Finance
Voting for the 14th Lok Sabha and Assemblies in four states began today on Friday. In the first of the 7-phase democratic exercise, voting is being held in 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories.
The first phase of polls is being held on all seats of Tamil Nadu (39), Rajasthan (12), Uttar Pradesh (8), Madhya Pradesh (6), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1). Besides, there will be five seats each in Assam and Maharashtra, four in Bihar, three in West Bengal, two in Manipur, and one each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh.
Four states – Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh – will also pick new Assemblies alongside this Lok Sabha election. Of these, Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32) are first down today.
With the support of an intense campaign spearheaded by Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP hopes to secure 370 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, a significant increase over its 2019 results. The Prime Minister has set a 400-member goal for the NDA. The NDA gained 353 seats in the most recent election, a 5% increase over 2014. With 303 seats, the BJP won.
The bloc of opposition Following Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s detention in the liquor policy case, India, which garnered significant attention for its chaos in the lead-up to the elections—particularly with the resignation of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar—has shown unity. Nevertheless, the parties are at odds with one another in certain regions, flouting the rule of one-on-one contests they guaranteed would push the BJP out.
Eight Union ministers, two former Chief Ministers, one former Governor and several key leaders are in the fray today, making for scintillating contests in more than 20 seats. Among them are Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Jitendra Singh, Kiren Rijiju, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Sanjiv Balyan, former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Congress’s Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and former Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal.
In 2019, the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) won 45 of the 102 seats and the NDA 41. Six of the seats have been redrawn as part of delimitation. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
