Lok Sabha Elections Phase 2 Voting: What is at stake for key leaders and parties?

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase 2: As Indians vote in 88 constituencies across 13 states and Union Territories during second phase of India's seven-phase election, the raging election summer is sweating the politicians out left, right and centre. But the ruling BJP is contesting with the advantage that it currently holds 54 of these 88 constituencies.

Voting is being held for 20 seats in Kerala, 14 seats in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight each in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, seven in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, three each in Bengal and Chhattisgarh and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Tripura.

Also watch |Lok Sabha Elections 2024: India votes in phase 2

Here's what it means for the key parties and leaders:

Bharatiya Janata Party: The ruling BJP has never won a seat in Kerala, where electorate are voting to elect Members of Parliament from all 20 Lok Sabha seats. A win in Kerala would add to the ruling party's advantage, not just in terms of the numbers but also to break the jinx. The BJP had won 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the neighbouring Karnataka in 2019 Lok Sabha elections but lost assembly elections in the state, adding to the subtle disadvantage for the saffron party. The party has fielded actors Arun Govil in Meerut, Hema Malini in Mathura and Suresh Gopi in Thrissur. As the leader of National Democratic Alliance, in Bihar, it faces the challenge to ensure ally JDU's win in Purnea which became a trilateral battleground between JDU, RJD and controversial politician Pappu Yadav contesting as an independent candidate.

Indian National Congress: The Congress party turned to South to make up for the losses in the north as PM Modi became the centre of Indian politics with overwhelming gains in the Hindi heartland since 2014. From Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal to Rahul Gandhi,the leaders of grand old party have hoped to peak the scales of the south of Vindhyas during Modi years in power from where they intend to gain the political ground lost elsewhere in the country. Losing the ground to BJP in Kerala would throw it further off the edge. Its top leaders, including three-term MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor and Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony facea tough fight from BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Anil Antony respectively. Besides, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Rajnandgaon. Losing any of these contests would damage the political standing of India's principal opposition party.

Narendra Modi: The unprecedented significance of PM Modi in Kerala, Karnataka and elsewhere can be underlined by the following remark made by BJP's Malappuram candidate Dr Abdul Salam in an interview with WION. "Not only in Kerala but in all of India, Modi factor is working very well. If at all, if one person is winning from Kerala; hypothetical, I would attribute 95 per cent of that positivity come from the Modi factor. That is the value, acceptance and respect people have for Modi."

A win in Kerala would add to Modi's growing profile and gains in the south of Vindhyas would mark a new high in his political career so far in a remarkable shun to the critics who claimed that Modi had peaked in 2019 when he won re-election for the second time.

Rahul Gandhi: The fifth generation member of Nehru-Gandhi family was forced to contest from Kerala's Wayanad after his family bastion of Amethi in northern India was blown away to the BJP's side in 2019. Potential losses in Kerala, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh would further damage his image and political acumen, or its lack thereof.