The sixth phase of India’s 2024 Lok Sabha elections has seen a significant voter turnout, with 57.7% of eligible voters casting their ballots by 5 PM. This phase is crucial as it covers 58 seats across seven states and one Union Territory (UT). By the end of the day, polling will be completed in 486 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, effectively wrapping up the election process in key regions, including Haryana, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir.
In today’s phase, voters in eight seats each from Bihar and West Bengal, seven from Delhi, ten from Haryana, four from Jharkhand, fourteen from Uttar Pradesh, and one from Jammu & Kashmir (Anantnag-Rajouri) are casting their votes. The turnout till 3 PM was recorded at 49.2%, with the highest participation in West Bengal at over 52%, while Delhi lagged with a turnout of only 34.4%.
Key constituencies in this phase include New Delhi, North-East Delhi, North-West Delhi, and Chandni Chowk in the national capital, as well as Sultanpur and Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Other notable seats are Anantnag-Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, Tamluk and Medinipur in West Bengal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Gurgaon, and Rohtak in Haryana, and Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Sambalpur in Odisha.
This phase is significant not just for the number of seats, but also for the diversity of the regions involved. Delhi and Haryana are voting in a single phase, while Odisha is conducting simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The Election Commission has taken special measures to address the challenges posed by the ongoing heatwave across northern India, particularly in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Poll officers have been instructed to ensure adequate arrangements are in place to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures on voters.
Several high-profile constituencies are in play during this phase. In Delhi, the seats of New Delhi, North-East Delhi, North-West Delhi, and Chandni Chowk are under the spotlight. Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur and Azamgarh are also critical battlegrounds. Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri, where polling was moved from the third to the sixth phase, is another key seat, reflecting the region’s unique electoral challenges.
In West Bengal, constituencies like Tamluk and Medinipur are witnessing intense competition. Haryana’s key seats include Karnal, Kurukshetra, Gurgaon, and Rohtak, all of which are significant for their potential impact on the overall electoral outcome. Additionally, Odisha’s prominent constituencies such as Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Sambalpur are crucial in determining the state’s political direction.
