Lok Sabha elections 2024: Campaigning for phase 4 ends; voting for 96 seats on May 13

The election campaigning for the fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in India ended Saturday (May 11) at 5 pm. A total of 96 seats will go to polls on May 13 (Monday) where 1,717 candidates are in the fray. All constituencies in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh (25) and Telangana (17) will go to polls. Elections will alsobe held in different numbers of constituencies in the following states.

Uttar Pradesh (13)

Maharashtra (11)

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Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal (8 each)

Bihar (5)

Odisha and Jharkhand (4 each) and

Jammu and Kashmir (1).

Additionally, assembly polls willbe heldin Andhra Pradesh state.

With polling concluding of phase 4, elections would becompletedin 23 states and union territories. In total, polling would concludein 381 seats by Monday night.

Prominent faces in Phase 4

Prominent candidates in phase 4 include Akhilesh Yadav (Kannauj), Omar Abdullah (Srinagar), Giriraj Singh (Begusarai), Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Behrampur), Mahua Moitra (Krishnanagar), Shatrughnan Sinha (Asansol), Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad) and YS Sharmila (Kadappa).

Kejriwal starts campaigning after release from jail

May 13 phase will be the first phase of the elections that willbe heldafter the release of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

After the interim bail granted to him by the Supreme Court of India, Kejriwal went on an intensive campaign drive on Saturdaywhere he declaredthat his fight is against 'dictatorship'.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Congress found itself in hot soup following 'racist' remarks by (now former) overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda.

In an interview, Pitroda described India as a "... diverse country... where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africa".

Congress later distanced itself from his remarksandlaterPitroda tendered his resignation.

ECI releases Phase 3 data, pegs turnout at 65.68%

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI)on Saturdaypublished the data of the third phase of the elections held on May 7.The polls held on 93 constituencies saw a voter turnout of 65.68 per cent.

The ECI said 66.89 per cent ofmenvoters, 64.41 per cent ofwomenvoters, and 25.2 per cent of third-gender individuals exercised their franchise.

State-wise, Assam recorded the highest voter turnout with a total voter turnout of 85.45 per centwhileGoa was at number two with 76.06 per cent voter turnout.

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh recorded relatively low voter turnouts at 59.15 and 57.55 per centrespectively.

(With inputs from agencies)