Polling for third phase of Lok Sabha elections begin

Polling is progressing peacefully for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. Voting, which began at 7 AM, will end at 6 PM in most of the constituencies. Voting is taking place for 117 constituencies, spread over 13 States and two Union Territories today. 

Polling is taking place for all 26 constituencies in Gujarat, 20 in Kerala, 14 each in Maharashtra and Karnataka, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in Chhattisgarh, six in Odisha, five each in Bihar and West Bengal, four in Assam, two in Goa, one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Tripura. Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful conduct of polls. 

In Gujarat, 371 candidates are in the fray for 26 Lok Sabha seats while 45 candidates are contesting the by-polls in four assembly seats. Prominent candidates whose fate will be decided today are BJP President Amit Shah, former Union Ministers Mansukh Vasava, Mohan Kundariya and Bharatsinh Solanki. In Maharashtra, 249 candidates, including 19 women are in the fray for 14 Lok Sabha seats.

In Goa, polling for two Lok Sabha constituencies and by-polls to three Assembly seats are taking place today. 12 candidates are in the fray for



the two Lok Sabha constituencies, while 18 nominees are contesting for the three Assembly seats. 

In Kerala, 227 candidates including 23 women are in the fray for 20 Lok Sabha seats. Prominent among them are Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister KJ Alphonse, Shashi Tharoor, K Rajasekharan, Suresh Gopi and K Surendran. 

In Uttar Pradesh, 10 constituencies going to polls in this phase include Moradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Bareilly and Pilibhit. 120 candidates including 14 women are in the fray. Prominent among them are Mulayam Singh Yadav, Santosh Gangwar, Jaya Prada, Varun Gandhi, Shivpal Yadav and Azam Khan. In Bihar, the political fate of 32 candidates, including five women will be decided in this phase. 

In Chhattisgarh, 123 candidates are in the fray for 7 Lok Sabha seats. These constituencies are Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa, Surguja and Raigarh. Around 60,000 security personnel, including paramilitary and state forces, have been deployed in the state. In Odisha, voting is progressing peacefully for six Lok Sabha seats and 42 assembly constituencies.