96 seats up for grabs as India votes again today
OUT ON BAIL, KEJRIWAL TO CAMPAIGN ACROSS COUNTRY
The fourth phase of India’s Lok Sabha elections slated for today cover 96 seats across 10 states and union territories.
This phase of the general elections will witness voter participation from all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 17 constituencies in Telangana, along with 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, eight in West Bengal, eight in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Bihar and Jharkhand, four in Odisha, and one seat in Jammu and Kashmir.
Simultaneously, voting will be held in 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh.
Tapering turnouts
Polling for the next three phases is scheduled for May 20, May 25, and June 1, with vote counting set for June 4. The three phases saw voter turnout of 66.14, 66.7, and 65.68 per cent, respectively, witnessing a consistent dip compared to the 2019 elections.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will campaign across the country for the INDIA alliance party’s candidates.
Arvind Kejriwal will kick start his campaign for the opposition alliance party’s candidates from May 15, after completing his campaign in Delhi and Kurukshetra.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, “I will go to Lucknow on May 15, Ranchi and Punjab on May 16 and Maharashtra on May 17.”
Kejriwal spent over 50 days in Tihar Jail after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy case on March 21, days after the election schedule for the general elections was announced. The bail is applicable till June 1 and Kejriwal has to surrender to authorities on June 2.
The Delhi CM can participate in the poll campaigning but cannot attend his office as chief minister. Delhi will vote on all 7 Parliamentary seats on May 25.