Today marked the commencement of the second phase of Lok Sabha elections across thirteen states, including Karnataka. A total of 88 constituencies, with 14 in Karnataka alone, are part of this phase.
In Kerala, notable figures such as senior Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Rahul Gandhi are contesting. Polling began at 7 am across all constituencies.
High voter turnout was observed across Kerala’s 20 constituencies, with lengthy queues forming outside polling booths from the early hours. Simultaneously, voting started in BalurGhat, West Bengal, for three out of the state’s 42 constituencies.
Keen competition is unfolding in Kerala’s Wayanad and Thiruvananthapuram constituencies. Rahul Gandhi, representing the Congress, faces a three-cornered contest against BJP’s K. Surendran and CPI’s Ani Raja. In several constituencies, polling hours have been extended until 6 pm to accommodate voters.
Voting is currently underway in 5 Lok Sabha constituencies of Assam, 5 of Bihar, 3 of Chhattisgarh, 14 of Karnataka, 20 of Kerala, 7 of Madhya Pradesh, 8 of Maharashtra, 1 of Manipur, 13 of Rajasthan, 1 of Tripura, 8 of Uttar Pradesh, 3 of West Bengal, and 1 of Jammu and Kashmir.
