On Tuesday, the Election Commission (EC) announced that the estimated voter turnouts for Phase-I and -II of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections stood at 66.14 per cent and 66.71 per cent, respectively. These phases encompassed a total of 189 constituencies. Unofficial estimates suggest that the voter turnout percentage was three to four points lower compared to the turnout recorded in these constituencies five years ago. However, historical data indicates that fluctuations in voter turnout do not consistently correlate with the defeat or victory of incumbents.
In other political developments, the Congress party unveiled its latest candidate list on Tuesday. Actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar was nominated to contest from the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat in Haryana, while former Union minister Anand Sharma was fielded from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. Satpal Raizada, a former MLA from Himachal Pradesh’s Una, was selected to contest from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, where he will face BJP candidate and Union Minister Anurag Thakur. Notably, the Congress did not announce candidates for the Amethi and Raebareli constituencies.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi penned personalized letters to all BJP candidates contesting in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May 3. Addressing them as his ‘fellow karyakarta’, Modi urged candidates to raise awareness among voters about the Congress party’s alleged intention to revoke reservation benefits from SC, ST, and OBC communities in favor of their own electoral interests. In his letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the PM commended Shah’s role in the abrogation of Article 370 and the passage of three criminal laws.
