Voters across 13 States are gearing up for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, scheduled for April 26. The intense campaigning for Phase 2 concluded on April 24.
In this phase, polling will take place in a total of 89 seats. Notable among them are all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, seven seats in Madhya Pradesh, and five seats each in Assam and Bihar. Additionally, three seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, along with one seat each in Manipur, Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir, will also witness voting.
Key Candidates in Phase 2
The electoral battleground sees the entry of prominent personalities vying for parliamentary seats. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar contests from Thiruvananthapuram, while Congress stalwart Shashi Tharoor seeks re-election from the same constituency. In Bengaluru South, the BJP fields Tejasvi Surya, while Hema Malini competes from Mathura and Arun Govil from Meerut. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh contests from Bangalore Rural, former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy from Mandya, and Independent candidate Pappu Yadav from Purnia. Annie Raja represents the CPI in Wayanad, challenging Rahul Gandhi’s stronghold in the constituency.
Key Constituencies in Phase 2
Wayanad, Kerala, emerges as a focal point with Rahul Gandhi seeking re-election. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he secured a massive victory with over 4.31 lakh votes, clinching 64.94 per cent of the vote share. However, this time around, his path to victory faces stiff competition from CPI’s Annie Raja and BJP’s K Surendran.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Renowned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, a former UN diplomat, continues to be a formidable force in Kerala politics, particularly in this constituency. Since his debut victory in 2009, where he broke the Communist Party’s streak of two consecutive wins, Tharoor has maintained a strong grip on the seat. He secured successive triumphs over the BJP in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections by substantial margins. Among Tharoor’s contenders are Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar representing the BJP and Pannyan Raveendran of the CPI.
Tags: Arun GovilHema MaliniKey ConstituenciesLok Sabha Election 2024Phase 2 VotingRahul Gandhi
