Phase Seven of Lok Sabha Elections: India’s Voting Process Reaches its Climax

The grand finale of India’s massive democratic exercise commenced today as the seventh and final phase of voting began at 7 a.m. in the remaining 57 parliamentary constituencies. Spanning across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, this phase marks the conclusion of the world’s largest electoral process, which started on April 19, covering six phases across 486 Lok Sabha seats.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) reported that over 100 million voters are expected to cast their votes  in this phase, including 52.4 million men, 48.2 million women, and 3,574 third-gender voters. To ensure a smooth voting process, mock polls had been conducted in various locations, including Jadavpur and Rashbehari in West Bengal, Karakat and Arrah in Bihar, Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, Balasore in Odisha, and Dumka in Jharkhand.

In Mohali, girls performed the traditional Gidda dance at a polling station to encourage voter participation. Shivinder Deora, the presiding officer at a polling booth in Amritsar, confirmed that all preparations by the Election Commission and District Collector were complete, with machines and polling stations ready.

Punjab’s 13 parliamentary constituencies are among those voting today, with mock polls also held in Odisha’s Saraskana constituency. Here, the contest features candidates like Anjani Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Naba Charan Majhi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Sudam Marndi of the Biju Janata Dal.

A total of 904 candidates are contesting for the Lom Sabha seats in this final phase. Prominent figures include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Nishikant Dubey, Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Charanjit Singh Channi, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Misa Bharti. Additionally, actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut from BJP is contesting against Congress’s Vikramaditya Singh in Mandi, while Union Minister Anurag Thakur is in the fray from Hamirpur.

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Six assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh will also undergo by-polls, which are crucial for the ruling Congress government, as all these seats were previously held by Congress MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections.

Polling today spans across Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Chandigarh. Additionally, Odisha’s 42 remaining Assembly Constituencies are also holding elections.

The ECI also assured that polling has been conducted peacefully across 28 states/UTs and 486 parliamentary constituencies so far in the past six phases, with the final vote counting scheduled for June 4. Extensive measures have been taken to ensure voters’ comfort and safety, including provisions for shade, drinking water, ramps, and toilets at polling stations.

Special attention has been given to manage the adverse weather conditions, with 13 special trains and eight helicopter sorties deployed for personnel transportation. Over 2,700 flying squads, nearly 2,800 static surveillance teams, 1,080 surveillance teams, and 560 video viewing teams are monitoring the process to prevent any electoral malpractices.

Security measures include 201 international border check posts and 906 inter-state border check posts to prevent the illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies. Voters are being encouraged to turn out in large numbers despite the hot weather conditions, which saw high voter turnout in previous phases, with female participation notably surpassing that of males.

Following the close of voting on June 1, exit poll results will be broadcasted on various television channels. The Election Commission had enforced a ban on exit polls from April 19 until the conclusion of polling today.

The high-voltage campaigning witnessed over the past seven phases included more than 200 events by PM Modi and over 100 rallies by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also held over 100 rallies, 20 press conferences, and 70 interviews.

The Lok Sabha elections, conducted on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, and May 25, also coincided with assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha. Today’s voting concludes this extensive democratic exercise, with the nation eagerly awaiting the results.