The seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha election campaign is set to conclude today, with 57 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh scheduled to go to polls. May 31st will be observed as a silent day, and the counting of votes will take place on June 4th. The first phase of the elections was held on April 19th, 2024.
In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been the dominant force in the campaign, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee holding roadshows and walking several kilometers on foot. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, has relied on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies to garner support.
The Prime Minister’s announcement that he will meditate at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu, from May 30th has raised concerns about a potential violation of the model code of conduct. The Congress has argued that either the meditation should be held after polling hours on June 1st or there should be no media coverage of the event until voting is over.
According to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), there has been a significant increase in the number of political parties contesting the Lok Sabha elections from 2009 to 2024. In 2024, 751 political parties are participating, compared to 677 in 2019, 464 in 2014, and 368 in 2009.
Nine Lok Sabha constituencies in Kolkata, its nearby suburbs, and the Sundarbans are going to the polls in the last phase of elections in West Bengal. The region is considered a stronghold of the TMC, and the party had won all nine seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The BJP has never won eight of the nine seats, with the only exception being Dum Dum, where BJP leader Tapan Sikdar won in the late 1990s.
As the campaign comes to an end, all eyes will be on the outcome of the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The results will determine the composition of the next Lok Sabha and the future of Indian politics.
