The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections concluded on May 18, setting the stage for the voting process in 49 constituencies on May 20. High-profile seats such as Amethi and Rae Bareli are among those to be contested during this phase.
The campaign period witnessed intense rhetoric from both the BJP and the INDIA bloc. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, accused the Congress of planning to allocate 15% of the budget to Muslims. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge countered this by promising 10 kg of free grains to the poor instead of the current 5 kg allocation.
The BJP and Congress are the primary contenders in this phase, with the BJP fielding candidates in 40 seats and the Congress in 18. A total of 695 candidates, including 82 women, are in the fray. Among the prominent candidates are Rahul Gandhi (Congress) from Rae Bareli, Smriti Irani (BJP) from Amethi, Rajnath Singh (BJP) from Lucknow, and Omar Abdullah (National Conference) from Baramulla.
Uttar Pradesh, which sends the largest number of MPs to Parliament, will see 14 seats going to the polls in the fifth phase. Rae Bareli and Amethi, traditional strongholds of the Congress, are among these constituencies. Faizabad, which includes Ayodhya, the nerve center of the BJP’s Hindutva politics, will also vote in this phase.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi campaigned for her son Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli, expressing confidence in his ability to serve the people. In neighboring Amethi, where Union Minister Smriti Irani faces a tough contest, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi held street corner meetings in support of K.L. Sharma, the party’s candidate.
In the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal faced controversy after AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal alleged assault by his personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar, who was subsequently arrested.
All the seats in Mumbai will also go to polls in this phase. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee sparked some debate within the INDIA bloc when she initially indicated that her party would only provide outside support to the group if it formed the government, although she later softened her stance.
With the completion of the fifth phase, the polling process in 25 states and union territories will be largely complete. The remaining two phases will take place on May 25 and June 1, with the votes to be counted on June 4.
