officials have been stationed across 1.67 lakh polling stations. Webcasting will cover over 50% of these stations, and micro-observers will be deployed at all polling stations. -Lok Sabha Election 2024
Overall, voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats will take place in seven rounds. The final phase will be place on June 1. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is seeking a record third term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to win 400 seats in this election. The ruling alliance is being challenged by opposition parties led by the Congress, known as the INDIA bloc.
Also Read: Supreme Court
Vote counting for all seven phases of the Lok Sabha Elections is slated for June 4th.