Varanasi/ Chandigarh: The intense campaigning for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 57 seats across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh concluded on Thursday evening, ahead of the June 1 polling.
Voting is set to take place in all 13 seats of Punjab, four in Himachal Pradesh, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha, three in Jharkhand, and one in Chandigarh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term from Varanasi.
So far, voting has been completed in 486 seats across 28 states and Union territories, with turnout percentages for the first six phases recorded at 66.14, 66.71, 65.68, 69.16, 62.2, and 63.36 respectively. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.
During the campaign, BJP leaders, led by Modi, accused the Congress and the INDIA alliance of corruption, anti-Hindu sentiments, and engaging in loot, appeasement, and dynastic politics.
In contrast, the Opposition claimed that the BJP is anti-farmer, anti-youth, and would alter or scrap the Constitution if they win the elections.
At a rally in Odisha, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that BJP leaders were trying to portray Modi as the “eleventh avatar” of Lord Vishnu, but he insisted that the people would reject this notion.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Thursday, accused Modi of lowering the dignity of public discourse and the prime minister’s office by delivering “hateful speeches” during the campaign.
Appealing to voters in Punjab, Singh emphasised that only the Congress could ensure a progressive future that safeguards democracy and the Constitution. He also criticised the BJP government for imposing the “ill-conceived” Agnipath scheme on the armed forces.
On Thursday evening, Modi travelled to Kanyakumari, where he will meditate at a site associated with Swami Vivekananda until June 1.
Since the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha election schedule on March 16, Modi has participated in 206 public outreach programs, including rallies and roadshows.
In Punjab, the high-energy campaign saw the ruling AAP and its INDIA bloc partner Congress contesting separately in a multi-cornered fight.
Senior BJP leaders, including Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP chief J P Nadda, and BJP-ruled state chief ministers participated in the campaign.
Congress leaders Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the campaign for their party.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, out on interim bail in the excise policy case, also campaigned vigorously for his party alongside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
On the final campaign day, Modi addressed a rally in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, where he accused Congress of “strangling” the Constitution during the Emergency and ignoring it during the 1984 Sikh riots.
At the rally supporting Hoshiarpur candidate Anita Som Parkash and Anandpur Sahib nominee Subhash Sharma, Modi also discussed reservation, corruption, and the Ram Temple. He criticised the opposition for questioning the Agnipath scheme, accusing the INDIA bloc of politicising the Army, which he termed a “great sin.”
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP claimed in their speeches that the INDIA bloc would introduce Muslim reservation and put a ‘Babri lock’ on the Ayodhya temple, while the Opposition urged people to vote to protect the Constitution.
In West Bengal, Modi held a rally in Kolkata on Tuesday for Kolkata Uttar candidate Tapas Roy. TMC leader and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee campaigned for party candidates in each of the nine Lok Sabha constituencies. On Thursday, Banerjee led a 12 km rally from Jadavpur to Gopalnagar, and party leader Abhishek Banerjee participated in two rallies on the final campaign day.
The BJP accused the Mamata government of involvement in scams related to coal and cattle smuggling and irregularities in school recruitment. They also alleged the state government was not implementing Central welfare schemes, depriving people of their benefits. The TMC countered by claiming the Centre was withholding funds from the state.