Representational image
Polling is underway in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019, on Monday. Elaborate arrangements have been made for peaceful conduct. 51 constituencies, spread over seven states, will go to polls in this phase. Voting will take place for 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh; 12 in Rajasthan; seven each in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. Five seats in Bihar and four in Jharkhand will also witness polling.
Key candidates in 5th phase:
The fifth phase of polling will see a clash of titans including Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow. Smriti Irani is again taking on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. Sonia Gandhi is contesting from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh
In the Faizabad parliamentary constituency, under which the temple town of Ayodhya falls, sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh is taking on Nirmal Khatri of the Congress. Khatri is a former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief.
Former Union minister and Congress candidate Jitin Prasad are contesting from Dhaurahra against former Chambal brigand Malkhan Singh.
Malkhan Singh, 76, has been fielded by Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia, floated by SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Shivpal Yadav.
SP has fielded Poonam Sinha from Lucknow. She is the wife of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who is the Congress candidate from Patna Sahib. Polling will be held in the state in the next two phases as well.
Union Ministers Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Jayant Sinha (all from the BJP) are contesting from Jaipur Rural and Bikaner in Rajasthan and Jharkhand's Hazaribagh respectively.
To constitute the 17th Lok Sabha, the general election is currently being held in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019. On 23 May, the counting of votes will be conducted and on the same day the results will be declared.
With the general election, Legislative Assembly elections in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim are being held simultaneously.
WATCH VIDEO:
(With inputs from PTI)
