Lok Sabha polls: 21 states, 102 seats & 1,625 candidates in fray for first round of NDA-I.N.D.I.A. face off

New Delhi: The voting for the next Lok Sabha has commenced today with the BJP hoping to romp home on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity while the Opposition I.N.D.I.A. putting up a stern challenge to deny a consecutive third term for the ruling regime.

Voting is also being held for 92 assembly seats in the state elections in Arunachal Pradesh (60) and Sikkim (32) today.

In the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, 16.63 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in which 102 seats spread across 21 states and union territories, the highest for the seven phases of the exercise that will end on June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Around 18 lakh personnel will be deployed for the conduct of poll in 1.87 lakh polling stations spread across 102 seats, which includes 18 reserved for Scheduled Caste and 11 for Scheduled Tribes. Of the 16.63 crore voters who will determine the fate of 1,625 candidates, 8.4 crore are men, 8.23 crore women and 11,371 third gender while 35.67 lakh are first time voters.

The voting will be held in ethnic violence-hit Manipur as also Naxal-infested Bastar in the first phase. Of the 21 states and union territories, polls will be over in 10 states in a single phase. In Manipur’s Inner Manipur seat, polling will be held on Friday as well as April 26.

All 39 Lok Sabha seats of Tamil Nadu and five seats in Uttarakhand, 12 seats in Rajasthan, eight seats in western Uttar Pradesh, six seats in Madhya Pradesh and five in Maharashtra are among those which would go to polls in the first phase. In Assam, five out of 14 seats and one of two in Tripura as well as all nine seats in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim will also go to polls.

Of the 102 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP had won 40 in 2019 and its allies bagged 11. Opposition got the rest with DMK getting 24, Congress 15 and the rest others. Among the states, all eyes are on Tamil Nadu where the BJP is working hard to open its account and challenge the Dravidian parties DMK and AIADMK.

The BJP is seeking a vote for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ in 2024 by highlighting the ten year rule and ‘Modi ki Guarantees’ while the Congress, the lead party of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, is projecting ‘Nyays’ (justice) and how the BJP government failed in providing jobs, containing inflation, misuse central agencies and destroy the democratic and secular fabric.

The high octane campaign saw Modi raking up ‘mutton, Mughals and Muslim League’ links to Congress and other opposition parties, while highlighting his government’s achievements.

He targeted the Opposition for promoting dynasty politics and corruption and said they were ridiculing Hindu traditions by eating mutton during ‘Savan’ month alleging that it reflected their “Mughal mindset” while alleging that the Congress’ manifesto was influenced by pre-independence Muslim League.

Congress is highlighting its manifesto promises while trying to put the BJP on the mat promising Caste Census, removing 50% quota cap, filling 30 lakh government jobs, Rs one lakh for women and scrapping Agnipath military recruitment scheme among others.

Seats: 102

States/UTs: 21

Candidates: 1625 (Men: 1491; Women: 134

Prominent Candidates

BJP

* Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur)

* Kiren Rijiju(Arunachal Pradesh-West)

* Bhupendra Yadav (Alwar)

* Anil Baluni (Garhwal)

* Jitin Prasada (Pilibhit)

Congress

* Gaurav Gogoi (Jorhat)

* Nakul Nath (Chhindwara)

* Rahul Kaswan (Churu)

* Ve Vaithilingam (Puducherry)

DMK

* Kanimozhi (Thoothukudi)

RLP

* Hanuman Beniwal (Nagaur)

How 102 seats fared in 2019

BJP: 40; LJP:2; Shiv Sena: 1; NPF: 1, NPP: 1, NDPP: 1, MNF: 1, SKM: 1, RLP: 1*, AIADMK: 1*

Opposition: DMK: 24, Congress: 15; BSP: 3**, CPI(M): 2, CPI: 2, SP: 2**, Muslim League:1, VCK: 1; NCP:1

BJP Seats from: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal

Congress Seats from: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Puducherry

(* marked are not part of NDA alliance)

** marked was not part of Congress alliance)

Poll Surveillance

Observers

General Observers: 127

Police Observers: 67

167: Expenditure Observers

4627: Flying Squads

5208: Statistics Surveillance Teams

2028: Video Surveillance Teams

1255: Video Viewing Teams

Vigil on

1374 inter-state and 162 international Border check posts

-- to check any illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash and freebies

-- Strict surveillance has been kept at sea and air routes.

** 1.87 lakh poll personnel

-- 41 helicopters, 84 Special trains and nearly 1 lakh vehicles deployed to ferry polling and security personnel