Politics
First Phase of Lok Sabha Elections Commences with High Voter Turnout in South India
Voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha Elections commenced on April 19 in southern India and four Union Territories, with a high voter turnout reported.
Key faces in the electoral fray include prominent figures such as Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju, Sarbanada Sonowal, Jitendra Singh, Bhupendra Yadav, Gaurav Gogoi, Kanimozhi, and K. Annamalai.
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, with a total of 40 seats, saw significant political activity as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the State multiple times during the campaigning period.
The major contenders in these regions are the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Other states with polling in this phase include Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh.
In Uttar Pradesh, a three-way contest is expected between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the INDIA bloc, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The only Parliament seat in Jammu and Kashmir going to the polls in this phase is Udhampur-Doda, where Jitendra Singh of the BJP is a key candidate.
The BJP-led NDA seeks a stronger majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc aims for a resurgence after recent election setbacks.
