Lok Sabha Elections 2024: First Phase Tomorrow (image:twitter.com/CEOMPElection)The Lok Sabha Elections begins tomorrow, April 19. In the first phase, 102 Lok Sabha constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories goes to booths. Among the 1625 candidates, eight Union Ministers, two former chief ministers and a former governor are in the poll battle.
The states including Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and union territories including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry are covered in the first phase.
Some of the major constituencies are Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh); Bikaner (Rajasthan); Bastar (Chhattisgarh); Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir); Alipurduar, Cooch Behar (West Bengal); Jamui, Gaya (Bihar); Dibrugarh, Sonitpur (Assam); Inner Manipur, Outer Manipur (Manipur); Saharanpur, Rampur, Pilibhit, Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh); Chennai North, Chennai South, Chennai Central, Coimbatore, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu).
The key candidates in the poll fray includes Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur); Chirag Paswan (Jamui); Jitin Prasada (Pilibhit); Nakul Nath (Chhindwara); K Annamalai (Coimbatore); Nisith Pramanik (Cooch Behar);Tamilisai Soundararajan (Chennai South); and Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (Thoothukkudi).
Tamil Nadu
All the 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu are facing election in the first phase. It is a quadrangular contest in Tamil Nadu with Tamil Nationalist party, Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NTK) in the poll fray. The major contenders in the electoral battle include DMK led- Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), the AIADMK and the BJP. In 2019 General Elections, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) emerged winner with DMK securing 23 seats, Congress gaining eight and other alliance partners gathering the rest. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) where AIADMK was also a partner at that time could obtain only one seat. In September last year, AIADMK quit their alliance with the saffron party and is now facing election independently along with its minor allies. Though actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is not contesting, is quite active in the campaign scene, as it has joined hands with the ruling DMK-led alliance.
The Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases and the counting of the votes will take place on June 4.