Voting underway for fourth phase of Lok Sabha election covering 7 seats in four states
New Delhi: Fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections began on Saturday covering seven constituencies in four states where more than 50 lakh voters will decide the fate of 74 candidates.
The states being covered in Saturday’s phase are Goa, Assam, Tripura and Sikkim.
Goa, with two seats, have 19 candidates in fray for the North and South Goa constituencies, including those of Congress, BJP, CPI and other regional parties and independents.
Prominent candidates from North Goa include Ravi Naik (Congress), BJP's sitting MP Shripad Naik and Aam Aadmi party's Dattaram Desai. From the South Goa seat, Congress' Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, BJP's Narendra Sawaikar and AAP's Swati Kerkar are among the prominent contenders.
South Goa's sitting MP Francisco Sardinha (Congress) has not been given a ticket this time.
In Goa, after every one male voter, two women voters are allowed to exercise their franchisee.
This has been done for the first time keeping in mind that the females need to come out in large number to increase the voting percentage in the state.
Tripura also goes to poll to elect its second representative to the Lok Sabha from the Tripura East (ST) constituency.
A multi-cornered contest will take place in the constituency among the CPI(M), Congress, Trinamool Congress and BJP.
There are 12 candidates in the fray including CPI(M)'s Jitendra Chowdhury, who is the state industries minister, Congress' Sachitra Debbarma, a prominent educationist, BJP's Parkshit Debbarma, an ex-armyman, and Trinamool Congress leader Bhriguram Reang.
Brisk polling was witnessed in TripuraEast (ST) Lok Sabha constituency where over 25 per cent voters exercised their franchise within the first copule of hours, election department sources said.
Voters were seen standing in long queues in urban and rural polling stations of the constituency much before the voting started at 7 AM.
Polling began an hour and half late at a constituncy at Ambassa, the headquarter of Dhalai district as the EVMs there did not function properly and had to be changed, the sources said.
Tribals, who form the majority of the electorate in the constituency, were seen waiting to cast their votes donning colourful traditional dresses. Women tribal voters outnumbered menfolk in the polling booths in rural and hilly areas of the state, which is witnessing the second phase of polling.
Vendors made quick business selling tea and snacks near the polling centres. Police said no untoward incident was recorded from any part of the constituency where security personnel were deployed.
The three phases of Lok Sabha election have so far seen impressive turnout. The election to elect the 16th Lok Sabha is being conducted in nine phase from April 7 to May 12. The counting will take place on May 16.
