New Delhi: The third phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election commences today, marking the start of voting for 93 seats across 12 states and union territories. These include Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, as well as significant regions like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh in the Hindi heartland. The list extends to Assam, Bengal, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and the UTs of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, along with Jammu and Kashmir.
In a notable development, voting in Surat, south Gujarat, has been halted due to the rejection of the Congress candidate, Nilesh Kumbhani, over alleged discrepancies in proposers’ signatures. Following this, there were rumors of Mr. Kumbhani intending to join the ruling BJP. Consequently, the BJP’s Mukesh Dalal was declared the winner as eight other candidates, including seven independents, withdrew from the race.
This marks the first declared victory for the BJP in this election cycle. Similar occurrences in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore have led to a 2-0 lead for the BJP over Congress.
Of the 93 seats in this phase, excluding Surat, 25 are from Gujarat, where the BJP swept all 26 seats in 2019. Additionally, 14 seats from Karnataka and nine from Madhya Pradesh are up for grabs, all of which were previously won by the BJP. The party aims to retain most, if not all, of these seats to achieve its electoral target.
Key figures contesting in this phase include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Pralhad Joshi, and Purushottam Rupala. Mr. Shah will defend his Gandhinagar seat, historically held by LK Advani, while Mr. Scindia seeks to reclaim his family stronghold in Guna, Madhya Pradesh. Mr. Joshi aims to secure his fourth consecutive victory in Dharwad, Karnataka. Meanwhile, Mr. Rupala contests from Rajkot, Gujarat.
Other significant contenders include former Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh, as well as Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party, vying for various seats across different states.
The ongoing election battle reflects the BJP’s efforts to maintain dominance against opposition alliances, with crucial seats up for grabs in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. With four more phases to follow, the electoral landscape is poised for further developments, with the results slated for declaration on June 4.
