This phase will witness the VVIP Varanasi seat where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting for the third time.
AMN
Campaigning for the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha polls ended this evening. 57 parliamentary constituencies spread over seven states and one union territory will go to the polls in this phase on June 1st.
These include 13 seats each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, 9 in West Bengal, 8 in Bihar, 6 in Odisha, 4 in Himachal Pradesh, 3 in Jharkhand, and one seat in the union territory of Chandigarh. 42 Assembly seats in Odisha will also go to the polls in this phase simultaneously. A total of 904 candidates are in the fray for 57 Lok Sabha seats. The top leaders of various political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters.
Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi addressed an election rally in Hoshiarpur town, Punjab. He accused Congress and the INDI Alliance of appeasement and vote-bank politics. Mr Modi said that for the sake of the vote bank, Congress continuously opposed the construction of the Ram Temple and also opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The Prime Minister said his government would not allow anyone to snatch away the reservations of Dalits, OBCs, and backward classes and give them to Muslims only.
In Uttar Pradesh, Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh campaigned in Kushinagar, Robertsganj, and Chandauli constituencies, while Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will hold road shows in Kushinagar and Sonbhadra constituencies. Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav campaigned in Maharajganj and Ghosi constituencies today.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad organised a roadshow and voter outreach programme in the Pataliputra constituency. RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav took a whirlwind tour of all eight parliamentary constituencies and address public meetings.
In Odisha, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a huge public meeting at Simulia under Balasore Lok Sabha constituency this morning, where he alleged that the ruling BJD in Odisha and the BJP have a hidden partnership for their mutual political benefits. He said 24 cases have been lodged against him for fighting against the BJP.