Voting underway for fourth phase of Lok Sabha Elections

Voting is underway for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections. Moderate polling has been reported so far from different constituencies in this phase. 

Ninety six Parliamentary Constituencies spread over nine States and one Union Territory are being covered in the fourth phase.

These include, 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 17 in Telangana, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, eight seats each in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, 5 in Bihar, four seats each in Jharkhand and Odisha along with one seat of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Voting started at 7 this morning and will conclude at 6 in the evening. 

The Election Commission said, polling time in certain assembly segments of 17 Parliamentary Constituencies of Telangana has been extended to enhance voter participation.

Akashvani correspondents touring different constituencies report long queues of voters at different polling booths.

Special enthusiasm is seen among youth and women voters. A total of one thousand 717 candidates are in the fray for the fourth phase.

Some of the prominent candidates whose political fate is being sealed in the EVMs today include BJP leaders Giriraj Singh, Arjun Munda, G Kishan Reddy, Ajay Kumar Mishra and JDU’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi party, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Mahua Moitra and Shatrughan Sinha of Trinamool Congress, and Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM.

Over 19 lakh Polling officials have been deployed across one lakh 92 thousand polling stations. Nearly 18 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase. 

The Election Commission has made all arrangements for the smooth conduct of polling.

Facilities like water, sheds, ramps, volunteers and wheelchairs are available at the polling stations.

So far in the last three phases, polling has concluded smoothly in 283 Parliamentary Constituencies and 20 States and Union Territories.

Besides, the voting for single phase Assembly Elections in Andhra Pradesh for 175 seats and first phase of Assembly Polls for 28 seats of Odisha are also being held today.