Key battles across 13 states with 88 seats at stake today

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India will conduct the second phase of Lok Sabha elections today in a high-stakes battle across 13 states and union territories with the campaign marked by sharp jibes by the leaders of BJP as also by Congress and other opposition parties.

The second phase has 88 Lok Sabha constituencies including all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and one each in Tripura, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir.

Voting will begin at 7am and will conclude at 6pm. The Lok Sabha election is being held in seven phases till June 1 and votes will be counted June 4.

The second phase of polling was to be held for 89 seats but it has been deferred to May 7 in Betul in Madhya Pradesh due to death of BSP candidate.

Several opposition parties have come together to form INDIA bloc to put up common candidates against the BJP.

Interesting battles are lined up in the second phase of the elections and some prominent personalities are also in the fray. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is re-contesting from Wayanad. In Thiruvananthapuram, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is seeking fourth successive term. Battles in Rajasthan in the second phase of polls include two union ministers, a former Assembly Speaker and sons of two former chief ministers.

Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini is again in the fray from Mathura. Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Rajnandgaon, DK Suresh from Bangalore Rural, and Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South.

The first phase of voting for the seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the world's largest electoral exercise, was held on April 19 on 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTS.

According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout was registered was over 62 per cent. The third phase election will be held on May 7.

— REUTERS Polling officers make their way as they carry election materials at a distribution centre ahead of the second phase of the general elections, in Barmer in the desert state of Rajasthan on Thursday.