The voting for the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will take place on June 1 (Saturday) marking the conclusion of the largest democratic exercise of electing the 543 representatives for the 18th Lok Sabha. The polling is scheduled to take place in 57 parliamentary constituencies spanning seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh to decide the fates of 904 candidates in the fray. The electoral battleground in the final phase will see 13 seats going to the polls in both Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, followed by West Bengal (9), Bihar (8), Odisha (6), Himachal Pradesh (4), Jharkhand (3), and the lone Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh.
The first six phases of the Lok Sabha elections have already decided the fate of 487 constituencies out of 543. So far, voting has concluded for all seats in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Karnataka, Mizoram, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Telangana, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, the Andaman and Nicobar islands; and the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, Diu, Ladakh Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
Leaders from both the BJP and the INDIA bloc have spared no effort in their campaigns to win over the voters. The BJP-led NDA is aiming for a historic third consecutive term, while the Opposition INDIA bloc is striving to overturn its electoral setbacks of the past decade. The first phase recorded a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent while the second phase registered a turnout of 66.71 per cent. The turnout numbers for the third, fourth, fifth and sixth phases were 65.68 per cent, 69.16 per cent, 62.20 per cent and 63.37 per cent respectively. Results for all 543 seats will be declared on June 4.
As India’s democratic exercise, unparalleled in its expanse, vibrancy, and outreach, ends its course, there are a lot of questions about the outcome. Will voters back the Opposition INDIA which has centred its campaign on “saving the constitution” from what it alleges are attempts by Narendra Modi’s government to undermine fundamental tenets of Indian democracy and on more equitable development in the world’s largest economy? Or will they repose faith in Modi’s leadership and the continuing rule of the governing BJP-led NDA?
Following the conclusion of polling, everyone’s attention will shift to the exit polls, which are expected to forecast the potential winners and losers and composition of the next government. While exit polls serve as valuable tools for gauging public opinion, their reliability is subject to various limitations and challenges. As the nation watches the exit polls, it remains to be seen which pollster will accurately capture the pulse of the electorate. After the voting on June 1, the wait won’t be long. All eyes will be on June 4, when the election results will be declared.
