The high-octane campaign for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections slated on May 7 concluded on Sunday evening. The third phase campaigning saw tooth-and-nail strife between the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc. The major issues that took over the election campaign were reservations, sexual harassment charges against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, among others.
In the third phase of voting the fate of over 1300 candidates, including 120 women wll be sealed. Total 92 seats, spread over 11 states and Union Territories will go to polls on May 7. Among the major states, 25 out of 26 seats of Gujarat are going to polls in this phase. Apart from that 14 seats of Karnataka. 10 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, 8 from Madhya Pradesh and 4 from Assam will go to polls.
Prominent candidates contesting in third phase
Among the bigwigs are Union ministers Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna, Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar, Parshottam Rupala from Rajkot, Pralhad Joshi from Dharwad and SP Singh Baghel from Agra. Apart from them, fate of Madhya Pradesh’s former Chief Ministers — Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijay Singh will also get sealed in the third phase. While Shivraj is contesting Vidisha, Digvijay is contesting Rajgarh.
From Karanataka, former CM Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and Badruddin Ajmal (Dhubri) are some prominent candidates. In Maharashtra, where 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats will go to polls, a fierce contest is on in Baramati. The contest has become interesting as the seat has always been a stronghold of undivided NCP. Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule won the election in 2019. However, after the party broke into two factions, estranged nephew of Sharad Pawar and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar against Supriya Sule.
In Gujarat, the elections was to be held at all 26 seats but after Congress candidate’s nomination was cancelled on Surat seat, BJP bagged it unopposed.
(With PTI Inputs)
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