Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has urged Indian citizens to actively participate in the Lok Sabha elections, with the second phase of voting set to take place on Friday across 13 states and union territories (UTs). The Election Commission of India shared a video featuring Gavaskar's appeal during an IPL 2024 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
"Exercise your right and cast your vote! Tune in to Sunil Gavaskar's voting appeal during the #IPL match," wrote the Election Commission of India on their handle. "The largest festival of democracy is amongst us. The Indian General Elections 2024, with over 97 crore registered voters and 10.5 lakh polling stations, India readies for the biggest democratic exercise in the world. Let your voice be heard. Exercise your right and cast your vote," Gavaskar said in the video.
All you need to know about 2nd phase of voting:
After the conclusion of voting in the first phase on April 19, attention has shifted to the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for April 26. This phase will cover 89 Lok Sabha constituencies across 12 states and one Union Territory, with major states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal participating. Vote counting for Phase 2 is set for June 4.
Polling Date and Timings:
As per the Election Commission of India, the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will commence on Friday, April 26. Voting will commence at 7 am and conclude at 5 pm, with an additional hour as a buffer period for voters already in line.
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Phase 2 Constituencies:
A total of 89 constituencies across 13 states and UTs will go to the polls in this phase. The states in Phase 2 include Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (3), Karnataka (14), Madhya Pradesh (7), Uttar Pradesh (8), West Bengal (3), Maharashtra (8), Rajasthan (13), Manipur (1), Kerala (20), Tripura (1), Jammu and Kashmir (1), and Assam (5).
Key Candidates and Constituencies:
Phase 2 will witness 1206 candidates from 13 States/UTs vying for seats, including 4 candidates from Outer Manipur PC. Notably, key candidates include Rahul Gandhi (Congress) contesting from Wayanad, Sukanta Majumdar (BJP) from Balurghat, Tarachand Meena (Congress) from Udaipur, and Hema Malini (BJP) from Mathura, among others.
Full list of states and constituencies
| State | Constituencies |
|---|
| Assam | Karimganj, Silchar, Mangaldoi, Nawgong, Kaliabor |
| Bihar | Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Banka |
| Chhattisgarh | Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund, Kanker |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu |
| Karnataka | Udupi Chikmagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikballapur, Kolar |
| Kerala | Kasaragod, Kannur, Vatakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Madhya Pradesh | Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad, Betul |
| Maharashtra | Buldhana, Akola, Amravati (SC), Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani |
| Manipur | Outer Manipur |
| Rajasthan | Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota, Jhalawar-Baran |
| Tripura | Tripura East |
| Uttar Pradesh | Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Bulandshahr |
| West Bengal | Darjeeling, Raiganj, Balurghat |
Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1 Recap:
During the first phase, polling was conducted in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union territories. Over 62% of eligible voters participated, with West Bengal recording the highest voter turnout at 81.91%, followed by Tripura at 81.48%. In Manipur, amidst ethnic clashes, the voter turnout stood at 75.17%.
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Over 16.63 crore people, including 8.4 crore men, 8.23 crore women, and 11,371 third-gender voters, were eligible to vote in Phase 1. This phase saw 35.67 lakh first-time voters and 3.51 crore voters aged between 20 and 29 years exercising their franchise.
