New Delhi, (Samajweekly) The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, encompassing 88 seats in 13 states/UTs, spanning Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala, and Maharashtra to Manipur, concluded peacefully on Friday with a vibrant display of democratic fervour as 60.96 per cent of eligible voters, young and old, braved the summer heat and logistical problems to exercise their franchise.
The queues at polling stations painted a vivid picture of India’s societal diversity, with newlyweds, senior citizens, tribals, IT professionals, persons with disabilities (PwDs), women, and first-time young voters patiently awaited their turn to press the EVM buttons for their desired candidates.
Special arrangements were made to combat the heat including the provision of shade, drinking water, medical kits, and fans.
Cricketing superstars Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath were seen voting at different polling stations in Bengaluru and posed with their inked fingers to encourage voters. In several states like Rajasthan and Karnataka, officials and voters alike came in their traditional attire to celebrate the “Chunav ka Parv”.
The fate of 1,202 candidates, including prominent figures such as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, former Union Ministers Shashi Tharoor and Mahesh Sharma, actress Hema Malini, actor Arun Govil of “Ramayana fame”, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, BJP youth leader Tejasvi Surya, D.K. Suresh, brother of Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, former Karnataka CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, and independent Pappu Yadav, now rests in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude towards voters. “The second phase went very well! Gratitude to the people across India who voted today. The unprecedented support for the NDA is further disappointing for the opposition. The voters want the NDA’s governance. Youth and women voters are strongly supporting the NDA”, he said in a post on X.
In this phase, voting took place for all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, along with half of Karnataka’s 28 seats, the remaining seats of Rajasthan, Manipur, Tripura, as well as several in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir.
With this phase, polling has been held in 190 seats and the elections have been concluded in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshwadeep, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and Uttarakhand
The BJP, holding a significant number of seats in this phase, considers these elections crucial for maintaining and expanding its influence to secure a substantial majority in the Lok Sabha.
Tripura witnessed the highest voter turnout at 78.63 per cent, while Maharashtra recorded the lowest at 54.34 per cent.
Other states saw varying levels of participation, with Manipur at 77.18 per cent, Chhattisgarh at 73.05 per cent, West Bengal at 71.84 per cent, Assam at 70.68 per cent, and Jammu and Kashmir at 71.63 per cent.
Karnataka recorded a 67 per cent turnout, Kerala 65.28 per cent, Rajasthan 63.74 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 56.60 per cent, Bihar 54.91 per cent, and Uttar Pradesh 54.74 per cent.
However, these are provisional figures and the final turnout will be released following verification of Form 17A.
