The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): Campaigning officially ended on Wednesday evening for the 102 Lok Sabha seats spanning 21 states and Union territories, set to vote this Friday, April 19. In these final hours, leaders from the BJP-led NDA and the opposition’s INDIA bloc intensified their efforts to appeal to voters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded the NDA’s final push by touring various constituencies, rallying support through speeches and roadshows. Modi emphasized his commitment to fulfill the guarantees he promised, under the slogan “Modi’s guarantee across the country.”
Concurrently, key figures such as Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and their cabinet colleagues campaigned vigorously. Opposition leaders, including Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, countered by highlighting issues such as electoral bond controversies, misuse of government agencies, and economic challenges like inflation and unemployment.
The BJP, through its manifesto named “Modi ki Guarantee,” promised to expand government welfare schemes and reaffirmed commitments to implement one-nation-one-election and introduce a Uniform Civil Code. Conversely, the Congress manifesto, titled ‘Nyay Patra,’ outlined “pillars of justice” promising legislative changes to enhance social equity, including a constitutional amendment to increase reservation caps and a nationwide caste census.
The electoral battle also includes eight Union ministers and several high-profile political figures who are contesting in this phase. Notably, the distribution of seats involves all constituencies in Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and several other regions, with a few undergoing changes due to delimitation.
Election authorities have enforced strict regulations to maintain order, prohibiting any form of campaigning or media engagement related to the elections 48 hours prior to polling.
In Tamil Nadu, DMK leader M K Stalin framed the election as a critical decision on governance, while BJP’s state unit president K Annamalai ramped up campaign efforts. Elsewhere, Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav rallied in Uttar Pradesh, and PM Modi addressed future electoral plans in Jammu and Kashmir.
With the first phase shadowed by recent security operations in Chhattisgarh’s Naxal-affected regions, the nation’s focus now turns to the polls, set to shape the political landscape ahead of the second phase on April 26.
