Second Phase of Lok Sabha Elections Commences, Including Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi’s Constituency
New Delhi, 26th April 2024: The electoral process for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections commenced on Friday, encompassing 88 constituencies spread across 12 states and a union territory, notably including Rahul Gandhi’s constituency, Wayanad. In Kerala, voting started early at 7 am, with polling also underway in 14 seats in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, 8 each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 6 in Madhya Pradesh, and 5 each in Assam and Bihar, among others.
Originally slated for 89 seats, the second phase faced a rescheduling in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul following the unfortunate demise of a BSP candidate. A total of 15.88 crore voters are eligible to participate, including 8.08 crore male voters, 7.8 crore female voters, and 5,929 third-gender electors, distributed across 1.67 lakh polling stations. Notably, this includes 34.8 lakh first-time voters and 3.28 crore young voters aged 20-29.
A diverse pool of 1202 candidates, including 102 women and two from the third gender category, are contesting in this phase. Renowned figures such as Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Hema Malini, alongside political stalwarts like HD Kumaraswamy and Om Birla, are among the contenders.
Key battles include Gandhi facing off against CPI’s Annie Raja and BJP’s K Surendran in Wayanad, Tharoor challenging BJP’s Rajeev Chandrashekhar in Thiruvananthapuram, and Malini contesting against Congress’s Mukesh Dhangar in Mathura. Additionally, the NDA seeks to maintain its dominance after securing 56 seats out of the 89 in contention during the 2019 elections.
Following the conclusion of voting on Friday, the electoral focus shifts to Kerala, Rajasthan, and Tripura, marking the completion of polling in these regions. The first phase, held on April 19, covered constituencies across several states and union territories. The upcoming third phase is scheduled for May 7, continuing the multi-phase electoral process across the nation.
