In the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections, voting was held in 88 constituencies across 13 states and union territories. The election featured over 1,200 candidates, including four from Outer Manipur.
Key areas that participated in this phase include all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 of 28 seats in Karnataka, and several seats across other states such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. High-profile candidates include Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP’s Tejasvi Surya, Hema Malini, Arun Govil, and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor.
In the previous 2019 elections, the NDA won 56 out of 89 seats, while the UPA secured 24. Since then, six seats have been redrawn due to the delimitation exercise.
During the first phase of elections last Friday, 65.5% voter turnout was recorded across 21 states and union territories.
Key points from Phase 2:
– Chhattisgarh reported a 73.05% voter turnout in three constituencies, all with Maoist presence.
– A total of 63% voter turnout was recorded in Phase 2.
– Rajasthan reported over 60% voter turnout for 13 Lok Sabha seats.
– Karnataka experienced voting disruptions due to clashes in one village.
– Manipur, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura recorded over 70% voter turnout.
Overall, Phase 2 witnessed a successful turnout across various regions, despite some isolated incidents of violence and disruptions.
