PM Modi’s appeal to Lok Sabha polls phase 7 voters: ‘Let’s make our democracy more vibrant’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the voters in 57 poll-bound constituencies to turn up in large numbers and cast their votes in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

“Today is the final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As 57 seats across 8 states and UTs go to the polls, calling upon the voters to turnout in large numbers and vote. I hope young and women voters exercise their franchise in record numbers. Together, let’s make our democracy more vibrant and participative,” Modi, who is contesting from Varanasi, posted on social platform X.

Voting began at 7 PM in 57 constituencies across eight states and Union territories on Saturday. The fate of 904 candidates including Modi will be decided by 10.06 crore voters in 1.09 lakh polling stations.

India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh will witness polling in 13 out of 80 seats in the seventh phase. Varanasi is the most high-profile constituency, from where PM Modi is seeking a third straight term as a parliamentarian. He is facing Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai.

In Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s bastion Gorakhpur, sitting BJP MP Ravi Kishan is facing Samajwadi Party’s Kajal Nishad and Bahujan Samaj Party’s Javed Ashraf. Union minister Anupriya Patel is contesting from Mirzapur.

Bihar will witness eight seats including Patna Sahib and Pataliputra going to polls in the seventh phase. Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti is contesting from Pataliputra. On the other hand, former Union minister Ravishankar Prasad is contesting from Patna Sahib.

In West Bengal, Sandeshkhali survivor Rekha Patra is the BJP candidate from Basirhat. The other prominent candidates include TMC’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee (Diamond Harbour), Sudip Bandopadhyay of TMC (Kolkata Uttar), Sougata Roy (Dum Dum) and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (Barasat).

Besides this, all 13 seats of Punjab are voting in this phase. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party and its INDIA bloc ally Congress are contesting polls alone.