National Desk, 7th May: Voters in 12 states and union territories across India embarked on the electoral journey as polling for the third phase of the general election commenced for 93 Lok Sabha seats. The polling process began at 7:00 am, welcoming voters in Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2), Goa (2), Gujarat (25), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (11), Madhya Pradesh (8), Uttar Pradesh (10), and West Bengal (4) to exercise their democratic right.
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured the Surat seat uncontested, marking an early victory in this phase of the election.
A diverse array of candidates, exceeding 1300 in number, including approximately 120 women, are competing in this phase, presenting voters with a wide range of choices. With a staggering 17.24 crore eligible voters and 1.85 lakh polling stations facilitating the electoral process, the third phase promises robust participation and engagement.
International observers, comprising 75 delegates from 23 countries, are monitoring the electoral proceedings to ensure transparency and adherence to democratic principles.
However, the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir remains excluded from today’s polling. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rescheduled voting for this seat to the sixth phase on May 25. Additionally, the shift of elections for the Betul Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh from the second to the third phase, following the unfortunate demise of the BSP candidate, has led to a revised schedule. Consequently, with the Surat seat already decided uncontested and the rescheduling of Anantnag-Rajouri, the total number of seats up for polling in this phase is now 93.
Today’s electoral battleground features prominent leaders from various political parties, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, as well as Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav and NCP contenders.