The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, encompassing 88 seats in 13 states/union territories. From the northern reaches of Jammu and Kashmir to the southern tip of Kerala and the western expanse of Maharashtra to the eastern borders of Manipur, it took a touch of democracy that bridged the gap with enthusiasm. The voter turnout was 60.96 percent despite the summer heat and the hurdle of logistics.
In the polling stations, it was an exhibition of the rich tapestry of Indian society, and diverse arrays of voters, including newlyweds, senior citizens, tribals, IT professionals, PwDs, women, and first-time young voters, were seen patiently queue up to cast their ballots.
Special arrangements were made to combat the heat including the provision of shade, drinking water, medical kits, and fans.
At many places, voting sees icons of different walks of life, including cricketing legends Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, and Javagal Srinath, vying to exercise their franchise in Bengaluru, serving as symbols of civic duty and encouraging people to take part in the electoral process. In the states of Rajasthan and Karnataka, both the officials and voters wore traditional attire, giving a festive glint to the electoral atmosphere.
The destiny of 1,202 candidates, including prominent personalities like Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Mahesh Sharma, Hema Malini, Arun Govil, Bhupesh Baghel, Tejasvi Surya, D.K. Suresh, H.D. Kumaraswamy, and independent candidate Pappu Yadav, now rests in the Electronic Voting Machines.
In his appreciation for the free and smooth conduct of the second phase, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the overwhelming support received from the electorate,.
The third phase saw polling for all 20 Lok Sabha seats of Kerala, half of Karnataka's 28 seats, and the remaining seats in Rajasthan, Manipur, Tripura, along with several constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir.
This phase of polling has been conducted in 190 constituencies and the elections have been concluded in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshwadeep, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and Uttarakhand.
This makes the elections very much significant for the BJP to maintain and expand its political footprint to gain a decisive mandate in the Lok Sabha.
Voter turnout saw the highest in Tripura at 78.63 percent, while Maharashtra had the lowest at 54.34 percent. Other states saw varying levels of participation: the turnout was at 77.18 percent in Manipur, 73.05 percent in Chhattisgarh, 71.84 percent in West Bengal, 70.68 percent in Assam, and 71.63 percent in Jammu and Kashmir.
Karnataka recorded a 67 percent turnout, Kerala 65.28 percent, Rajasthan 63.74 percent, Madhya Pradesh 56.60 percent, Bihar 54.91 percent, and Uttar Pradesh 54.74 percent.
However, these are provisional figures and the final turnout will be confirmed upon verification of Form 17A.
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