Former Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, cast his vote in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, on Wednesday. Khattar, who is contesting from Haryana’s Karnal seat, expressed confidence, stating that the Congress candidate, Divyanshu Budhiraja, posed no challenge to him. “I have cast my vote. I appeal to the people to participate in this festival of democracy and also vote for the BJP. The Congress candidate is not a challenge for me,” said Khattar. He added that he planned to visit all nine assembly segments by the end of the day.
Congress Leaders Urge Voter Turnout
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda also encouraged citizens to exercise their voting rights in large numbers. Meanwhile, Deepender Singh Hooda, the Congress candidate from Rohtak, voiced his confidence, asserting that the Congress and its alliance would win all 10 seats in Haryana.
PM Modi’s Call to Action
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to turn out in large numbers for the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “I urge all those who are voting in the 6th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to vote in large numbers. Every vote counts, make yours count too! Democracy thrives when its people are engaged and active in the electoral process. I especially urge women voters and youth voters to vote in large numbers.”
Details of the Sixth Phase
A total of 58 constituencies from six states and two union territories were set for polls in the sixth phase, with over 11.13 crore voters deciding the fate of 889 candidates, including two former Chief Ministers: Manohar Lal Khattar (BJP candidate from Karnal) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP nominee from Anantnag-Rajouri).
The constituencies in this phase included eight seats in Bihar, all 10 seats in Haryana, one seat in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Jharkhand, all seven seats in Delhi, six in Odisha, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, and eight in West Bengal.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the voters included 5.84 crore males, 5.29 crore females, and 5,120 third-gender electors. Additionally, there were over 8.93 lakh registered voters aged 85 and above, 23,659 voters above 100 years, and 9.58 lakh PwD (Persons with Disabilities) voters, who had the option to vote from home. The ECI stated that around 11.4 lakh polling officials would facilitate the voting process across 1.14 lakh polling stations.