The stage is set for another round of electoral battle between the BJP-led NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc in the fourth phase of voting in the Lok Sabha elections on Monday.
The voting, in 1.92 lakh polling stations of 96 parliamentary constituencies (PCs) spread across 10 states and union territories (UTs), will commence at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm.
The polling will be manned by over 19 lakh polling officials amid tight security to avert any untoward incident.
Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the fourth phase, 25 are from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha and one from Jammu and Kashmir.
More than 17.70 crore voters will decide the fates of 1,717 candidates who are in the fray. The average number of candidates in a parliamentary seat is 18.
Prominent contenders among the candidates from the BJP are Union ministers, Girijaj Singh (Begusarai, Bihar), G Kishan Reddy (Secunderabad, Telangana), and Madhavi Latha (Hyderabad, Telangana), while from Congress is Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Baharampur, West Bengal) and party’s Andhra Pradesh chief YS Sharmila (Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh).
Other key candidates are Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav (Kannauj), AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra (Krishnanagar, West Bengal).
Elections will also take place for all 175 seats of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and 28 seats of the Odisha Legislative Assembly simultaneously in the fourth phase on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said, “As per IMD forecast there is no significant concern regarding hot weather conditions for the polling in the fourth phase. The weather forecast indicates that the PCs going for polls are likely to experience normal to below normal temperatures and there will be no heat wave-like condition in these areas on the polling day.”
However, arrangements have been made at all polling stations meticulously for the convenience of voters, it said.
The ECI added that minimum facilities like water, shed, toilets, ramps, volunteers, wheelchairs, and electricity are in place to ensure that every voter, including the elderly and persons with disabilities, can cast his/her vote with ease.
The Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases between 19th April and 1st June. The first phase of polling was held on 19th April, the second phase on 26th April, and the third phase on 7th May. The first phase recorded 66.14 per cent voter turnout, the second 66.71 per cent, and the third phase 65.68 per cent.
The results of the Lok Sabha elections will be declared on 4th June.