May 6th 2024.
The third phase of the Lok Sabha polls is set to take place on Tuesday, with a total of 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories. The stakes are high for the BJP, as they had won a majority of these seats in the last election, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.
There are over 1,300 candidates in the running, including around 120 women. Among the big names are Union ministers Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Mansukh Mandaviya, Parshottam Rupala, Pralhad Joshi, and SP Singh Baghel. The BJP has already secured Surat, as their candidate ran unopposed, and are now focusing on the remaining 25 seats in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat.
Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, there is an intense battle between Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, the wife of the veteran leader's estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. In Uttar Pradesh, the current phase is significant for the Mulayam Singh Yadav family, as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav is aiming to retain the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat.
The fate of former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh will also be decided in this phase. In Maharashtra's Baramati, there is a riveting contest between Sharad Pawar's daughter and the wife of his estranged nephew. In West Bengal, the four seats going to polls are Muslim-majority, and the division of minority votes could shape the outcome.
After the third phase, a total of 283 seats out of 543 will have completed their voting. The next four phases will take place on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, with the counting of votes on June 4. During this phase, the BJP and its allies have fiercely attacked the INDIA bloc, accusing them of trying to tamper with the Constitution and reservations.
In Karnataka, the BJP had swept all 14 seats in the last election, defeating the Congress and JD who were in alliance and ruling the state at the time. Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have attacked the BJP over allegations of sexual abuse against Prajwal Revanna, an ally of the BJP.
Meanwhile, in Gujarat, BJP's Mukesh Dalal has already secured the Surat seat unopposed, and in Chhattisgarh, the BJP had won nine out of 11 seats in the previous election. In Assam, the BJP has put up only one candidate in this phase, with their alliance partners contesting the remaining three seats. And in Bihar, all five seats are currently held by the NDA.
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