It’s curtains on Phase-5 campaigning

New Delhi, May 18

Campaigning for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha poll, where voting will take place across 49 constituencies in eight states and union territories on May 20, ended on Friday evening.

Fate of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli and BJP leader Smriti Irani from Amethi as well as that of Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Piyush Goyal will be sealed in this phase.

The campaign for the fifth phase saw high-voltage campaigning by both the BJP and the INDIA bloc. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the Opposition over their politics of appeasement, dynastic mindset and anti-Ram Temple stance.

The INDIA bloc on its part criticised the BJP for its lack of focus on employment, development, corruption and crony capitalism.

This phase will see end of polling for Maharashtra as voting will take place on 13 remaining constituencies out of 48 seats. These include all six seats of Mumbai city, including Mumbai North, from where Goyal is contesting his first ever Lok Sabha poll.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow while Irani is seeking re-election from Amethi (she had defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019). This time, the Congress has fielded loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi.

Four seats of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh —Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda and Jalaun — will also go for the poll in this phase.

Hajipur seat from Bihar will also vote on May 20 in the fifth phase, from where Chirag Paswan, son of former union minister Ram Vilas Paswan is contesting.

Another prominent candidate is Shrikant Shinde, who is a sitting Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) MP from Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, Maharashtra. He is seeking re-election from the seat and is a son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The electorate in Baramulla, Jammu & Kashmir, will also vote in this phase.