India Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 4: Who is voting and what are the stakes?

India is gearing up for the fourth phase of its ongoing parliamentary elections, which are set to take place on May 13th. This phase will see 96 members of parliament being elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. The main contenders in this election are Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP and the INDIA coalition led by Rahul Gandhi’s Indian National Congress.

The third phase of voting saw heightened competition between the BJP and the Congress Party, with former President Sonia Gandhi accusing Modi and the BJP of focusing solely on gaining power at any cost. This phase also featured some glamour with Bollywood veteran Shatrughan Sinha seeking re-election and actress Maadhavi Latha entering the fray against Asaduddin Owaisi in Telangana.

Voter turnout for the first three phases was lower compared to the 2019 elections, with a total of 969 million people registered to vote in 543 constituencies. The fourth phase will see voters in nine states and a union territory casting their ballots, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Key constituencies to watch in the fourth phase include Hyderabad, Srinagar, Krishnanagar, Baharampur, Asansol, Kannauj, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Indore. These constituencies feature interesting electoral battles with star candidates and political significance, such as Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad and Mahua Moitra in Krishnanagar.

Voting for the fourth phase will begin at 7 am local time and end at 6 pm, with results expected to be released on June 4. The BJP governs states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar in alliances, while other states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are governed by different parties.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP and its allies won 50 seats, while Congress and parties affiliated with the INDIA alliance won 13 seats in the 96 seats being contested in the fourth phase. Voting for the first three phases has already been completed in various states, with the fifth and sixth phases scheduled for May 20 and May 25, respectively.