Violence Erupts in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh as Phase 1 of Lok Sabha Elections Commences
Polling is underway in 102 parliamentary seats across 21 states and Union Territories, with incidents of violence reported in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, overshadowing the electoral process.
Today marks the commencement of Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha Elections, with polling stations open across 102 parliamentary seats spanning 21 states and Union Territories. However, amidst the democratic exercise, reports of violence have marred the electoral process in certain regions.
In West Bengal, where polling is being conducted in three seats – Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar, incidents of violence have been reported. Both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have lodged numerous complaints with the Election Commission regarding clashes and disturbances. By 10 am, dozens of complaints had been filed by both parties, raising concerns about the integrity and safety of the electoral process in the state.
Meanwhile, in the Naxal-hit Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, a grenade blast occurred just 500 meters from a polling booth in the Galgam area of Bijapur. The explosion, reportedly from a Barel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) cell, injured a security personnel who was part of a team conducting area domination exercises. The incident underscores the security challenges faced in certain regions during elections, particularly in areas affected by insurgency and violence.
The first phase of elections also encompasses states like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. Notably, all 39 seats of Tamil Nadu are going to polls in this phase, indicating a significant electoral battleground.
A staggering 16.63 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in the first phase at 1.87 lakh polling stations. Among them are 8.4 crore men, 8.23 crore women, and 11,371 third-gender electors. Furthermore, over 35.67 lakh first-time voters, out of 3.51 crore young voters in the age group 20-29 years, are registered to participate in the electoral process.
With 1625 candidates from various parties contesting in this phase, the elections have drawn attention to key candidates whose fate will be determined, including Nitin Gadkari from BJP (Nagpur, Maharashtra), Jitin Prasada from BJP (Pilibhit, UP), Jitan Ram Manjhi from NDA (Gaya, Bihar), Nakul Nath from Congress (Chhindwara, MP), Gaurav Gogoi from Congress (Jorhat, Assam), Imran Masood from Congress (Saharanpur, UP), Karti Chidambaram from Congress (Annamalai, Tamil Nadu), and K Annamalai from BJP (Coimbatore).
Despite the challenges and incidents of violence, the electoral process continues, with voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats scheduled to be held in seven phases. The counting of votes for all phases of the Lok Sabha Elections will take place on June 4, determining the composition of the next government and the future direction of the nation.
