Voting for the sixth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections began on Saturday morning across 58 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs) amid tight security and arrangements.
The voting started at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with those in line by the closing time still allowed to vote. Before the start of voting, mock polls were conducted across different states for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha today.
The sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls includes eight seats in Bihar, all 10 seats in Haryana, one seat in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Jharkhand, all seven seats in Delhi, six in Odisha, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, and eight in West Bengal. A total of 889 candidates are in the fray. Forty-two assembly constituencies in Odisha are also going for polls in the sixth phase. Assembly elections are being held in the state simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in the state. All parliamentary seats in Delhi and Haryana will go to the polls in this phase. Stakes are high for the BJP as well as for Congress, AAP, and other constituents in this phase of the election.
The riveting contest in Delhi has AAP and Congress jointly taking on the BJP, which won all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital in the last two elections. The BJP campaign has been bolstered by rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other party leaders. Senior leaders of Congress have also held rallies in the national capital. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been released on interim bail by the Supreme Court in the Delhi excise policy case and sought votes for AAP and Congress candidates.
Polling has already been completed on 428 parliamentary constituencies in the first five phases of general elections. Over 11.13 crore voters will be eligible to exercise their franchise in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls. Polling will also be conducted in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency of Jammu and Kashmir. The Lok Sabha will be completed on June 1 after the seventh phase of polls, with results declared on June 4.
The Election Commission has ensured that polling stations are equipped with basic facilities to ensure a comfortable and secure voting environment. The poll panel has appealed to voters to turn out in large numbers at polling stations and vote with responsibility and pride. With the penultimate phase of elections underway, the focus now shifts to the final phase as the country eagerly awaits the outcome of this crucial democratic exercise.
