As the Lok Sabha elections approach their final phase, political heavyweights are making a strong push in key battlegrounds. Here’s a look at the latest developments in the campaign trail:
Modi and Kharge in Odisha
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will intensify their campaigns in Odisha. This comes just before the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on June 1.
PM Modi will start his day with a rally in Mathurapur, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. He will then head to Odisha, where he will address public meetings in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Kendrapara. Meanwhile, Kharge will be holding rallies in Balasore and Bhadrak.
Voting will take place in six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 Assembly seats within these constituencies.
Rahul Gandhi in Punjab
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to address rallies in Ludhiana and Patiala, Punjab. In Ludhiana, Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring faces tough competition from AAP MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi and BJP’s Ravneet Singh Bittu. Patiala sees another tight race with Congress’s Dharamvira Gandhi up against BJP’s Preenet Kaur and AAP’s Balbir Singh.
Priyanka Gandhi in Himachal Pradesh
AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will campaign in Himachal Pradesh, supporting party candidate Vikramaditya Singh in Mandi. The BJP has fielded Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut for this seat. Priyanka will also hold a rally in Kullu, part of the Mandi constituency.
Amit Shah in Uttar Pradesh
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will continue his campaign in Uttar Pradesh, addressing rallies in Ballia, Deoria, Maharajganj, and Robertsganj. He will also hold a roadshow in Ghazipur. Key candidates include Neeraj Shekhar in Ballia, Shashank Mani Tripathi in Deoria, and sitting MP Pankaj Chaudhary in Maharajganj.
J P Nadda in Jharkhand and Bengal
BJP National President J P Nadda will campaign in Jharkhand, addressing rallies in Dumka and Godda. Dumka’s contest is notable with Sita Soren (BJP) against JMM’s Nalin Soren. In Godda, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey faces Congress’s Pradeep Yadav. Nadda will then head to West Bengal for a roadshow in South Kolkata.
Kejriwal in Chandigarh
Delhi CM and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal will support Congress nominee Manish Tewari with a roadshow in Chandigarh. The Congress-AAP alliance is contesting jointly in Chandigarh, Delhi, and Haryana as part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, although they are rivals in Punjab.
Stay tuned for more updates as the campaign reaches its climax and the nation prepares for the final phase of voting.